Lindquist & Vennum - Professionals - Grgurich, Christopher A.

Chris is a seasoned commercial litigator and Lindquist & Vennum’s Deputy General Counsel. As a litigator, Chris tries cases in court and arbitration involving the sale of securities, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and complex commercial business and shareholder disputes. As Deputy General Counsel, Chris assists his colleagues in meeting their professional and ethical obligations under the Rules of Professional Conduct that govern attorney conduct and the practice of law. Chris is also an Investigator for the Hennepin County Bar Association’s 4th District Ethics Committee, which assesses disciplinary complaints brought against attorneys practicing in Hennepin County and which ultimately makes recommendations of dismissal or discipline to the Office of Lawyer’s Professional Responsibility.

In April 2012, Chris obtained a complete verdict for the defense after a 9-day jury trial in Hennepin County in a case where the plaintiff, a buyer of debt (bank DDA debt) was suing the seller, claiming fraud and misrepresentation and seeking damages of $2.5 million. Such cases are typical for Chris as his experience routinely encompasses prosecuting and defending:

Complex, multi-party securities fraud litigation
Investor-broker disputes involving trading practices
Broker-dealer disputes involving promissory notes and employment-related claims
General commercial litigation in state and federal courts
Federal and state court appellate practice

Having obtained his Master’s in Business Administration as well as a law degree, Chris possesses a keen understanding of finance and business, which he leverages in helping his broker-dealer and registered investment advisor clients respond to state, FINRA, and Securities Exchange Commission inquiries and investigations and defending customer securities arbitrations. As an adjunct law school professor, Chris has taught Securities Regulation at Hamline Law School and Professional Responsibility at the William Mitchell College of Law.

Chris is well-known known for his common-sense approach in assisting clients with their legal and business disputes. Clients and colleagues often comment on his excellent advocacy and analytical skills, which he has used to execute successful case strategies at all levels of state and appellate courts, including the United States Supreme Court, where Chris helped achieve a victory in the case Plains Commerce Bank vs. Long Family Land and Cattle Company, Inc., et al. The case, for which Chris prepared briefings, resulted in a decision providing a bright-line rule for determining where disputes should be adjudicated for claims relating to the sale of non-member-owned land to nonmembers inside an Indian reservation.

Pro bono work and giving back to the community is also very important to Chris, which is why he devotes more than 50 hours of free legal work each year to various organizations that provide low income and indigent members of the public access to legal representation.

Chris is also a qualified neutral under Rule 114 of the Minnesota General Rules of Practice for Civil Facilitative/Hybrid and Civil Adjudicative/Evaluative forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution and serves as a Conciliation Court Referee in Dakota County, Minnesota.

Presentations

"What's Yours, Mine, And Ours: The Law Governing The Ethical And Fiduciary Obligations Of Lawyers Who Leave One Firm To Join A Competitor Firm," Hennepin County Bar Association, January 2013
“SEC Enforcement Proceedings and Lawyers,” Hennepin County Bar Association, May 2012
“The Nuts and Bolts of Securities Industry Regulation and Litigation,” (with Terrence Fleming) National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, September 2011
“Protecting the Privilege and Protecting the Public: The Line Between Permissive and Prohibited Disclosure of Protected Client Information,” (with David Sasseville) Hennepin County Bar Association, September 2011
"Soup to Nuts: The Inception and Destruction of the Attorney-Client Privilege and Attorney Work Product Protections," (with David Sasseville) Minnesota Lavender Bar Association, January 2011
"Foreign-cubed Securities Litigation after Morrison v. National Australia Bank and the Dodd-Frank Act," co-panelist, University of Minnesota Journal of International Law, November 2010
“Look Who’s Suing You Now: An update of the law concerning non-client legal malpractice, fraud and aiding and abetting claims against attorneys,” (with Terrence Fleming) Hennepin County Bar Association, 2010
“Appellate Issues: Tactics, Tips, and Traps for the Unwary,” (with Paul Banker) Hennepin County Bar Association, 2008
“New Federal Rule of Evidence 502," (with Terrence Fleming) Hennepin County Bar Association, 2008
“Rule 11 Motions and Class Actions: Civility, Strategy and Propriety,” (with Terrence Fleming) Hennepin County Bar Association, 2005

Publications

"Supreme Court Tells SEC 'Time Is Up,'" Lindquist & Vennum, Legal Update, March 2013
"Inside the Minds: Successful Strategies for Appellate Attorneys: Practical Tips for Preparing and Presenting Your Case," Chapter Author, Inside the Minds Book Series, 2013
"FINRA Issues Additional Guidance on Suitability Rule," Lindquist & Vennum, Legal Alert, December 2012
“The Sarbanes-Oxley Act: New Securities Disclosure Requirements in the United States," International Journal of Management, Vol. 21, No. 3, September 2004

Honors and Awards

Minnesota Rising Stars, 2009-2012

Related Services

Related News & Media

Related Publications

Related Events

Education

Admissions

Christopher A. Grgurich