Christopher J. Blake

With 30 years of litigation experience, Christopher Blake has had primary responsibility for handling a range of complex commercial disputes. Mr. Blake is the leader of the Consumer Finance and Litigation Team with the responsibility for overseeing that office’s commercial and financial litigation practice.

Mr. Blake’s litigation practice focuses on business and commercial litigation matters in state and federal courts, as well as arbitration and other dispute resolution forums.

Mr. Blake’s approach to complex commercial disputes is to identify a client’s business objectives and then work jointly with the client to develop a litigation strategy to maximize the achievement of those objectives.

Education:

• Catholic University of America, JD (1986)
• Pace University, BA, Journalism (1983)

Admissions:

• District of Columbia
• North Carolina

Experience:

• Represented healthcare clients in disputes with providers involving complex issues of claims submission and adjudication, coverage under health plans, and terms and conditions of provider agreements. Mr. Blake is currently handling a class arbitration proceeding for two Medicare Advantage Plans involving claims that the Plans failed to implement fee schedule changes pursuant to provider agreements.
• Has litigated cases involving liability of officers and directors for breaches of fiduciary duties, and alleged failures to follow the business judgment rule
• Has been lead trial counsel in more than 20 jury trials and arbitration hearings and complex commercial and business disputes
• Regularly appears before state regulatory agencies, including the N.C. Department of Insurance and the N.C. Industrial Commission

Previous Professional Experience:

• Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue, Washington, DC
• Moore & Van Allen, Raleigh, NC

Professional Activities:

• American Bar Association
• North Carolina Bar Association
• Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce
• Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, Commercial Litigation and Insurance Sections