Christopher F. Lyon
Partner
Experience
Christopher F. Lyon litigates complex commercial and professional liability matters. In addition to providing counsel and representation to businesses, including Directors & Officers, with actual or anticipated legal issues, Chris focuses on the representation of accounting firms of all sizes and individual accountants in professional liability matters. Chris also represents and defends lawyers, architects, engineers, and agents and brokers in various professional liability cases.
Chris excels at guiding his clients through tough, complicated situations and maximizing leverage that works in the client’s favor to optimize results. With his trial experience, Chris has a well-developed global view of matters that puts clients at an advantage in litigation.
Chris is admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey state courts, as well as all federal courts in New York, including the U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit. Prior to entering private practice, he worked with multiple judges, including the Hon. Xavier Rodriguez in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, the Hon. Judd J. Carhart in the Massachusetts Appeals Court, and the Hon. Bruce E. Scheckowitz in the Kings County Housing Court. Chris has been selected to Super Lawyers Rising Stars in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
In 2020, Chris earned his Private Pilot Certificate and has opened his practice up to aviation-related matters.
Related Areas
Industries
Experience Highlights
- Obtained a complete reversal of a New York County Commercial Division decision that denied summary judgment for an accounting firm who served as tax preparers and were alleged to have failed to report allegedly fraudulent transactions. The New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department reversed the lower court, directed summary judgment be granted, and narrowed the scope of liability for accountants to departures from the professional standards recognized in the industry. The Appellate Division further reiterated a tax preparers ability to rely on information provided by a tax payer, drawing a distinction between information that is “incorrect, incomplete, or inconsistent” and information evidencing fraud.
- Granted pre-answer dismissal for lack of personal jurisdiction in representation of Canadian accounting firm in accountant malpractice matter venued in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
- Obtained voluntary discontinuance in accounting malpractice claim after uncovering potential fraud by the plaintiff.
- Regularly represent Top 50 accounting firms in compliance with subpoenas issued by IRS, SEC, and DOJ, as well as subpoenas issued in the course of litigation.
- Attained dismissal following Rule 12(b)(2) and 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss in representation of a Canadian accounting firm in action for accounting malpractice.
- Obtained summary judgment dismissal of a $8 million claim made against Insurance Broker in the Commercial Division.
- Obtained summary judgment dismissal in Southern District of New York of a $30 million dollar claim against an insurance broker for damages arising from another party’s scheme to defraud insured.
- Attained summary judgment on behalf of an insurance brokerage client with the court finding no duty owed by the client and that the plaintiff had no damages due to its fractional ownership of the entity holding the insurable interest in the property.
- Successfully represented luxury hotel operator in contract dispute with luxury hotel owner in Panel Arbitration before AAA.
- Obtained dismissal of action brought by homeowners in representation of Board of Directors.
- Obtained dismissal of defamation action brought against directors of New York corporation.
- Represented, through trial, a corporation as the plaintiff-employer in a lawsuit against former employee-manager for breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, conversion, and tortious interference with business relations arising from the employee’s improper diversion of customers to his own personal side business in competition with the plaintiff.
Honors & Awards
Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating: AV Preeminent
New York Metro Super Lawyers Rising Stars, 2020-22
Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch
- Litigation – Labor and Employment, 2024
Background
Admissions
- New York
- New Jersey
- U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Western, Northern, and Southern Districts of New York
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
Education
- Boston University School of Law, J.D., 2013
- Boston University International Law Journal: Senior Articles Editor
- Sutherland Cup Moot Court Team: Swing Speaker
- ABA Arbitration Competition Team: Student Coach
- Civil Litigation Clinic
- The University of Texas at San Antonio, B.A., Business Administration, 2010
- Student Government Association: Senior Senator
Training and Certifications
- Private Pilot Certificate for Airplane Single-Engine Land (ASEL)
News & Knowledge
Publications & Events
- “Remote Provision of Professional Services and E&O Risjs,” (Co-Author), GPSolo eReport, Volume 12, Number 11, American Bar Association, June 2023
- “Remote Provision of Professional Services and E&O Risks,” (Co-Author), The Brief, American Bar Association, Fall 2022
- “Disasters, Catastrophic Events, and Pandemic: Identifying and Understanding the Agent/Broker E&O Risks and Preparing to Defend the Coming Wave of Claims,” PLUS Journal, Spring/Summer 2020
- “Which Lawyer Was Responsible?” (Co-Author), PLUS Journal, 3rd Quarter 2019
RECENT INSIGHTS
January 30, 2023
September 29, 2022
January 4, 2022
September 30, 2021