Search Our Site

Christopher C. Sabis

Member

(615) 850-6822

(615) 742-4539

LinkedIn Profile Download V-Card

Print Bio

Leader of the firm’s Government Compliance and Investigations practice, Chris Sabis recognizes that merely “responding” to governmental inquiries, enforcement actions, and litigation is often insufficient to protect his clients’ interests. Rather, he understands that efficient resolutions and positive outcomes are products of thoughtful and proactive approaches. Chris leverages his advocacy skills, substantive knowledge of the law, and understanding of each client’s operations and practices to develop strategies that minimize cost, disruption, and exposure.

Chris concentrates his practice in government investigations, litigation, white collar litigation, healthcare, and alternative dispute resolution. Much of his work involves fraud and abuse matters, with extensive experience in False Claims Act cases involving allegations of healthcare and procurement fraud. He represents a wide range of clients in white-collar fraud matters, commercial litigation, and government investigations.

Having served nearly a decade as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, Chris brings government-side insights and perspectives to his work. Combined with the credibility he has earned with government attorneys, this experience helps him find solutions that resolve immediate compliance concerns and minimize future ones.

Chris is on the American Arbitration Association (AAA)’s Roster of Arbitrators’ Commercial and Healthcare Arbitration Panels. He is a Rule 31 Listed General Civil Mediator by the Tennessee Supreme Court and a listed mediator and arbitrator with the American Health Law Association’s Dispute Resolution Service. He also has been a federal court-appointed neutral both as a mediator and as a Rule 53 ‘special master’ empowered to oversee and resolve discovery disputes in complex commercial litigation.

Active in many professional organizations, Chris is President of the Federal Bar Association’s Nashville Chapter. He has served as a Member of the Executive Committee and Chair of the Program Committee of the Harry Phillips American Inn of Court and is a former Hearing Examiner for the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility. He is a member of the Tennessee Bar Association, where he has served as chair of the Federal Practice Section, and the Nashville Bar Association, where he is a former chair of its Historical Committee and a Nashville Bar Fellow. Chris is also a Fellow of the Academy of Court-Appointed Neutrals and member of the American Health Law Association (where he had served on the Dispute Resolution Services Council), , and the American Bar Association.

Chris is also committed to serving his community. He was named to the Tennessee Justice Center’s Pro Bono Hall of Fame for his work fighting cuts in Tennessee Medicaid (TennCare) benefits for a ten-year-old child with severe epilepsy. He is a past board chair of Autism Tennessee and a past chair and Honorary Board member of Stars Nashville, a non-profit that provides prevention, intervention, treatment, and training programs addressing bullying, substance abuse, violence, and social and emotional barriers to success in Tennessee schools. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Nashville and has also been an Adjunct Professor of Law at Belmont University teaching pre-trial litigation. When not serving his clients Chris owns Maryland Farms Wine & Spirits in Brentwood, Tennessee and enjoys hockey, theater, and spending time with his family.

Chris Sabis Best Lawyers Ranked

  • Key part of defense team that negotiated a favorable False Claims Act settlement and administrative resolution for a cardiologist accused of medically unnecessary stenting procedures and other billing issues.
  • Successful reconsideration request of Medicare privileges revocation that saved client over $500,000 in lost claims.
  • Part of team that obtained a temporary injunction restoring a candidate to a primary ballot due to alleged violations of the Tennessee Open Meetings Act (the injunction was vacated on emergency appeal to the Tennessee Supreme Court)
  • Secured favorable settlement and release terms for mental health provider in Tennessee Medicaid False Claims Act investigation
  • Co-counsel in successful petition to reinstate prior level of TennCare benefits for 10-year-old girl with epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and numerous additional co-morbidities
  • Secured CMS rescission of revocation of Medicare enrollment and billing privileges for veteran emergency physician
  • United States v. Chambers, et al., No. 18-cr-00355 (M.D. Tenn.) (former credit union teller and co-conspirator sentenced to prison for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft) (during his tenure as an Assistant U.S. Attorney)
  • United States ex rel. Dorsa et al. v. Miraca Life Sciences, Inc., No. 13-cv-1025 (M.D. Tenn.) (pathology laboratory paid $63.5 million for allegedly providing illegal EHR system kickbacks to referring physicians in one of the ten largest FCA settlements of 2019) (during his tenure as an Assistant U.S. Attorney)
  • United States ex rel. Newman v. OPKO Health, Inc., 3:13-cv-0700 (M.D. Tenn.) (former CEO and laboratory paid $9.35 million to settle FCA allegations involving illegal EHR system kickbacks to referring physicians in first-of-its-kind settlement) (during his tenure as an Assistant U.S. Attorney)
  • United States v. Woody Medlock, Sr., et al., No. 10-cr-0004 (M.D. Tenn.) (member of trial team that obtained convictions of former owners of Murfreesboro Ambulance Service) (healthcare fraud convictions affirmed by 792 F.3d 700 (6th Cir. 2015)) (during his tenure as an Assistant U.S. Attorney)
  • United States ex rel. Meadows v. Mountain States Contractors, LLC, No. 3:12-cv-0523 (M.D. Tenn.) (construction company paid $2.25 million dollar to settle allegations of fraud involving a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)) (during his tenure as an Assistant U.S. Attorney)
  • United States ex rel. Gonzales v. J.W. Carell Enterprises et al., No. 12-cv-0389 (M.D. Tenn.) (home health company paid $25 million to settle FCA allegations) (during his tenure as an Assistant U.S. Attorney)
  • Tennessee Court of Appeals affirmance of Covenant families right to intervene in Tennessee Open Records Act litigation
  • Successful court-appointed mediation of long-pending prisoner civil rights dispute

  • Georgetown University Law Center, J.D.
  • University of Rochester, B.A.

  • Tennessee
  • Supreme Court of the United States
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the First, Third, Fourth, Sixth, and District of Columbia Circuits
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee
  • U.S. District Court, Middle District of Tennessee
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Tennessee
  • U.S. District Court of Massachusetts (inactive)
  • District of Columbia (inactive)
  • Massachusetts (retired)

  • Best Lawyers in America®, Commercial Litigation (2026 – 2027), Health Care Law (2022 – 2027), Litigation – Health Care (2022 – 2027, Qui Tam Law (2024 – 2027)
  • Martindale-Hubbell®, AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated
  • Mid-South Super Lawyers, Business Litigation, Health Care (2026)
  • Nashville Bar Foundation Fellows Program (Class of 2021)
  • Tennessee Bar Association Harris Gilbert Pro Bono Attorneys of the Year Award (2025)
  • Tennessee Justice Center Pro Bono Hall of Fame (2022)
  • Tennessee Supreme Court Attorneys for Justice Pro Bono Honor Roll (2021 – 2025)

  • “Effectively Deploying Alternative Dispute Resolution Processes in Health Care,” Presenter, American Health Law Association 2025 Annual Meeting (July 2025)
  • “The Ethics of Independent Arbitrator Legal Research,” Presenter, American Bar Association’s Dispute Resolution Section Spring Conference (April 2025)
  • “Coffee and Conversation: Resolving Health Care Industry Disputes,” Presenter, American Health Law Association Transactions Conference (April 2024)
  • “A Look at AHLA’s New Commercial Arbitration Rules,” Presenter, American Health Law Association Speaking of Health Law Podcast (November 2023)
  • “Sub Regulatory Guidance in Fraud, Compliance, and Overpayment Actions,” Presenter, American Health Law Association Fraud & Compliance Forum (September 2023)
  • “Hunting Pandemic Fraud: Audits and FCA Litigation Resulting From the PHE,” Presenter, American Bar Association Physicians Legal Issues Healthcare Delivery & Innovation Conference (September 2023)
  • “Government Enforcement Trends in Health Information Technology,” Presenter, Tennessee Bar Association Health Law Forum (October 2022)
  • “False Claims Act Allegations & Resolutions Based on Statistical Sampling and Extrapolation,” Presenter, American Health Law Association Fraud & Compliance Forum (September 2022)
  • Presenter on Fraud, Becker Private Equity & Business Podcast (May 2022)
  • “Fraud and Abuse: Recent Developments Related to Electronic Health Records,” Presenter, American Health Law Association Speaking of Health Law Podcast, (April 2022)
  • “Government Enforcement Trends in Healthcare and Procurement Fraud,” Presenter, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners – Middle District of Tennessee (March 2022)
  • “Switchbacks at the DOJ: the Sessions, Brand, and Garland Memos,” Panelist, The Federalist Society (March 2022)
  • “False Claims Act Today – Middle Tennessee,” Panelist, Federal Bar Association (November 2021)
  • “Hot Topics in Health Care Law,” Presenter, Nashville Bar Association (November 10, 2020)
  • “Hot Topics in Fraud and Abuse,” Presenter, Tennessee Bar Association 32nd Annual Health Law Forum (October 8-9, 2020)
  • “Civil Fraud Enforcement in America’s Healthcare Capital” Presenter, Economic Club of Nashville (August 25, 2020)

  • President, Nashville Chapter, Federal Bar Association (2026 – present)
  • AAA Roster of Arbitrators’ Commercial and Healthcare Arbitration Panels (2023 – present)
  • Adjunct Professor of Law, Belmont University College of Law, Pretrial Litigation (Fall 2013)
  • Certificate of Completion: Rule 31 Civil Mediation Training, Lipscomb University (2016)
  • Fellow, Academy of Court-Appointed Neutrals (2023 – present)
  • Fellow, American Bar Foundation (2024 – present)
  • Hearing Examiner, Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility, District V (2018 – 2023)
  • Member, Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR), Chancery & Circuit Court, Federal Practice, Government Practice, and Health Law Sections, Nashville Bar Association
  • Member, American Health Law Association (2012 – present)
  • Member, American Health Law Association Dispute Resolution Services Council (2022 – 2025)
  • Member, Dispute Resolution, Federal Practice, and Health Law Sections, Tennessee Bar Association
  • Member, Dispute Resolution, Health Law and Litigation Sections, American Bar Association (2003 – present)
  • Member, Diversity, Ethics & Professionalism, Historical, and Memorial Service Committees, Nashville Bar Association
  • Member, Executive Committee and Chair of the Program, Harry Phillips American Inn of Court (2016 – present)
  • Member, Metropolitan Nashville Board of Ethical Conduct (March 2025 – present)
  • Past Secretary & Current Chair, Historical Committee, Nashville Bar Association
  • Past Vice Chair & Chair, Federal Practice Section, Tennessee Bar Association

  • Board Chair and former Secretary, Autism Tennessee (2019 – present)
  • Honorary Board Member, former Secretary, Board Chair & Co-Chair of the Board, Stars Nashville (2013 – present)
  • Member, Economic Club of Nashville (2016 – present)
  • Member & Founder and Past Chair of Environmental Sustainability Committee, Rotary Club of Nashville (2016 – present)
  • Volunteer Assistant Coach, Montgomery Bell Academy Men’s JV Hockey (2022 – 2023)
  • Wine Committee Member, Nashville Wine Auction (2023 – present)