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Chris is a trial lawyer in Reed Smith’s top-ranked Insurance Recovery Group who focuses his practice exclusively on representing corporate policyholders. For more than 30 years, he has helped businesses maximize their insurance recoveries in high-stakes coverage disputes while also advising clients on insurance, risk management, and the design of complex insurance programs.
Experience
Representative matters
Representative matters
Successfully negotiated $14.8 million recovery for a general contractor in connection with a claim involving various public buildings
Recovered $12.65 million for a developer in connection with a complex environmental clean up of former Air Force base
Recovered $10 million for a developer in connection with a nationwide construction defect claim
Representative Experience
Successfully negotiated $14.8 million recovery for a general contractor in connection with a claim involving various public buildings
Recovered $12.65 million for a developer in connection with a complex environmental clean up of former Air Force base
Recovered $10 million for a developer in connection with a nationwide construction defect claim
On behalf of a trust company, successfully recovered more than $6 million in attorneys’ fees and costs incurred in connection with a Bernard L. Madoff-related class action
Successfully negotiated $5.75 million recovery for an international resort developer in connection with a multi-development construction defect claim
Obtained jury verdict in excess of $4 million in a two week insurance bad faith lawsuit involving an insurance company’s denial of coverage for an employment related lawsuit
Successfully negotiated $3.25 million insurance recovery for multi-building condominium construction defect claim
Obtained a $1 million default judgment against an insurer in connection with a claim for coverage of a construction defect dispute
Successfully negotiated a $19 million insurance recovery for a municipality for damages arising from a defectively constructed water system which supplies water to 40% of the municipality’s residents
On behalf of a trust company, successfully recovered $1.7 million in attorney’s fees and costs incurred in connection with a breach of fiduciary duty claim under a Bankers Professional Liability policy
On behalf of a bank, successfully negotiated a $6 million recovery from an insurer under a directors’ and officers’ liability policy to settle claims asserted against the bank for alleged securities violations
Successfully negotiated recovery of $7 million insurance recovery for general contract for the settlement of a multi-family residential construction defect lawsuit
Successfully negotiated a settlement of a multi-million-dollar construction surety dispute during the middle of a three-week trial
Successfully negotiated coverage for settlement of oil spill related personal injury claim involving $50 million in alleged damages
On behalf of a contractor, successfully negotiated payment in full by the client’s insurer of a settlement in a $5 million construction defect claim involving a multi-unit condominium project
Successfully negotiated the reinstatement of a $3 million life insurance policy following the life insurance company’s attempt to cancel the policy for alleged non-payment of premium
On behalf of a contractor, successfully negotiated the payment of a $4.5 million settlement by multiple insurers in connection with a construction defect claim relating to defective windows installed in a high end condominium project
On behalf of a developer, successfully negotiated the payment in full by the client’s insurer of a settlement in a $1 million personal injury claim arising from the defective construction of a model home
On behalf of a prior owner of land, successfully negotiated the payment in full by the client’s insurer of a settlement in a $1 million construction defect claim involving damages arising from a heaving soil condition
Successfully negotiated payment by a client’s property insurer in connection with a claim for the cost to repair a college dormitory building owned and operated by the client which was damaged by fire
Successfully negotiated a favorable settlement of a $600,000 stop loss health insurance claim where the stop loss insurer sought improperly to rescind the policy
Recognitions
Ranked in Chambers USA for Colorado Insurance, 2023-2026
Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® (Commercial Litigation; Insurance Law; Litigation - Insurance), 2007–2027; “Lawyer of the Year” for Insurance Law in Denver, 2027
5280 Magazine, Top Lawyer for Insurance, 2017-2026
Credentials
Education
Education
- University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law, J.D.
- Claremont McKenna College, B.A.
Professional admissions & qualifications
Professional admissions & qualifications
- Colorado
- California
Professional affiliations
Professional affiliations
- American Bar Association, Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee, Former chair
- American College of Coverage and Extracontractual Counsel, Board member, Fellow
- Colorado Trial Lawyers Association
- The Risk Management Society, Rocky Mountain Chapter
- Catholic Lawyers Guild
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Insights
Insights
Law360
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