Christopher A. Ogiba

Chris is an experienced civil litigator and trial attorney who has successfully represented a wide variety of clients in state and federal court and in arbitrations. As the chair of the firm’s Charleston Litigation group, Chris is supported by a smart and creative team of professionals and is adept at scaling up or down as the needs of a particular engagement demand. Chris also advises his clients of the most efficient and least painful methods of resolving their disputes.

Chris is a litigator who can take on any legal obstacle with success and exceptional service, bringing a deep understanding of the law and evolving regulations. He has more than 25 years of experience representing home builders, financial institutions, investment firms, technology companies, professional services networks, accounting and auditing firms, third-party human resource and administrative companies, manufacturers and distributors of industrial and consumer products, construction and bonding companies, retirement communities, real estate developers, and property owners’ associations. Chris has tried more than two dozen cases to verdict in a variety of venues in several jurisdictions along the East Coast and is known for his calm demeanor and confident approach that puts clients at ease even in the face of a potentially catastrophic dispute. His clients also appreciate that he is cognizant of opportunities to drive efficiencies in cost and time.

Representative Experience

• Leads the MVA team that represents one of the largest national home builders and developers. To date, the team has earned favorable results in class action, contract, and construction defect litigation defense matters.
• Leads the MVA team representing an international consulting firm in a federal securities class action related to alleged accounting fraud arising out of a failed multibillion-dollar energy expansion project by a utility company. The plaintiffs sought to attach liability to Chris’s client, alleging it violated its professional responsibilities and failed in its role of gatekeeper, thus misleading investors about accounting for and completion of the project. In February 2025, the Fourth Circuit agreed to hear the client’s appeal of the class certification ruling, based on arguments over whether a Supreme Court model on damages was properly applied.
• Leads the MVA team representing a global systemically important bank in various commercial litigation matters, including high-profile state court actions involving allegations of lender liability, fraud and negligence.
• Leads the MVA team representing a national retailer in various litigation matters in South Carolina, as well as in multi-district and state opioid litigation.
• Leads the MVA team representing a B2B distributor in commercial litigation involving contractual disputes, including cases pending in South Carolina state and federal courts, and in binding arbitration proceedings that proceeded to a final judgment.
• Leads the MVA team representing one of the nation’s largest metal producers in various South Carolina and federal courts, including in a catastrophic injury case that wound its way through the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and South Carolina Supreme Court.
• Led the MVA team that secured dismissals of litigation brought against sports franchise entities in South Carolina state and federal courts.

Notable

• Best Lawyers in America, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions - Defendants, "Lawyer of the Year," 2025
• Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation, 2020-2025; Litigation - Labor and Employment, 2022-2025; Construction Law, 2023-2025; Employment Law - Management, 2023-2025; Litigation - Banking and Finance, 2023-2025; Litigation - Construction, 2023-2025; Litigation - Real Estate, 2023-2025; Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action - Defendants, 2023; 2025
• South Carolina Lawyers Weekly Power List, Commercial & Consumer Litigation, 2025
• America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators, 2019-Present
• Charleston Business Magazine Legal Elite, Business Litigation, 2021
• Martindale-Hubbell AV Rated
• South Carolina Super Lawyers "Rising Stars," Business Litigation, 2014
• Appointee, Charleston Firefighter Memorial Commission
• Member, Charleston Contractors’ Association
• Member, South Carolina Bar Association, Massachusetts Bar Association, and Charleston Bar Association
• Former Adjunct Professor of Law and Legal Process, The Citadel
• Note Editor, Cornell Law Review
• Former President, The Charleston Catholic School Advisory Board

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