Christopher Le Coney is an accomplished litigator with extensive experience representing institutional and individual clients in high-profile civil litigation, complex commercial disputes, sensitive internal investigations, and other high-stakes corporate and personal legal matters. Le Coney’s approach to litigation is marked by his sharp analytical skills and his keen understanding of the broader business and inter-personal implications of legal disputes. Clients across a broad range of industries and backgrounds have relied on Le Coney’s judgment, foresight, and strategic thinking to help them craft innovative, elegant solutions to some of today’s most intricate legal challenges.
Lawdragon Honors
| Honor | Year | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America | 2026 | Civil Litigation, Investigations |
Le Coney represents and regularly advises publicly and privately-held companies, financial institutions, hedge funds, accounting firms, and prominent individuals in the financial, fashion, and art worlds. Representative civil and commercial clients include:
- The principals of a New York-based investment firm defending against allegations of cross-border tax fraud totaling more than €100 million in civil and criminal proceedings in the U.S. and abroad.
- A prominent international investment firm prosecuting trade secret misappropriation and unjust enrichment claims in federal court against former employees who took proprietary trading methods and technology.
- The founders of a West Coast investment fintech company in a dispute with the company’s private equity sponsors.
- A major philanthropist and art foundation director bringing claims against the foundation’s board for breach of fiduciary duty and wrongful self-dealing.
- A New York private equity fund litigating fraud claims in Delaware state court over misrepresentations made by the sellers in a $300 million acquisition of three mail-order direct marketing companies.
- A top European energy company in its malpractice dispute with prior counsel over ethical violations and gross negligence in a pending ICC arbitration.
- Accomplished biotech scientists defending against trade secret misappropriation and breach of contract claims brought by their former employer in federal court.
- An international consumer products company in a breach of contract dispute implicating the client’s ability to introduce its product to a multi-billion-dollar domestic market.
- An industry-leading finance professional in an employment dispute with millions in executive compensation at stake.
- A top U.S. investment bank at the trial court and on appeal against state securities fraud claims in Florida.
- A leading New York law firm facing malpractice claims in New York and Pennsylvania state court relating to tax advice provided by the firm’s former partner.
- A prominent international accounting firm in a private contract dispute with major media figures that raised significant reputational risk.
- A top healthcare insurance company and its board of directors defending against disclosure claims brought under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
In addition to his civil and commercial work, Le Coney has extensive experience counseling domestic and international clients through investigations and regulatory proceedings involving the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, the Office of Foreign Assets Control, and the Internal Revenue Service. He has advised clients on matters involving alleged sanctions violations, alleged Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations, and potential regulatory exposure in the area of cross-border tax reporting, among other areas. He has also helped numerous leading technology companies and investment banks conduct internal compliance reviews and manage their development and implementation of in-house trainings and other internal controls.
Throughout his career, Le Coney has maintained a significant pro bono practice, with a focus on indigent criminal defense and matters affecting the LGBT community. In 2016, Le Coney was a pro bono fellow at the Legal Aid Society in Manhattan, where he defended clients in a wide variety of misdemeanor criminal matters and received the organization’s annual “Outstanding Service” award. Prior to joining Kaplan Martin, Le Coney practiced at an elite litigation boutique in New York.