Christopher L. Gallinari, Attorney

Mr. Gallinari, a Principal with the Firm, practices in the areas of complex commercial litigation and transactions, focusing on regulated securities and commodity futures disputes, contract actions, and other business disputes.  He has successfully represented clients in state and federal trial and appellate courts and in arbitration, mediation and regulatory proceedings before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (formerly known as the National Association of Securities Dealers), National Futures Association, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Chicago Board of Trade and the American Arbitration Association. 

Mr. Gallinari has represented brokerage firms and their representatives in both industry and customer disputes, customers bringing investment fraud claims against their brokers, groups of farmers asserting claims against their commodity futures commission merchants and grain elevator cooperatives arising out of the promotion and sale of hedge-to-arrive contracts, in one case winning a verdict totaling over $2 million. Representing a class of female university professors in an Equal Pay Act claim, he successfully argued on appeal against the public university's attempt to dismiss the class claims based on a defense of sovereign immunity under the U.S. Constitution.

Mr. Gallinari is a member of the Chicago Bar Association.  As a speaker on topics concerning information technology law, Mr. Gallinari presented Liability of BBS Operators and On-Line Service Providers for Piracy by Subscribers before the Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum and Ease on Down the Electronic Road before the Midwest Computer Show of the Illinois CPA Society and Foundation. 

He received his B.A. in economics, magna cum laude, from Drew University in 1987, and his J.D. from New York University in 1990.  Prior to joining Bellows and Bellows, P.C., Mr. Gallinari was an associate with the Chicago law firm of Gordon and Glickson and the New York law firm of Sacks Montgomery.   Admitted to the Bar in the States of Illinois and New York, Mr. Gallinari is also licensed to practice before numerous U.S. District Courts and Circuit Courts of Appeal throughout the country.