Christopher D. Carusone

Practice Areas

White Collar Defense & Internal Investigations

Unfair Trade Practices & Consumer Protection Defense

Government Law & Regulatory Affairs

Title IX

Student Defense

Career

Chris uses his twenty years of statewide government experience and insider knowledge to help corporations and individuals solve difficult problems with federal and state government agencies and avoid damage to their hard-earned public reputations.

State and Federal Investigations and Litigation

Formerly Chief Deputy Attorney General in the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General (OAG) and Executive Deputy General Counsel in the Governor’s Office of General Counsel (OGC) in Harrisburg, Chris’ government experience gives him an advantage when dealing with federal and state government agencies, and often translates into quiet success for his corporate and executive clientele. He regularly represents companies, non-profit corporations and individuals facing statewide grand jury inquiries, regulatory enforcement actions, licensing proceedings, and disciplinary actions throughout Pennsylvania and beyond. He also represents companies facing consumer protection investigations into suspected violations of the Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices Consumer Protection Law. In representing his clients, Chris regularly interacts with the:

Pennsylvania Attorney General

Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs

Departments of Health and Human Services

Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

District Attorneys offices throughout the state

Judicial Conduct Board

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

Office of Inspector General

United States Attorney’s Office

United States Department of Justice

At the federal level, Chris works individually and in partnership with former federal prosecutors in the White Collar Defense Group to represent clients during investigations conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice, Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and other federal agencies.

Government Experience

Prior to joining Cohen Seglias, Chris served as Chief Deputy Attorney General in the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, where he was in charge of the Statewide Investigating Grand Jury. He also served as Executive Deputy General Counsel in the Governor’s Office of General Counsel (OGC), supervising all OGC attorneys assigned to the Pennsylvania State Police, Department of Corrections, Board of Probation and Parole, and other criminal justice agencies in the executive branch. Chris worked as an Assistant District Attorney in the Berks County District Attorney’s Office, Assistant Counsel at the Pennsylvania State Police, and Assistant Counsel at the Pennsylvania Office of Inspector General. His work as a white-collar investigator and prosecutor earned him numerous awards during his long public career, including the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence, the General Counsel’s Certificate of Excellence, and the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Special Achievement Award.

Litigation and Investigations

In addition to his defense practice, Chris conducts internal investigations for Fortune 500 companies and other businesses into allegations of waste, fraud, and misconduct. He also supervises and conducts Title IX and student conduct investigations for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and other colleges and universities and is a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys. Chris is also part of the team approved by a leading education-specific insurance company to provide external investigations.

If negotiations fail and litigation becomes necessary, Chris fights tirelessly to protect the liberty, assets, and reputation of his clients. A gifted courtroom advocate, Chris has tried over 50 jury trials to verdict and represented clients in over 100 hearings before arbitrators, hearing officers, and administrative law judges. Chris represents clients in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Pennsylvania, and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Superior Court, Commonwealth Court, and Courts of Common Pleas. His representation includes other types of government litigation such as bid protests, occupational licensure, and professional discipline.

Clients

Chris’ clients include prominent corporations, executives, and smaller companies and their employees in industries including:

Consumer products and services

Construction

Financial services

Health care

Higher education

Information technology

Medical Marijuana

Non-profits

Oil and natural gas production

Trade associations

Transportation

Leadership

Chris is a thought leader in the field of government investigations and litigation in Pennsylvania and has published articles in national and state publications on the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, grand jury investigations, corporate criminal liability, whistleblower cases, environmental crimes, unfair trade practices, Title IX compliance, procurement, and regulatory challenges. He has also been quoted by prominent media outlets, including the Philadelphia Inquirer, Legal Intelligencer, WITF, and Law360. Chris serves in several leadership roles within the firm as a member of the firm’s executive committee, Chair of the Government Law & Regulatory Affairs Group, and Chair of the Consumer Protection & Regulatory Defense group.

Professional Memberships

American Bar Association (ABA) Criminal Justice Section

Allegheny County Bar Association (ACBA)

Association of Title IX Administrators (ATIXA)

Dauphin County Bar Association

Federal Criminal Law Committee, Eastern District of Pennsylvania (FCLC)

National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA)

Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (PACDL)

Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA)

Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) Cybersecurity & Data Privacy Committee

Experience

Regularly represent companies and employees in complex statewide grand jury investigations conducted by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.

Represented a national motor vehicle repair and maintenance service company in an investigation conducted by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General into allegations of violations of the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law (UTCPL), negotiating a settlement in the company’s favor and avoiding costly litigation.

Represented a corporate executive in the nursing home industry who was the subject of a Pennsylvania Statewide Investigating Grand Jury Presentment recommending charges of felony neglect of a care-dependent person, convincing the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General to file misdemeanor charges instead and accept a plea of nolo contendere in exchange for probation.

Successfully represented an international, online tobacco retailer during an investigation conducted by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office into alleged violations of the UTCPL, convincing the government to drop the investigation.

Represented a national medical data company as local Pennsylvania counsel during an investigation conducted by numerous state attorneys general into a data breach, assisting the company in meeting its requirements under the Pennsylvania Breach of Personal Information Notification Act.

Represented a corporation operating nursing homes throughout Pennsylvania in a Pennsylvania State Police investigation into a theft allegedly committed by a former employee.

Successfully represented an endocrinologist in proceedings before the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine, convincing the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, to dismiss the complaint.

Successfully represented an employee of a property management company charged with theft by the Pennsylvania State Police, securing a complete dismissal of the charges after convincing the court that the employee was acting in the course of his employment and lacked criminal intent.

Successfully represented a large landscaping company during enforcement proceedings brought by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and Pennsylvania State Police, convincing them to rescind an out-of-service order and restore operations to the company’s fleet of motor carriers.

Successfully represented a construction company fined by the FMCSA for a violation of federal motor carrier safety regulations detected during an onsite compliance review, convincing the government to reduce the fine in exchange for improvements to the company’s safety program.

Successfully represented a non-profit corporation accused of violating the conditions of an educational grant program administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry and the federal Corporation for National and Community Service, convincing the government to restore funding.

Represented an electrical contractor during an investigation conducted by the City of Philadelphia Office of Inspector General into its use of a supplier designated as an disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE), successfully convincing the government settle with the company without the assessment of penalties.

Successfully represented a Pennsylvania executive agency as outside counsel during an investigation conducted by the United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, which later declined to take enforcement action.

Successfully represented a Pennsylvania agency as outside counsel in an investigation conducted by the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, convincing the District Attorney that the Department’s employees were not culpable.

Successfully represented a Magisterial District Judge in the Court of Judicial Discipline against disciplinary charges filed by the Judicial Conduct Board, convincing them – for only the second time in Pennsylvania history – to place the client into the Judicial Diversion Program for first-time judicial offenders.

Successfully represented a landlord during a criminal investigation conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the United States Attorney’s Office into an alleged violation of lead paint regulations, convincing the government that prosecution was not warranted.

Represented a tobacco shop in an enforcement action brought by the Pennsylvania Department of Health alleging violations of the Clean Indoor Air Act, convincing the Department to postpone suspension of the company’s privilege to permit indoor smoking pending the outcome of its renewal application.

Served as co-counsel with an environmental law firm in the representation of a pipeline company during an investigation by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC), advising the client on how to avoid criminal liability.

Expert in these Jurisdictions

Pennsylvania

U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania

U.S. District Court, Middle District of Pennsylvania

U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania

U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit

U.S. Supreme Court

Awards

Education