Chris Thorsen practices in the Financial Services Litigation, Commercial Litigation, and Antitrust and Competitive Torts practice groups with an emphasis in securities litigation, mortgage and finance-related litigation, and antitrust matters. Chris has litigated these complex disputes in federal and state jurisdictions throughout the country. Chris has represented financial firms, including large institutional clients and private equity firms, and individual directors and officers in securities litigation brought by private individual plaintiffs as well as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (S.E.C.) and state securities law enforcement agencies. Additionally, Chris represents clients in the financial institutions and mortgage industries in cases involving mortgage-backed securities repurchase claims, TILA, HOEPA, FDCPA, FCRA, RESPA and RICO claims, as well as predatory lending, mortgage fraud, and short-sale fraud claims. Chris also represents clients in antitrust and competitive tort disputes with governmental authorities and private litigants.
Chris Thorsen practices in the Financial Services Litigation, Commercial Litigation, and Antitrust and Competitive Torts practice groups with an emphasis in securities litigation, mortgage and finance-related litigation, and antitrust matters. Chris has litigated these complex disputes in federal and state jurisdictions throughout the country. Chris has represented financial firms, including large institutional clients and private equity firms, and individual directors and officers in securities litigation brought by private individual plaintiffs as well as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (S.E.C.) and state securities law enforcement agencies. Additionally, Chris represents clients in the financial institutions and mortgage industries in cases involving mortgage-backed securities repurchase claims, TILA, HOEPA, FDCPA, FCRA, RESPA and RICO claims, as well as predatory lending, mortgage fraud, and short-sale fraud claims. Chris also represents clients in antitrust and competitive tort disputes with governmental authorities and private litigants.
Securities Litigation: Chris represents registered investment advisors, broker-dealers, hedge funds, private equity funds, public and private issuers, and their directors and officers in securities litigation and investigations conducted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the U.S. Department of Justice, self-regulatory organizations, and state securities agencies. Chris recently defended a private investment company in a series of related litigation involving securities fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and mismanagement claims arising out of almost two hundred multi-million dollar investments in two separate exchange funds. These cases were brought in California, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina and Texas by more than 95 plaintiffs and involved claims seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in compensatory and punitive damages. After extensive discovery (more than 100 depositions in multiple jurisdictions), considerable motion and appellate practice, the cases resolved very favorably for the clients. Chris has also recently represented several companies and their directors and officers, including a family of mortgage and financial services companies, in connection with investigations and enforcement actions conducted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice. Additionally, Chris has assisted broker-dealers, private issuers, oil and gas investment companies, and individuals in enforcement actions and investigations brought by the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Securities Division, and similar securities laws enforcement agencies of other states, including Alabama, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Financial Services Litigation: Chris is actively involved in representing financial institutions and mortgage companies in the quickly evolving and expanding world of mortgage-related litigation. Chris is currently representing mortgage and finance companies in sub-prime lending and mortgage-backed securities repurchase litigation involving multi-million dollar baskets of mortgage and loan transactions in jurisdictions throughout the Southeast. Additionally, Chris represents mortgage companies in a wide array of mortgage-related litigation throughout the Southeast and in jurisdictions such as California, Washington, and Maryland. These cases involve TILA, HOEPA, FDCPA, FCRA, RESPA and RICO claims, as well as predatory lending, mortgage fraud, and short-sale purchase fraud claims.
Antitrust and Competitive Tort Litigation: Chris represents clients large and small in antitrust and competitive tort litigation. Chris recently represented a wholesale distributor in an antitrust action brought by one of its competitors in the U.S. District Court in Nashville. Within approximately two months after the complaint was filed and without the need for expensive discovery, the District Court dismissed the complaint upon the distributor’s motion for summary judgment. Additionally, in connection with a merger between two of the country’s largest appliance manufacturers, Chris represented one of the merging manufacturers in connection with the U.S. Department of Justice’s formal inquiry regarding a potential challenge to the merger. The Department of Justice decided not to challenge the merger in that instance. Chris also represents a variety clients in other types of competitive tort litigation, such as unfair competition, misappropriation of trade secrets, and non-compete litigation.
During Chris’ tenure at the firm, he has served as interim in-house counsel for one of the largest insurance brokerage firms in the world, where he managed litigation throughout the United States.
In September 2009, The Scotsman Guide published Chris’ article, "How To Survive The Legal Carnival: Saddled With Dubious Mortgage-Related Litigation? Try These Five Steps," as its lead article. Additionally, Inside Mortgage Finance featured Chris extensively in an article entitled "Aggressive Mentality Is Key In Foreclosure Suits," which was published in its June 26, 2009 issue of Inside Mortgage Profitability. BD Week, a leading securities compliance publication, also heavily featured Chris in an article in its June 1, 2009 publication on the effects of a recent IRS ruling on Ponzi scheme-type litigation.