Christopher Zona, who previously served as counsel at Brewer in New York City, has joined Roseland-based Mandelbaum Barrett P.C. as a partner in the firm’s Healthcare Litigation Group, Litigation Department and White Collar and Criminal Defense Group.
Zona focuses his practice on all facets of litigation, defense and dispute resolution, investigations and crisis management. A veteran litigator and a seasoned trial attorney, he served as trial counsel in more than 50 trials, including more than 30 jury trials.
Zona represents clients in both affirmative and defensive litigation, is well-versed in navigating pre-litigation negotiations and investigations, all facets of litigation and trial practice, and has assisted clients as appellate counsel in both state and federal appellate courts.
“Chris brings a trial lawyer’s mindset and exceptional trial experience to our growing litigation practice,” Steven Adler, partner and co-chair of the firm’s Litigation Department, Labor and Employment Law Practice Group and Healthcare Litigation Group, said.
Before joining Mandelbaum Barrett, Zona was a litigator at two national law firms where he focused his practice on complex commercial litigation in the U.S. (both federal and state court) and abroad, leading and responding to internal investigations, as well as strategic crisis management. He also served as in-house litigation and investigations counsel for UnitedHealthcare, where he oversaw nationwide litigation, led investigations related to the False Claims Act, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Anti-Kickback Statute and Stark Law, and advised business units on risk management issues.
“Chris brings invaluable health care litigation experience to our practice, as well as in-house counsel’s business acumen and perspective that will greatly benefit our health care clients,” Mohamed Nabulsi, co-chair of the Healthcare Group, said.
Zona began his career as a judge advocate in the Air Force. During his time in uniform, he served as an assistant staff judge advocate, area defense counsel and, finally, a senior trial counsel with the elite Special Victims Unit. Zona also represented the government and individual clients in hundreds of criminal and administrative investigations before he separated from the military as a major-select.
He is admitted to practice in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, as well as the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Zona received a J.D. from Washington & Lee University School of Law and a B.A. in political science and history from Union College.
