Chase A. Scolnick

PRACTICE AREAS

• Complex Commercial Litigation
• White Collar Criminal Defense
• Trials

EXPERIENCE

Chase Scolnick specializes in complex civil and criminal litigation. Having tried as lead counsel approximately fifty federal jury trials, Chase is among the most seasoned young trial attorneys in the United States. He has also been one of the most successful. In separate years, Chase led three of the nation’s largest federal districts in both defense trials and wins. In 2017, Chase was the only defense attorney in the United States to receive the Federal Bar Association’s “Federal Younger Lawyer Award”—a prestigious national honor reserved for rising courtroom stars. Chase was also honored with a “2019 California Lawyer Attorneys of the Year [CLAY]” award for his role as co-lead counsel in Yellowstone Women’s First Sep House, Inc., et al. v. City of Costa Mesa. Chase is a Fellow of the invitation-only Litigation Counsel of America. He is also listed in The Law Dragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America, among the most prestigious international legal directories. Since 2020, Chase has listed in The Best Lawyers in America® for White Collar Criminal Defense and in 2021 for Qui Tam Law. He was selected by Super Lawyers® as a Top-Rated Civil Litigation Attorney in 2020 and 2021.

Chase made a seamless transition to civil litigation, where his superb trial skills have benefited clients on all types of cases. Chase has secured more than $100 million for his plaintiff clients. He has also successfully defended corporations and individuals against serious allegations in high-stakes cases. Chase has represented Fortune 500 companies, ultra-high net worth individuals, and well-known public figures.

In 2022, Chase was co-lead trial counsel on the successful defense of Oscar-winning Kevin Spacey in a sexual battery civil jury trial in the Southern District of New York. After five years of intense litigation, he and Jennifer Keller convinced the jury that Mr. Spacey was not liable and Mr. Rapp should not be given a penny of the $40 million dollars he was seeking. They jury deliberated only thirty minutes before reaching a unanimous verdict. The trial was covered by the global media. Chase also represented Broadcom co-founder Henry Nicholas against the IRS on a case in which the government disallowed a $300 million tax loss. After aggressively litigating, on the eve of trial, the government agreed to one of the most generous settlements ever secured against the IRS for a distressed asset investment. Chase’s success was recognized by the Daily Journal as one of the top Plaintiff Settlements in 2019. In 2021, he represented CashCall against AmLaw 100 law firm Katten Muchin in a billion-dollar legal malpractice case. After losing key motions, on the eve of trial, Katten Muchin capitulated and settled the case on very favorable terms for his client. Had the case proceeded to trial, it would have been the largest legal malpractice case in United States history to have been tried. Chase currently represents Microsoft in twelve patent cases in the Central District of California.

Chase has successfully handled high-publicity matters. He represented famed entertainment executive Michael Ovitz in the case brought against him by LA Times reporter Anita Bush. This lawsuit was one of the most intensely covered cases by the media. The litigation had been pending for over ten years before Chase joined the team. After taking a series of devastating depositions, the opposition agreed to a favorable settlement. In 2020, Chase beat the “Bond King” Bill Gross in a monthlong trial where a restraining order was issued against the billionaire. Chase then prosecuted Mr. Gross in a separate trial where the judge found Mr. Gross guilty of contempt.

Before joining Keller/Anderle, Chase served for fourteen years as a Deputy Federal Defender in the Southern and Central Districts of California, and in the Eastern District of New York. Chase has handled some of the nation’s most serious and complex cases, including insider trading and financial market manipulation, international terrorism, and organized crime. Chase fights tirelessly for all of his clients, and has consistently secured amazing results. He has won many difficult jury trials. In other cases, Chase’s aggressive pretrial litigation made trial unnecessary. He has won twelve motions to suppress evidence, and convinced prosecutors and judges to dismiss over thirty serious felony cases. Chase has also won multiple appeals and writs before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

In addition to being a highly regarded trial attorney, Chase is also a sought-after legal contributor. He edited the latest edition of Defending a Federal Criminal Case. He regularly trains attorneys on all aspects of trial skills at local and national seminars throughout the United States and frequently advises other attorneys as they prepare for trial. Chase is also active in the legal community. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Federal Bar Association, Orange County since 2018 and was elected Secretary of that organization in 2021. He is a lawyer representative for the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference.

Chase speaks conversational Spanish.