Chris Farella

Christopher M. Farella is an accomplished litigator, strategist, and legal ethics expert who brings decades of practice experience to Columbia Law School. He currently serves as General Counsel and a Member of the Firm at Epstein Becker & Green, P.C. in New York, where he oversees the firm’s internal ethical matters, conflict resolutions, and senior management advisory, while maintaining an active national litigation practice.

Chris focuses his practice and teaching at the intersection of employment law, complex business disputes, white-collar criminal defense, and attorney professional responsibility. He possesses deep expertise in the modern ethical challenges of law practice, including the preservation and collection of electronically stored information (ESI), artificial intelligence (AI), and the navigation of internal and government corporate investigations.

Prior to his leadership roles at Epstein Becker Green, Chris served as Assistant General Counsel at the North American headquarters of a global pharmaceutical corporation, providing him with a unique, 360-degree perspective on corporate compliance and in-house legal strategy. Committed to professional ethics, he also previously served as Chairperson for the New Jersey Supreme Court District Ethics Committee.

Chris graduated from Seton Hall University School of Law in 1994.  He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in both History and Political Science from Rutgers University where he graduated with High Honors in 1991.  He began his legal career as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Louis F. Locascio of the Superior Court of New Jersey. He is a frequent national lecturer on cutting-edge professional responsibility topics, including legal malpractice risk management, corporate internal investigations, and the ethical implications of emerging legal tech.