Mr Christopher LaVigne > Shearman & Sterling LLP > New York, United States > Lawyer Profile

Shearman & Sterling LLP
599 LEXINGTON AVENUE
NEW YORK, NY 10022-6069
NEW YORK
United States

Work Department

Litigation

Position

Partner

Career

A former federal prosecutor, Chris focuses on white collar criminal defense, regulatory investigations and enforcement actions, and high-stakes commercial litigation matters. Chris regularly represents corporate clients, financial institutions and hedge funds, and individual clients in matters involving the DOJ, the SEC, the CFTC, OFAC, and other agencies.

Chris also represents clients at trials and hearings in high-stakes matters. Chris previously served as a federal prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York from 2005-2013. Chris was a member of the Securities and Commodities Task Force and served as lead trial counsel in the high-profile case United States v. Doug Whitman, in which the founder of a hedge fund was convicted of all insider trading counts after trial.

Chris also worked in the Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit, where he served as lead counsel in several of the Office’s highest profile international criminal prosecutions involving national security matters, sanctions and export control violations, terrorism matters, and foreign corruption. Chris’ noteworthy cases include the prosecution of an MIT-educated neuroscientist (nicknamed “Lady al Qaeda”) who was convicted after trial of attempted murder of federal officials in Afghanistan.

Lawyer Rankings

United States > Dispute resolution > Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense

With a strong international presence, A&O Shearman is well placed to advise corporates on cross-border investigations. The team has experience navigating multiple jurisdictions, including Australia, Europe, Asia, and the UAE.  The team also regularly represents individuals facing allegations of market manipulation, insider trading, and tax offences, among other misconduct. Leading the practice from New York, David Esseks is a seasoned litigator who frequently represents banks as well as domestic and international companies. Eugene Ingoglia and Julian Moore are also based in New York. Ingoglia is particularly adept at handling insider trading matters, while Moore is skilled at designing and implementing compliance programs. Located in Washington DC, Claire Rajan specializes in corruption matters. Following the merger with Shearman & Sterling LLP in 2024, the New York team has expanded to include Adam Hakki, Richard Schwed, and Stephen Fishbein. Hakki specializes in securities laws, while Schwed advises on a range of investigations in the financial services sector. Fishbein is also an expert at handling matters relating to financial crimes such as insider trading. Katherine Stoller and Christopher LaVigne are further stand out members of the New York team. LaVigne focusses on cases concerning securities fraud, while Stoller represents major corporations across the globe that are facing investigations into corruption, money laundering, and violations of economic sanctions.