DC is frequently retained in founder and ownership disputes involving closely held companies, including buyouts, partner exits and expulsions, and governance and control fights. He also represents fund managers, investment advisers, healthcare professionals, and other clients in bet-the-company commercial and securities litigation matters.

DC brings significant depth in cryptocurrency matters, representing crypto investors, asset managers, mining companies, and data center operators in litigation and investigations, including matters involving government agencies. His industry experience spans private equity, fintech, consumer products, asset management, technology, and healthcare.

A seasoned litigator, DC has conducted jury trials, arbitrations, and appeals, and he helps clients resolve disputes through mediation when that approach best serves business objectives. He has extensive deposition experience and routinely takes and defends sensitive depositions of key witnesses and senior executives at both private and public companies. DC also regularly represents clients with litigation matters in Washington state and federal courts.

Before joining McDermott Will & Schulte, DC served as a law clerk to the Honorable John C. Coughenour in the US District Court for the Western District of Washington.

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• Defended a public company in a shareholder lawsuit seeking to enjoin $1.2 billion merger
• Represented a high-net-worth investor in a lawsuit alleging that venture capital fund managers engaged in securities fraud and breached their fiduciary duties
• Represented a leading American insurance company in a securities class action concerning auto insurance claims frequency information
• Represented the CEO of large, privately held consumer goods company in complex corporate governance and shareholder litigation
• Represented victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud seeking to recover funds in a civil case with parallel criminal proceeding
• Represents the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Voyager Digital Holdings, Inc., a publicly traded crypto company, in connection with an investigation of potential claims
• Represents crypto asset management firm pursuing federal securities claims against liquidity pool operators in connection with market manipulation scheme
• Represented an investment research firm in connection with cryptocurrency purchaser’s claims that the client committed securities fraud and sold unregistered securities*
• Defended a publicly traded electric vehicle company and individual executives from a founder’s lawsuit alleging a controlling interest in the company and obtained total summary judgment on the merits*
• Represented a former cryptocurrency company executive in responding to an SEC subpoena investigating the alleged sale of unregistered securities*
• Represented the chief executive officer of a large health care provider in responding to an SEC subpoena in an insider trading investigation*
• Represented publicly traded REITs in securities fraud and shareholder derivative class actions*
• Represented a medical clinic in a private arbitration in which former shareholders alleged securities fraud in connection with a clinic acquisition*
• Represented a global pesticide company and its subsidiary in asserting securities fraud and fiduciary duty claims against the subsidiary’s former executive team related to self-dealing scheme*
• Argued before the Washington Court of Appeals on behalf of victims of an online harassment campaign and won affirmance of a large jury verdict in a complex internet stalking*
• Represented the State of Washington in two separate jury trials for felony burglary and felony vehicular assault*
• Argued before the Washington State Clemency and Pardons Board and obtained commutation of the client’s life sentence imposed under Washington’s three-strikes law for “note-passing” bank robberies*
• Represented domestic violence survivors at numerous hearings in the Superior Courts of King County, Washington, Snohomish County, Washington and the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois*

*Matter handled prior to joining the firm.

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Courts/Agencies
US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Trial Bar)
US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
US District Court for the Western District of Washington
US District Court for the Eastern District of Washington

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