Christopher J. O’Reilly

Of Counsel

Location: Boca Raton, Florida & Miami, Florida

Christopher J. O’Reilly, Of Counsel at Adler Wellikoff, is an experienced legal executive who quickly assesses situations and develops winning strategies for his clients. Chris, a skilled litigator and negotiator, is known for his ability to consistently deliver expert counsel and decisive leadership through root-cause problem solving and transparent communication. He offers the benefit of extensive experience in complex commercial litigation, real estate transactions, contract negotiations, corporate governance, compliance, risk/crisis management, employment law, financial transactions, regulatory issues, ethics and corporate legal operations. Chris has successfully defended Fortune 500 companies in consumer class actions suits filed in federal court, prosecuted and defended numerous contractual employment claims, in both state court and arbitration proceedings, and represented developers and builders in litigation arising from such matters as the operation, management and turnover of residential communities; construction defects; and homeowner disputes. Chris is a sought after consultant in the specialty finance space, and prior to joining Adler Wellikoff, served as General Counsel of a start-up specialty finance company in Miami, and General Counsel of Emergent Capital, Inc. (NYSE:EMG) in Boca Raton. In addition to being a seasoned in-house counsel, Chris was a senior associate at White & Case LLP, in Miami, and an associate at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, in New York. Prior to embarking on his legal career, Chris served as an officer in the United States Navy.

Chris was born and raised in New Jersey, traveled throughout the world while in the military, and began his legal career in New York before relocating to South Florida. He enjoys spending time with his two children and participating in open water swim competitions and triathlons.

Areas of Practice

Business/Corporate Litigation and Transactions
Real Estate Litigation and Transactions
Employment Law
Specialty Finance Transactions
Risk Management
Regulatory Compliance
Legal Operations

Bar Admissions

New York, 2003
Florida, 2005

Education

Northwestern University – Kellogg School of Management
- M.B.A. – 2017
Rutgers University School of Law
- J.D. – 2002
- Honors: Graduated With Honors (Top 10%)
- Editor, Rutgers Law Review
Duke University
- B.A. – 1993
- Honors: Naval ROTC Four-Year Scholarship
- Major: Public Policy Studies

Professional Associations and Memberships

- Association of Corporate Counsel
- Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals

Past Employment Positions

- LifeBanq, LLC/777 Partners LLC, General Counsel/Senior Consultant
- Emergent Capital, Inc. (NYSE: EMG), General Counsel
- White & Case LLP, Senior Associate, Disputes Group
- Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, Associate, Litigations and Real Estate Transactions Groups
- United States Navy, Surface Warfare Officer

Fraternities/Sororities

- Phi Kappa Psi