Christopher T. Berg

Chris Berg is a trial lawyer that focuses on complex civil litigation, trial work, and white-collar criminal defense, with particular emphasis on commercial fraud, corporate governance, intellectual property, cryptocurrency, and artificial intelligence. Chris has practiced at the federal and state levels in courts across the country, as well as in arbitration proceedings, internal investigations, and government investigations. He has considerable experience with matters that have civil and criminal litigation components.

Chris has developed a specialty in cross-border disputes, representing clients in matters involving conduct in the United States, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. These representations have involved a wide range of substantive areas of law, including commercial fraud, securities, fiduciary duty, antitrust and unfair trade practices, employment, government contracts, and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act issues. Chris has experience working in a variety of industries, including banking, financial services, telecommunications, sports, energy, healthcare, blockchain technology, artificial intelligence, and professional services.

Chris's cryptocurrency work includes representing blockchain companies and investors in a variety of settings. He successfully obtained an affirmative injunction from Judge Roy Altman in the Southern District of Florida that required the defendants to unwind over $16 million in cryptocurrency transfers that were embezzled from investors. The case resolved favorably shortly after Chris obtained the injunction. Chris defended a technology firm against breach of contract claims from a cryptocurrency mining firm arising from the launch of a novel blockchain in Texas. Chris has also counseled a French blockchain firm in connection with investigations conducted by the US Securities and Exchange Commission and the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (France's SEC equivalent).

Chris's corporate governance and artificial intelligence work includes representing two former board members of a major artificial intelligence company in a variety of high-profile matters since November 2023.

Chris's trial experience includes successfully defending companies and individuals against federal prosecution. Chris defended an individual accused by the US Department of Justice and the US Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida of defrauding a government telecommunications program. Chris also defended a major financial institution against bank fraud charges brought by the US Attorney's Office for the District of Delaware while simultaneously defending the institution in a parallel shareholder class action.

Chris has a passion for pro bono work. In one of his most notable pro bono representations, Chris successfully defended a protester accused of conspiracy to riot arising from the protests that took place during Donald Trump's first presidential inauguration—what the media coined "the J20 protests." Chris's client was one of over 200 individuals charged by the US Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia in what became one of DC's most infamous failed prosecutions. The case garnered media attention in part because of the First Amendment implications behind the government's theory of prosecution: because protesters all wore the same color as they marched in a "black block," they tacitly engaged in a conspiracy to riot when they declined to leave the protest after other individuals began defacing property. The case was dismissed and all charges were dropped after the lead prosecutor was found to have altered video evidence to conceal exculpatory material.