Chris Whittaker is a partner in the Orange County office of Gibson Dunn. He is a member of the firm’s Litigation Department and its Antitrust & Competition, Intellectual Property, and Labor & Employment groups. Chris represents clients in a wide range of high-stakes, complex commercial cases, and he has significant experience in a broad range of subject areas, including pharmaceuticals, software development and maintenance, oil and gas, app store and handheld phone technology, semiconductors, logistics operations, health and beauty products, and direct-sales business models. Chris is experienced in all phases of litigation, including pleadings, discovery, dispositive motions, trials, and appeals. He currently serves on the national leadership team of the Federal Bar Association’s Antitrust and Trade Regulation Section.
Chris has been recognized by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America for Appellate Practice, and Litigation - Intellectual Property (2024).
Prior to joining the firm, Chris served as a law clerk to the Honorable Ted Stewart, then-chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, and the Honorable J. Clifford Wallace of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
His representative matters include:
- Defending Chevron U.S.A. Inc. in a federal price-fixing class action against direct and indirect purchasers. The Court granted summary judgment on all claims and entered final judgment for all defendants.
- Defending major technology company against monopolization and patent infringement claims brought by an app developer in the District of Delaware. The Court dismissed all claims with prejudice and the Federal Circuit issued a summary affirmance.
- Defending a software company in MDL litigation alleging algorithmic price-fixing among lessors of multifamily and student housing.
- Defending Merck & Co., Inc in litigation where plaintiffs allege an unlawful agreement and conspiracy to delay generic competition
- Defending software support company Rimini Street Inc. in federal suits involving copyright infringement, competition, and business tort claims.
- Defending Amazon in multiple wage and hour class actions in California state and federal court.
- Defending Melaleuca, Inc. in an independent contractor misclassification class action in federal court. The district court compelled the named plaintiffs’ claims to arbitration and the Ninth Circuit affirmed.
Chris received his law degree magna cum laude from Brigham Young University in 2011, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif and served as an editor for the BYU Law Review. In 2007, Chris earned a Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude from Brigham Young University-Hawaii.
Capabilities
Credentials
Education:
- Brigham Young University - 2011 Juris Doctor
- Brigham Young University - Hawaii - 2007 Bachelor of Arts
Admissions:
- California Bar
Clerkships:
- US Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit, Hon. J. Clifford Wallace, 2012 - 2013
- USDC, Utah, Hon. Ted Stewart, 2011 - 2012