Chris Griesmeyer concentrates his practice on commercial litigation matters, with an emphasis on employment disputes, unfair competition claims, corporate governance disputes and shareholder derivative suits, and intellectual property matters.  He serves as national employment litigation counsel for several “Fortune 100” Companies, and has successfully tried more than 150 cases to verdict or award across the country.  His 25-year history of success in the courtroom and on appeal has resulted in more than 70 published federal court opinions, and more than 30 published FINRA arbitration awards.

 

In the financial services industry, his litigation and trial experience have allowed his clients to recover more than $1 billion in arbitration awards in proceedings before FINRA, the AAA, and JAMS.  As national “raiding and recruiting” counsel, Chris frequently advises and represents employers, C-suite executives, and key-employee teams in the enforcement and defense of restrictive covenants, as well as in litigating the related business torts that frequently accompany those actions, such as claims for fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, conversion, unfair competition, civil conspiracy (aiding-and-abetting liability), and trade secret misappropriation.  Some of his more recent accomplishments are as follows: 

 

Raiding & Recruiting / Financial Services Litigation:

 

Defense of anti-raiding, recruiting, non-compete, and non-solicitation claims:

 

• Represented team of six financial advisors with $1 billion AUM who left third-largest registered investment advisory (RIA) firm, to start competing firm; defense included novel use of pre-emptive strike litigation to invalidate post-employment restrictive covenants.

 

• Defended lawsuit and arbitration filed by world’s largest retail bank against team of ten financial advisors who started competing RIA firm with $40 billion AUM; representation included successful defense of emergency motion for temporary restraining order and dismissal of ancillary FINRA arbitration on jurisdictional grounds.

 

• Defense of lawsuit and arbitration filed by third-largest retail brokerage firm against departing financial advisor with $500 million AUM who joined competing RIA firm; representation included successful defense of motion for preliminary injunction and dismissal of ancillary FINRA arbitration on the merits.

 

• Defended non-compete lawsuit and arbitration filed by $30 billion real estate investment fund against departing fund manager who joined competing fund; representation included successful defense of emergency motion for temporary restraining order, and dismissal of ancillary AAA arbitration on the merits.

 

• Defense of non-compete lawsuit filed by $100 billion private equity fund against departing fund manager who created competing fund; representation included successful defense of emergency motion for temporary restraining order, followed by pre-discovery dismissal of lawsuit on jurisdictional grounds.

 

• Defended non-compete and non-solicitation lawsuit filed by second-largest commercial insurance brokerage firm against team of departing executives who joined competing firm; representation included removal of action to federal court, successful defense of emergency motions for temporary restraining order and expedited discovery, and dismissal of lawsuit on jurisdictional grounds prior to start of discovery.

 

• Defense of non-compete and non-solicitation lawsuit filed by leading industrial paint manufacturer against team of sales executives who left to start competing venture; representation included successful defense of emergency motion for temporary restraining order, handling of expedited discovery, and successful defense of preliminary injunction hearing.

 

• Successful dissolution of ex-parte temporary restraining order entered against financial advisor in favor of discount brokerage firm, and issuance of sanctions against former employer and counsel for assertion of bad-faith claims.

 

• Defense of non-compete and non-solicitation enforcement action in AAA arbitration, filed by third-largest RIA firm against departing wealth manager and competing start-up RIA firm, resulting in dismissal of all claims on the merits.

 

Restrictive covenant enforcement actions:

 

• As regional litigation counsel for third-largest brokerage firm, obtained preliminary and permanent injunctions against departing financial advisors and non-Protocol firms, in lawsuits filed in California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, and Texas; representation included full relief on the merits in ancillary arbitration proceedings.

 

• Obtained preliminary and permanent injunctions against former key employees and primary competitor on behalf of industrial fluids manufacturer and distributor.

 

Employment Litigation:

 

• Obtained summary judgment for defendant employers in Title VII, ADA, and ADEA discrimination, harassment, and retaliation cases filed in numerous jurisdictions, including:

 

• Age & sex discrimination lawsuit filed by e-commerce manager (W.D. Virginia);

 

• Age discrimination, disability discrimination, and retaliation lawsuit filed by senior hourly employee of national retail chain (N.D. Illinois);

 

• Age discrimination and sexual harassment lawsuit filed by senior manager of national retail chain (W.D. Virginia);

 

• Age discrimination, sex discrimination, and disability discrimination lawsuit filed by senior hourly employee of retail department store (W.D. Missouri);

 

• Disability discrimination and retaliation lawsuit filed by senior hourly employee injured while employed (D. Kansas);

 

• Disability discrimination and retaliation lawsuit filed by senior hourly employee of national retail chain (D. Kansas);

 

• FMLA retaliation, disability discrimination, and age discrimination lawsuit filed by department manager (E.D. Virginia);

 

• FMLA retaliation and disability retaliation lawsuit filed by facilities manager of national retail chain (D. Kansas);

 

• National origin discrimination and reverse sexual orientation discrimination lawsuit filed by department manager of retail department store (N.D. Illinois);

 

• Pregnancy discrimination lawsuit by pharmacy technician (N.D. Illinois);

 

• Race & age discrimination lawsuit filed by senior hourly employee (E.D. Virginia);

 

• Race discrimination and harassment lawsuit filed by veteran department manager (W.D. Virginia);

 

• Race discrimination and retaliation lawsuit filed by department manager of national retail chain (N.D. Illinois);

 

• Race & sex discrimination lawsuit filed by department manager (D. Kansas);

 

• Sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit filed by minor, entry-level employee (W.D. Virginia);

 

• Sexual harassment, sex discrimination, and retaliation by administrative employee of regional employer (D. Kansas);

 

• Sexual harassment, sex discrimination, and retaliation lawsuit filed by loss prevention manager (W.D. Virginia);

 

• Sexual harassment, sex discrimination, and retaliation lawsuit filed by assistant store manager (S.D. Illinois);

 

• Whistleblower retaliation, FMLA retaliation, and disability discrimination lawsuit filed by district manager of convenience store chain (D. Nebraska).

 

• Obtained dismissal in favor of defendant employers in more than 75 administrative agency proceedings filed before the EEOC, IDHR, and CCHR.

 

• Successful defense of FLSA collective actions and unpaid wage claims, including:

 

• Summary judgment in favor of defendant-employer for unpaid wage claim by senior sales executive of national hotel chain;

 

• Dismissal in favor of defendant-employer for unpaid bonus claim by terminated store manager of national retail chain;

 

• Dismissal in favor of defendant-employer for unpaid wages by human resources manager of retail department chain;

 

• Successful de-certification of FLSA collective action filed by department managers against national retail chain;

 

• Successful de-certification of FLSA collective action, followed by summary dismissal of clams, filed by mortgage brokers against regional banking institution.

 

• Internal investigation and successful defense of joint inquiries by Illinois Department of Labor and Illinois Attorney General regarding allegations of improper pay practices, with no finding of liability.

 

Corporate Governance Litigation:

 

• Represented group of minority physicians in shareholder derivative lawsuit against board of directors and corporate officers of largest radiology practice group in Illinois, to remedy corporate mismanagement and enjoin “squeeze-out” merger transaction.

 

• Represented group of minority partners in shareholder derivative suit against majority shareholder of law firm to enjoin corporate mismanagement, ultra vires conduct, and corporate theft.

 

• Represented group of disenfranchised stakeholders in non-profit company to enjoin unauthorized special meeting of board of directors and procedurally improper election of officers.

 

• Defended mutual insurance company against policyholder derivative suit against board of directors asserting claims of corporate mismanagement and conflicts of interest.

 

• Investigated claims of corporate mismanagement against senior executives of publicly-traded, vertically integrated cannabis company, and culminating in advisory report and recommendations for board of directors, and voluntary safe-harbor disclosure.

 

• Obtained full recovery of margin debt by pursuing alter ego and veil-piercing claims against debtor and web of interrelated shell companies.

 

• Represented minority shareholder in U.S. Department of Defense contractor, involving claims of corporate mismanagement and ultra vires conduct by board of directors.

 

Commercial / Products Litigation:

 

• Obtained summary judgment on behalf of designer and manufacturer of food irradiation system in $35 million product liability and spoliation of evidence lawsuit.

 

• Managed nationwide voluntary product recall with Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) under agency’s Fast-Track Program on behalf of consumer lighting fixture manufacturers, distributors, and retailers.

 

• Regional defense counsel for several manufacturers of asbestos-containing products.

 

• Successful defense of manufacturer in catastrophic injury and fatality involving superheated coal tar pitch.

 

• Obtained summary judgment on behalf of medical device manufacturer in fatality involving surgical vein grafts.

 

• Defense counsel for construction equipment manufacturers and distributors in negligent design / warnings cases.

 

• Successful defense of Major League Baseball team in personal tort action.

 

Intellectual Property Litigation:

 

• Obtained emergency temporary restraining order in an international patent and trademark infringement lawsuit, including supplemental contempt order based on defendant’s failure to strictly comply with TRO.

 

• Lead counsel in several successful trademark and copyright infringement lawsuits filed across the country on behalf of national commercial real estate brokerage firm.

 

• Lead defense counsel in notable Billy Goat Tavern trademark and copyright lawsuit against Florida-based franchisor.

 

• Successful defense of copyright infringement lawsuit filed by leading record label against karaoke manufacturer and distributor.

 

• Successful prosecution of copyright infringement and unfair competition claims against Top-25 artist by independent record label.

 

Prior to founding Greiman, Rome & Griesmeyer, Chris was a partner at Levenfeld Pearlstein, where he served as Vice-Chair of the firm’s litigation group.  He was previously associated with Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon, and Altheimer & Gray.  Chris has been repeatedly named an Illinois Super Lawyer, and is proud to serve on the executive board of several charitable organizations supporting medical research on congenital heart defects (CHD’s) and congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG’s).

 

Memberships:

 

Illinois Bar Association

 

American Bar Association – Labor & Employment, Litigation

 

Loyola Academy Bar Association

 

SHRM

 

Bar Admissions:

 

United States Supreme Court

 

Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals

 

Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals

 

U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois (Trial Bar)

 

U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois

 

U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois

 

U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin

 

U.S. District Court, District of Nebraska

 

Illinois Supreme Court

 

Education:

 

University of Virginia School of Law, J.D., 1999 (Editor, Virginia Tax Review)

 

Northwestern University, B.A., 1996 (Philosophy)