Christopher Hatfield

Christopher A. Hatfield

Associate He / Him / His
Washington, DC

Christopher A. Hatfield is an experienced litigator and legal counselor with a wide variety of experience in both complex civil litigation and white collar criminal defense. He regularly appears in state and federal courts in Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Massachusetts, and has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America on its “Ones to Watch” list each year from 2021 through 2025.

Chris’ commercial litigation and dispute resolution practice has included representation of clients in matters under the Federal False Claims Act and state equivalent acts, real estate and construction dispute litigation, consumer financial services litigation involving the Fair Credit Reporting Act, business disputes related to enforcement of contracts and other agreements, commercial landlord-tenant disputes, receivership actions, and garnishment proceedings.

Experience 

Representative Matters

  • Represented a pharmaceutical company in a multi-jurisdictional false claims investigation involving the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and state agencies and Attorneys General in California and Texas
  • Defended individual accused of large Congressional data breach and “doxing” of members of Congress
  • Represented a financial services corporation in the investigation into allegations of fraud and embezzlement by two executives
  • Represented lender in False Claims Act investigation related to agency lending
  • Defended individual accused of honest services fraud and the payment of kickbacks to obtain federal contracts
  • Defended individual accused of falsifying work related to background investigations of federal employees and contractors
  • Represented individuals accused of fraudulent inducement to enter purchase and sale agreement
  • Represented multiple individuals in investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller and related Congressional investigations
  • Represented former executive of government contracting company accused of honest services fraud and found not guilty after two-week jury trial in Eastern District of Virginia
  • Conducted internal investigation for a Fortune 500 company in response to shareholder demand letter
  • First-chaired three-day civil jury trial in D.C. Superior Court defending S&P 500 company and subsidiaries against claims of conversion and negligence

Professional Highlights

Judicial Clerkships

Hon. Robert J. Lynn, New Hampshire Supreme Court, 2013-2014

Professional Activities

D.C. Bar Foundation, Young Lawyers Network Leadership Council

Recognition & Accomplishments

The Best Lawyers in America, "Ones to Watch," – Criminal Defense: White-Collar (Washington, D.C.), 2021-2025

Board Memberships & Community Service

Brown Daily Herald, Inc., Board of Directors

Credentials 

Education

University of Virginia School of Law (J.D. 2013)
Managing Editor, The Journal of Law and Politics
Legal Research and Writing Fellow

Brown University (A.B. 2006)
Executive Editor, Brown Daily Herald

Admissions

District of Columbia

Massachusetts

Virginia

U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia

U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit