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Practices

Biography

Chris focuses his practice on securities, employment, and general business litigation. Chris has extensive experience defending brokerage firms and financial advisors in cases involving customer complaints and has represented clients in securities arbitration forums, such as the NASD, the NYSE, and the PCX (now combined into one forum, FINRA). He represents employers in all aspects of employment litigation in federal and state trial and appellate courts, as well as in arbitration and before state agencies. Chris’ employment practice includes representation of clients in wrongful termination, employment discrimination, harassment, retaliation, compensation, breach of contract, and unfair competition cases, as well as wage and hour class actions and collective actions. Chris also handles litigation between businesses, including disputes regarding restrictive covenants, trade secrets, defamation, employee raiding, unfair competition, trademark infringement, insurance coverage, property development, breach of contract, and other business conduct.

Chris has experience in all phases of litigation, from pre-suit investigation, to discovery, to dispositive motions and resolution through trial and arbitration. He also has handled appellate briefing before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and argued before the California Court of Appeal. Apart from his litigation practice, Chris regularly advises clients in areas such as employee discipline, employee compensation and benefits, non-compete laws, wage and hour issues, leaves of absence, and compliance with other local, state, and federal laws.

Other Info About Chris

Experience

Legal Work Highlights

Securities Litigation

Chris represents broker-dealer firms and other licensed individuals in the securities industry. Chris has handled scores of securities arbitrations and has personally arbitrated approximately three dozen cases to completion. He has defended a variety of cases, including complex product cases, as well as cases involving claims for suitability, churning, fraud, negligence, violation of federal and state securities laws, breach of contract, elder abuse and breach of fiduciary duty.

Employment/Class Actions

As part of his employment practice, Chris defends employers in state and federal courts, arbitration, and administrative proceedings involving claims for personal injury, discrimination, wrongful termination, retaliation, harassment, breach of contract, defamation, indemnification, whistleblower, and various wage and hour and unfair competition claims, including class action, collective action, and representative claims, including claims under the California Private Attorney General Act (PAGA). Chris also regularly advises clients regarding compliance with employment laws, rules and regulations, including employee privacy laws, wage and hour laws, and issues involving employee hiring and discipline.

Business Litigation/Unfair Business Practices

Chris represents institutions and individuals in a variety of industries in connection with the movement of employees between competitors and in resolving other business disputes. Chris has represented clients primarily in California state and federal court in lawsuits involving trade secret misappropriation, employee non-solicitation and non-competition covenants, fiduciary duty and duty of loyalty claims, trademark infringement, as well as statutory and common law unfair competition claims. Chris also advises clients on these topics.

Education

Law School

University of San Francisco School of Law, J.D., 2001, magna cum laude.

Judicial Extern, Honorable Saundra Brown Armstrong, United States District Court for the Northern District of California

Undergraduate School

Stanford University, B.A., Public Policy, 1996

Bar Memberships

Chris is licensed to practice in the following state(s):

California

Washington

  • All United States District Courts in California
  • United States District Court Western District in Washington
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Courts

Chris is admitted to practice before the following court(s):

All United States District Courts in California

United States District Court Western District in Washington

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Recognition

Local & National Recognition

America’s Top 100 Civil Defense Litigators®, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023

Lawdragon’s Leading U.S. Corporate Employment Lawyers, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025, 2026

Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Litigators in America, 2022, 2024, 2025, 2026

Lawdragon’s 40 Up and Comers in Employment Law, 2019

Human Resources Executive (“HRE”) magazine and Lawdragon’s “Nation’s Most Powerful Employment Attorneys: Up-And-Comers” list, 2019

Northern California Super Lawyers List, 2013, 2014, 2015; 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025

Northern California Rising Star List, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012

San Francisco Magazine’s Top Attorneys in Northern California, 2014, 2015, 2022, 2024

 

 

Professional Affiliations

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

San Francisco’s St. Thomas More Society

Federal Bar Association’s Northern District of California Chapter, Executive Committee, Treasurer in 2023 and President-Elect in 2024 and 2025

California ChangeLawyers, Board of Directors

Major Publications

Chris is an author or contributor to the following publications:

“Section 998: The high- stakes settlement strategy you need to know.” (linked here) (Daily Journal, January 2025)

Lawyer Limelight: Chris Stecher (linked here) (March 3, 2019), Lawdragon

 

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