Christopher J. Boran

Partner

Christopher J. Boran represents employers, benefit plan fiduciaries and service providers, and other clients in a wide range of employment and benefit matters. Co-chair of the firm’s national Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) litigation practice, Chris specializes in defending benefit plan sponsors (employers), fiduciaries, and service providers in complex and class-action litigation under ERISA and state trust law.

Chris has defended employers and fiduciaries against claims of imprudently investing retirement plan assets, monitoring and managing retirement plan fees and services, or otherwise breaching fiduciary duties. He also defends individual and class actions concerning “top hat,” bonus, severance, and group health and welfare plan management and administration. Chris has been recognized as a Recommended and Next Generation Lawyer in the area of ERISA litigation by The Legal 500.

Beyond benefit plan litigation, Chris handles collective and class actions arising under the Fair Labor Standards Act and state wage-hour laws, regularly defends employers in individual-plaintiff litigation, and conducts internal investigations for his clients.

Chris is a frequent presenter of Continuing Legal Education programs, covering topics and developments in the areas of ERISA litigation, class-action defense, FLSA litigation, employment law, and electronic-discovery practice.

Georgetown University Law Center, 2004, J.D., magna cum laude
University of Northern Iowa, 2000, B.A., summa cum laude

Illinois
US Courts of Appeals for the Second Circuit
US Courts of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
US Courts of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
US Courts of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
US Courts of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
US Courts of Appeals for the Tenth Circuits
US Courts of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
US District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
US District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
US District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin

Leading Lawyer, Labor and employment: ERISA litigation, The Legal 500 US (2023–2025)

Recommended, Labor and employment: ERISA litigation, The Legal 500 US (2025)

Next Generation Lawyer, Labor and employment: ERISA litigation, The Legal 500 US (2018–2022)

Member, Practice Group of the Year, Employment, Law360 (2017, 2019)

Ranked, ERISA Litigation, Nationwide, Chambers USA (2014–2021)

Recommended, Labor and employment: ERISA litigation, The Legal 500 US (2017)

Recognized, Acritas Star Lawyer (2017)

Member, Order of the Coif

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