Chris Pey

Partner | Litigation

christopher.pey@pierferd.com
+1.646.233.2533 office
Charlotte | New York | Los Angeles | Palo Alto

About

Chris Pey is an experienced litigator with over 30 years’ experience. He has led (first chair) six federal bench trials through to decision, and other cases decided on summary judgment. He has briefed cases in venues from state court all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Mr. Pey’s litigation experience includes commercial, international trade, First Amendment defamation, copyright, trademark and state court defense litigation.

  • Throughout his career, he has represented Fortune 100 and mid-market companies in federal court and before many federal regulatory agencies, including CBP, FCC, CPSC, FTC, FDA, APHIS, FWS, ITC, and the Department of Commerce. In addition to practicing at Coudert Brothers and Baker & McKenzie, Mr. Pey has experience working at small boutique law firms and also headed a leading Customs broker’s U.S. trade compliance group. He has twice served as law clerk for Judge R. Kenton Musgrave of the U.S. Court of International Trade.

Practices

  • Litigation and Risk Management

  • Appellate

  • Civil Pretrial and Trial Services

  • Commercial Litigation

  • Energy, Gas, and Oil Law

  • Government and Government Affairs

  • International Disputes

Admissions

  • California Supreme Court

  • New York State Court of Appeals

  • North Carolina

  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd and 9th Circuits

  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

  • U.S. Court of International Trade

  • U.S. Supreme Court

  • U.S. District Court

    • Northern District, CA

    • Central District, CA

    • Southern District, NY

    • Eastern District, NY

    • Western District, NC

Education

  • Boston University, School of Law, J.D., 1989

  • Colgate University, B.A., History, 1985

Law Firm Experience

  • FisherBroyles, LLP

  • Coudert Brothers, LLP

  • Baker & McKenzie, LLP

Corporate Experience

  • Livingston, Intl., Director, U.S. Consulting

Representative Transactions

  • Amicable and reasonable settlement of cases brought by copyright “trolls”

  • Representing companies before the US International Trade Commission and Section 232 panels

  • Successfully representing clients facing government penalty assessments, reducing penalty amounts as much as 95%

  • Obtaining scope rulings, CBP classification and valuation rulings

  • Prosecution of trademark action defending against infringing use

Presentations and Teaching Experience

  • Speaker, American Association of Exporters and Importers (AAEI) Annual Conference, Drawback Regulation, 2005

  • Speaker, Michigan Association of CPAs Annual Meeting, Customs Valuation in a Post-BEPS (Base erosion and profit shifting) World, 2017

Supreme Court Briefs

  • Co-Author – Briefs representing Polaroid and Amoco Oil Co. in challenge to constitutionality of harbor maintenance tax in United States v. U.S. Shoe Corp., 523 U.S. 360 (1998).

  • Co-Author – amicus brief filed on behalf of New Sports Economy Institute in Christie v. NCAA, 584 U.S. ___ (2018)