Chris Pilkerton
Former General Counsel
Chris Pilkerton served as the General Counsel of the U.S. Small Business Administration. Prior to his time with the SBA, Pilkerton was a compliance director at JP Morgan Chase, advising both the business and corporate functions on matters related to enterprise compliance risk and regulatory change management. During his time there, Fortune named Pilkerton one of its “Heroes of the Fortune 500” in recognition of his efforts to support orphans in Liberia affected by Ebola.
Pilkerton began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan, working as a trial lawyer in both the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor and the Office of Money Laundering and Tax Crimes. He later went on to become Senior Counsel at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, investigating numerous cases related to insider trading and accounting fraud. Pilkerton has since been a partner in two law firms, representing clients in regulatory matters and providing legal advice to early-stage companies and the financial services industry. He has served on the Board of Directors of NASDAQ Futures, Inc., worked as the Associate Director of the Law and Public Policy Program at the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law, and was a Fulbright Teaching Scholar in Poland. Pilkerton currently serves in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.
Pilkerton holds a master’s degree in public administration from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs; a law degree from the Catholic University of America; a bachelor’s degree from Fairfield University; and a certificate in data analytics from Cornell University’s College of Business.
