OVERVIEW
Chris is a member of the firm’s antitrust and financial services groups and represents consumers and businesses in complex legal disputes in a variety of jurisdictions across the globe. Chris regularly consults with clients, trade associations, and law firms about competition issues and legal strategies that span international borders.
Chris has briefed and/or argued matters in numerous courts across the United States, including in the California Courts of Appeal, the California Supreme Court, the Second, Ninth, and Eleventh Circuits, and the United States Supreme Court.
Clients
Chris represents banks, insurance companies, and manufacturers and distributors in litigation. Chris enjoys crafting creative legal solutions for his clients, and where necessary, advocating new and novel legal theories to advance his clients’ interests.
EDUCATION
University of California, Hastings College of the Law, J.D., 1996
University of Colorado, Boulder, B.A., 1993; Phi Beta Kappa
BAR ADMISSIONS
California
United States Supreme Court
California Supreme Court
Second Circuit Court of Appeals
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals
Northern District of California
Eastern District of California
Central District of California
Southern District of California
AFFILIATIONS
American Bar Association, Member
Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly, former Senior Managing Editor
State Bar of California, Member
WHAT OTHERS SAY
American Antitrust Institute
- Outstanding Antitrust Litigation achievement in Private Law Practice in 2023 for Olean Wholesale Foods Inc. v. Bumble Bee Foods Inc
Best Lawyers
- Lawyer of the Year Award in 2025
- Best Lawyer in 2024
- Antitrust Law
- Litigation - Antitrust
Chambers
- Band 2, California Antitrust: Mainly Plaintiff in 2024
Global Competition Review
- Litigation of the Year – Cartel Prosecution: an honor he received as part of the In re Foreign Exchange Benchmark Rates Antitrust Litigation case team in 2015
Lawdragon
- 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers since 2019
Legal 500
- Recommended Lawyer, Antitrust - Civil Litigation/Class Actions: Plaintiff in 2019
Lexology Index (Formerly Who's Who Legal)
- Thought Leader, USA: Competition, since 2023
- Recommended Lawyer, Competition: Plaintiff in 2018
"Christopher Lebsock ranks prominently for his competition practice, receiving endorsements for his experience in numerous jurisdictions." (Who’s Who Legal, Competition - Plaintiff - Legal Marketplace Analysis, 2022
Super Lawyers
- Super Lawyer, Antitrust Litigation in San Francisco since 2021
PUBLICATIONS
Chris's other publications include:
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- “Evolving Class Certification Standards in Federal Courts,” The Journal of State Bar of California Litigation Section (Nov. 3, 2010), Author
- "Dismissal Standards Following Bell Atlantic v. Twombly - A One-Year Retrospective," The Antitrust Review of the Americas (2009), Co-Authored with Michael Lehmann
- "Pimco: Another Guidepost for Class Certification," Law360 (Sept. 23, 2009), Author
PERSPECTIVES
Experience
Antitrust/Competition
- Laurelwood Cleaners v. American Express – Arbitration concerning allegedly anticompetitive conduct with regard to AMEX’s anti-steering and surcharging rules.
- In re Farm-Raised Salmon and Salmon Products Litigation – Lead counsel; approximately $85 million settlement.
- In re California Gasoline Spot Market Antitrust Litigation – Lead counsel.
- Card Shufflers Antitrust Litigation -
- Alfred T. Giuliano as Liquidation Trustee for RIH Acquisitions NJ, LLC d/b/a/ The Atlantic Club Casino Hotel v. Scientific Games Corp. et al.
- Rancho’s Club Casino, Inc. d/b/a Magnolia House Casino v. Scientific Games Corp. et al.
- In re Packaged Seafood Products Antitrust Litigation – Lead counsel for distributors of shelf-stable tuna products.
- In re Disposable Contact Lens Antitrust Litigation – Lead counsel for plaintiffs; approximately $118.2 million settlement.
- In re Transpacific Passenger Air Transportation Antitrust Litigation – Lead counsel for plaintiffs; approximately $150 million settlement.
- In re Korean Ramen Antitrust Litigation – Lead counsel for distributor plaintiffs, class certified, tried to verdict in 2018.
- In re National Football League's "Sunday Ticket" Antitrust Litigation
- In re HIV Antitrust Litigation
- In Re: VISA Debit Card Antitrust Litigation - Hausfeld represents merchants in an antitrust class action lawsuit against Visa, Inc., alleging monopolization of the United States debit transactions market.
Commercial & Financial Disputes
- District Council #16 v. Sutter Health et al. - Lead counsel for ERISA plan plaintiffs in fraudulent billing litigation.
- Gregory Duncan v. Sutter Health et al - Lead counsel in whistle-blower litigation under the California Insurance Fraud Prevention Act.
