Chris Leonardo has been practicing law for over 20 years and has helped clients secure more than $3.5 billion in litigation recoveries. His practice focuses on advising and representing corporate clients in complex commercial litigation, primarily on plaintiff-side matters.

Chris is also at the forefront of advising corporate clients, leading AmLaw firms, investors, asset managers, and family offices, in identifying, valuing and monetizing legal assets and litigation recoveries, including complex commercial claims and litigation portfolios. He has served as the outside General Counsel for a publicly traded litigation finance fund managing over $600 million, and later pioneered an investment strategy that helped generate over $1 billion in gross recoveries for his corporate clients (while producing substantial non-correlated returns for the fund’s investors). He then served as a Principal and co-founder of a litigation finance business for a market leading global advisory and restructuring firm. He has likewise served as a Director and member of the Investment Team for an established fund manager with over $750 million in assets devoted to investing in legal assets. He is now routinely engaged by hedge funds and asset managers in litigation related investment opportunities, while working with companies and their counsel to advance their affirmative recovery objectives.

LITIGATION

• Represented Tyson Foods and more than 50 other large purchasers of synthetic amino acids in a variety of industries in litigation against methionine manufacturers accused of participating in a global price-fixing cartel. Representation resulted in recoveries of over $325 million for the client group.
• Represented major purchasers of polyurethane chemicals in price fixing litigation in Kansas and New Jersey. Case settled after five weeks of trial in federal court in New Jersey. Total client recoveries were approximately $500 million.
• Represented AT&T, Motorola Mobility, Target Stores, and other large purchasers of TFT-LCD displays and products against manufacturers accused of participating in a conspiracy to restrict supply and increase prices of LCD products. Recovered approximately $500 million for the client group.
• Served as strategic litigation and settlement counsel for over 7,000 claimants in ground-breaking antiterrorism suit against a foreign bank for materially supporting terrorist attacks, resulting in gross client recoveries exceeding $1 billion.

LITIGATION FINANCE

• Currently represent multi-strategy fund in conducting diligence, claims valuation, and deal structuring across their litigation investment opportunity set. Advise on corporate claim monetization, law firm portfolio funding, and litigation event-driven investments.
• Represent individual claimant in negotiating and documenting large investment commitment involving complex litigation claims.
• Represent established litigation funder in a matter involving Fortune 100 company and commercial claim monetization.
• Represented General Partner of privately held investment management fund in conducting due diligence and claims valuation for various investment opportunities involving antitrust, health care, government contracts, and other high-end commercial litigation.
• Represented Chambers Band 1 commercial litigation firm in ~$25 million litigation portfolio investment opportunity.
• Advised publicly traded company on claims monetization, pricing, and negotiating strategy for large commercial claim portfolio.
• Advised privately held gaming company in negotiating and monetizing its Intellectual Property claims with litigation finance company

• 1997 — J.D., American University, Washington College of Law
  • cum laude
• 1993 — B.A., Gettysburg College

• District of Columbia
• New York
• U.S. Supreme Court
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

• Lawdragon 100 Global Leader in Litigation Finance, 2023