Christopher M. Jacobs
Top rated Insurance Coverage attorney in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Practice Areas:
Insurance coverage,
Business litigation,
Bad faith insurance
Education Qualification:
University of Pittsburgh School of Law
Practice Areas:
Insurance coverage,
Business litigation,
Bad faith insurance
Three Gateway Center, 401 Liberty Avenue, 22nd FloorPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15222
First Admitted: 2002, Pennsylvania
Professional Webpage: https://www.hh-law.com/Professionals/Christopher-M-Jacobs.sh...
Bar/Professional Activity:
- United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
- United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia
- United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- Pennsylvania Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (PAMIC)
- State of West Virginia
- State of Ohio
- Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
- DRI - The Voice of The Defense Bar
- Pennsylvania Defense Institute
- Pennsylvania Bar Association
- Allegheny County Bar Association
Verdicts/Settlements (Case Results):
- Non-jury trial representing insurer in declaratory judgment action concerning insured status of automobile dealership and driver under business auto policy, resulting in favorable verdict., 2016
- Jury trial representing insurer in declaratory judgment action concerning residency issue under a personal automobile policy, resulting in favorable verdict., 2015
- Jury trial representing insurer in malicious prosecution action arising out of handling of a residential fire loss and reporting of claim under the Pennsylvania Arson Reporting Immunity Act, resulting in defense verdict., 2014
- Jury trial representing insurer in bad faith action arising out of handling of underinsured motorist claim, resulting in favorable pre-verdict settlement before closing statements., 2010
- Non-jury trial representing insurer in declaratory judgment action concerning priority of coverage under competing automobile policies, resulting in verdict finding co-primary obligations between insurers., 2006
- Non-jury trial representing automobile dealership in consumer protection law matter relating to vehicle sale, resulting in defense verdict., 2004
- Jury trial representing residential contractor in construction defect matter, resulting in defense verdict with successful counterclaim for breach of contract., 2003
- Boggs v. Imperial Fire and Cas. Ins. Co., 2018 WL 3964829 (S.D.W.Va. Aug. 17, 2018) Motion to dismiss West Virginia bad faith claims granted in favor of flood insurer, finding state-based bad faith claims pre-empted by federal National Flood Insurance Act (NFIA) and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
- QBE Ins. Corp. v. Adjo Contracting Corp., 997 N.Y.S.2d 425 (2d Dept. 2014) Summary judgment in favor of Pennsylvania insurer entered by New York appellate court in complex coverage matter arising out of underlying construction defect litigation, finding no “occurrence” under Pennsylvania law.
- Scottsdale Ins. Co. v. Harleysville Ins. Co., 2013 WL 6813905 (N.D.W.Va. Dec. 24, 2013) Favorable decision in favor of insurer-client on West Virginia choice of law issue in insurance coverage action arising out of construction defect claims.
- USF Ins. Co. v. Orion Dev. RA XXX, LLC, 756 F. Supp.2d 749 (N.D.W.Va. Nov. 18, 2010) Declaratory judgment in favor of commercial general liability insurer, finding no duty to defend or indemnify insured in underlying lawsuit alleging sexual assaults, where allegations did not establish “bodily injury” under West Virginia law.
- Knecht v. Erie Ins. Prop. & Cas. Co., 2010 WL 2472486 (N.D.W.Va. June 15, 2010) Summary judgment in favor of auto insurer with respect to Hayseeds common law bad faith claim, finding insured did not substantially prevail in the settlement of his claim for underinsured motorist benefits.
- Victoria Ins. Co. v. Ren, 2008 WL 2371850 (E.D.Pa. June 9, 2008) Dismissal of insured’s statutory bad faith counterclaim in declaratory judgment action, ruling that insurer’s litigation of legitimate coverage issues is not bad faith under Pennsylvania law.
- In re Finney, 184 Fed. Appx. 285 (3d Cir. 2006) Affirmance of summary judgment in favor of insurer’s attorney in wrongful use of civil proceedings, malicious prosecution and abuse of process action arising out of handling of insured’s fire claim.
- State ex. rel. Erie Ins. Prop. & Cas. Co. v. Mazzone, 625 S.E.2d 355 (W.Va. 2005) Petition for Writ of prohibition to West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals granted with respect to discovery order directing disclosure of insurer’s reserve information, finding that trial court failed to make proper relevancy determination.
Pro bono/Community Service:
- North Allegheny School District - School Board Member/President, 2015
- McCandless-Franklin Park Ambulance Authority - Board Member, 2015
Honors/Awards:
- Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Rising Star, 2011 - 2016, Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Rising Star, Super Lawyers
- Best Lawyers in America®, 2024, Best Lawyers in America®, 2024, Best Lawyers in America®, 2024
- Pennsylvania Super Lawyer, 2019-2024, Super Lawyers
Educational Background:
- University of Richmond, B.A. Political Science and International Studies, Magna Cum Laude, 1999
Scholarly Lectures/Writings:
- Gettysburg, PA, Speaker, I’ve Got You Covered (But I Reserve My Right Not To), Pennsylvania Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, Insurance, 2018
- DRI Webcast, Speaker, Auto Claims In Pennsylvania, DRI - Voice of the Defense Bar, Insurance, 2019
- Presented on the preliminary evaluation of insurance bad faith claims and taking first steps in bad faith litigation., Speaker, Bad Faith Insurance Claims in Pennsylvania, National Business Institute, Insurance, 2019
- Key Insurance Law Developments 2009, Pennsylvania Defense Institute – Case Law & Legislative Update, July 14, 2009 | Pittsburgh, PA | Presenter, Speaker, Key Insurance Law Developments, Pennsylvania Defense Institute, Insurance, 2009
- Reservation of Rights: General Principles and the Lessons of Lobenthal, Pennsylvania Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, April 12, 2017 | Gettysburg, PA | Presenter, Speaker, Reservation of Rights: General Principles and the Lessons of Lobenthal, Pennsylvania Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, Insurance, 2017
- Analysis of the Pennsylvania Superior Court's Selective Way decision and the potential effect of the same with respect to the adjudication of an insurer's duty to defend and/or indemnify., Author, The ‘Selective Way’ Decision: A Catalyst for Increased Coverage Litigation?, The Legal Intelligencer, Insurance Law Supplement, Vol. 254, No. 2, Insurance Coverage, 2016
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