Chris is an experienced litigator with significant trial experience in both state and federal courts in Pennsylvania.  Having spent nearly 25 years of his career with Tucker Arensberg, he was appointed by the firm as the Chairman of its Litigation Group in 2023.  Chris’ litigation practice focuses on four main areas:

• Commercial litigation: Chris represents businesses in breach of contract claims, disputes arising out of the sale of a business, corporate and successor liability cases, professional malpractice claims, tortious interference with contractual relations, directors and officers liability claims, land use dispute and partition actions, and defamation and corporate disparagement claims.
• Utilities: The representation of water, gas, electric and communications utilities in all manner of litigation, including liability and personal injury defense, property damage recoveries, commercial litigation, land use and rights of way matters, employment disputes, and matters before the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.
•   Restrictive Covenants and Trade Secrets: The enforcement of covenants not to compete and other restrictive covenants, theft of trade secret claims, breach of confidentiality agreements, and other claims arising out of the breach of employment agreements by key employees.
• Insurance Coverage Litigation: Chris counsels clients in insurance coverage matters, bad faith claims, and provides general advice to clients through the insurance claim process.

Chris is a 1995 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and a 1990 graduate of The George Washington University. In between his undergraduate studies and law school, Chris worked as a legislative staff member for two mid-western Members of Congress in the United States House of Representatives in Washington, DC.  A native Pittsburgher, Chris makes his home with his wife in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. 

• “Non-Compete Basics: Busting Myths about Non-Competition Agreements,” presented June 2017.
• “Three Keys to an Enforceable Non-Compete Agreement,” Association for Iron & Steel Technology, April 2015.
• “The Threat From Within: Monitoring Your Employees’ IT Use,” presented November 2008.
• “Addressing Power Quality Complaints,” Transmission & Distribution World, July 2004 (co-author).

• Successful representation of commercial landlord in eviction proceedings challenged by tenant and lease guarantors on the basis of the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in first Pennsylvania appellate decision to address the effects of the pandemic on commercial leases.  See 9795 Perry Highway Mgmt., LLC v. Bernard, 273 A.3d 1098 (Pa. Super. Ct.), app. denied, 2022 Pa. LEXIS 1817 (Pa. Dec. 20, 2022).
• Defense verdict after three day Federal court trial in multi-million dollar claim for breach of a joint venture agreement brought by one bridge painting company against another arising out of $20 million in contracts for the painting of two bridges in the State of Washington.  See Odyssey Contracting, Corp. v. Hercules Painting Co., Inc., 2022 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 159312 (W.D. Pa. Sep. 2, 2022).
• Successful prosecution and settlement of due process claim against City of Pittsburgh for improperly ordering under-21 club closed on its first night of opening, including reversal of initial dismissal of case by the trial court by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.  See S. Allegheny Pittsburgh Rest. Enters., LLC v. City of Pittsburgh, 806 F. App'x 134 (3d Cir. 2020).
• Action for injunctive relief and to compel the sale of an automation equipment business when seller attempted back out of sale on the day before the scheduled closing in violation of a Stock Purchase Agreement.   See Speer v. Steinkamp, 2016 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 6095 (Allegheny County 2016).
• Dozens of actions to enforce covenants not to compete, non-solicitation agreements, including preliminary injunction hearings seeking immediate enforcement with employment agreements by former employees.
• Representation of large, suburban school district against contractor in claim of breach of energy performance contract resulting in seven figure settlement for district.
• Successful defense of multi-level marketer of anti-aging medicines and nutritional supplements in securities fraud claim by investors resulting in dismissal of all claims by way of summary judgement.
• Representation of warehouse owner in claim against rubber membrane roofing manufacturer for premature failure of 650,000 square foot roof resulting in replacement of roof at minimal cost to owner.
• Representation of national owner of strip mall facilities in claim against rubber membrane roofing manufacture for premature failure of 250,000 square foot roof due to a defective fastening system resulting in replacement of roof at minimal cost to owner.