Christopher C. Negrete

Professional Overview Chris defends licensed professionals, including skilled nursing facilities, architects and engineers, and insurance professionals against allegations that they breached their professional standards of care. His extensive litigation and transactional experiences include defending private and governmental entities in employment and civil rights matters; businesses in commercial disputes; design professionals and contractors in construction defect litigation; and designers, manufacturers and retailers against product liability law suits. Chris advises insurance companies in disputes regarding the extent and scope of the coverages afforded by their policies. Chris has a particular affinity for the challenges and lasting impact of appellate work. On behalf of his clients, he has obtained numerous favorable decisions from federal and state appellate courts, including: Affirming that a J-1 visa sponsor is not an insurer of the safety of adult participants in the U. S. State Departments Summer Work & Travel Program; Granting a new trial where the trial judge refused to permit the of evidence establishing the liability of a settling co-defendant; Reversing a lower courts decision that struck an intermediate care facilitys objections to discovery based upon the Pennsylvania Peer Review Protection Act; Affirming that a developer may not subvert the appeal provisions of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code by asserting claims for breach of contract and promissory estoppel; and Affirming that federal courts lack subject matter jurisdiction over challenges to state and local taxes where state courts supply an adequate remedy, and holding that Pennsylvania courts provide such a remedy. Chris also understands the importance of minimizing his clients exposure to litigation through strong contract language. He has negotiated and drafted numerous business agreements including shareholder agreements, employment agreements, operating agreements, stock and asset purchase agreements, finance leases, and agreements for the sale of real estate.