Christopher George Oprison

Partner

DLA Piper

Chris Oprison is an experienced trial attorney and litigator, handling high profile and high-stakes litigation and appeals. Chris focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation, white collar criminal defense, government enforcement investigations, and healthcare fraud defense matters. He represents and counsels US and international corporations and individuals in connection with civil and criminal litigation matters, government investigations, healthcare fraud and issues and co-leads DLA Piper’s False Claims Act Strike Force and is an active member of the firm’s State Attorneys General practice.

Chris also represents clients in Congressional probes, in complex matters before federal and state courts and administrative agencies, AAA and JAMS arbitrations, and frequently defends individual and corporate clients in connection with Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission, and State and DC attorney general investigations and litigation. Chris has also handled high profile false advertising and false endorsement matters arising under the Lanham Act, as well as class action/multi-district litigation for national and multi-national corporations. He also assists clients with corporate compliance matters, conducting internal investigations on behalf of public company boards and audit committees.

Chris, a former Marine Corps Captain, is dedicated to veterans issues and provides a substantial amount of pro bono legal services to active duty, reservist and retired veterans of the armed services. He served as lead trial defense counsel for one of the Marine Corps’ most notable general courts-martial cases in recent years and has been identified as a "recommended attorney" by a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing legal defense services to servicemembers facing the most serious war crimes. Chris also provides pro bono legal services to protect the rights of injured veterans suffering post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury from adverse treatment and discrimination.

Before joining DLA Piper, Chris was a partner in a leading Miami-based national law firm and litigation counsel at a leading global Wall Street-based law firm. From 2006-2008, Chris served in the White House Counsel’s Office as an Associate Counsel and Special Assistant to President George W. Bush where he handled hundreds of Congressional investigations directed at the President and Executive Agencies which implicated White House equities. Some of the more high profile investigations for which Chris was responsible on behalf of the Counsel’s office included the US Attorneys firings, the investigation and later prosecution of former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, the alleged use of campaign email accounts by political advisors in the White House, compliance with the Presidential Records Act, the invocation of Executive Privilege by the President, and multiple records lawsuits directed at the White House and executive agencies.

Earlier in his career, Chris held clerkships for the late-Judge Fred I. Parker of the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (2002-2003), and then-Chief Judge Terrence W. Boyle of the US District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina (1997-1998). He also served in the United States Marine Corps as a Judge Advocate/Prosecutor (1998-2002) prosecuting hundreds of the most serious felony crimes under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, including more than 30 contested bench and jury trials.

Chris has also appeared on Fox News, CNN, the Blaze TV and various radio talk shows discussing a variety of legal, political and military issues.  His successful work on behalf of the Hon. Anthony (Tony) Marshall, son of Brooke Astor, in obtaining a rare medical release from state prison following a corrupt trial and conviction in New York Supreme Court is profiled in the book In the Shadow of a Monument (Aug 2023 ed.).

www.dlapiper.com

chris.oprison@dlapiper.com