Christopher M. Mattei

Chris Mattei is widely regarded as one of the nation’s premier trial lawyers. A highly effective courtroom advocate, Chris has been called upon to handle some of the highest profile trials in the country over the course of his career, including serving as lead counsel for Sandy Hook families in their defamation lawsuit against far-right media personality, Alex Jones. That trial culminated in a $1.4 billion jury verdict, the largest defamation verdict in American history and the largest verdict of any kind in Connecticut history. 

Described by one New York Times reporter as an “incredible powerhouse lawyer,” in 2024 and 2025, Forbes Magazine named Chris to its inaugural lists of America’s top 200 lawyers.

Chris’s practice focuses on bringing high stakes matters to trial on behalf of individuals who have suffered catastrophic losses due to defamation, civil rights violations, medical malpractice, and other forms of corporate abuse.

Throughout 2025 and 2026, Chris and Margaret Donovan have led national litigation on behalf of federal law enforcement and national security officials who have been unconstitutionally purged from federal service.

Chris also has an extensive pro bono practice. Most recently, Chris has represented and secured the release of immigrant children who have been wrongly detained by the United States government, in violation of their constitutional rights.

Prior to joining Koskoff, Chris served as Chief of the Financial Fraud & Public Corruption unit with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut. As a federal prosecutor, Chris supervised and served as trial counsel for public corruption matters, including the prosecution of former Governor John G. Rowland and others on campaign finance and obstruction of justice charges.

Chris often appears in major media outlets, including CNN, MSNOW, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post to offer legal commentary concerning the rule of law, disinformation, technology and the First Amendment, and criminal justice.