Christopher C. White is the managing partner of the firm’s Dallas office and co-chair of the Professional Liability Practice. Chris also serves on the national CLM Management and Professional Liability Advisory Board.
He focuses his practice on professional liability (lawyers, design professionals, real estate agents, insurance agents, and brokers), directors and officers’ liability, insurance coverage and bad faith, and transportation.
Chris defends insurers and their insureds in civil litigation in state and federal courts through trial and appeal, and has practiced before courts in Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Delaware, North Carolina and New Jersey.
He has represented insurers in over 300 coverage investigations and disputes under both third-party and first-party policies, and has defended insurers in litigation alleging breach of contract and the duty to defend, bad faith, improper claims handling, Stowers liability, Insurance Code violations, Deceptive Trade Practices and failure to adequately reserve rights.
As a result of this experience, clients have asked Chris to draft policy wordings and endorsements for multiple third-party and first-party policies in both existing lines and development of new products.
Chris also provides crisis management, risk assessment, risk management and resolution strategy services for insurers and businesses responding to high-exposure litigation, catastrophic accidents, environmental releases and international disputes involving both U.S. and English jurisdiction.
He is also experienced in claims involving cancellation, including a 2001 claim for cancellation of the Latin Grammy Awards following the attacks on the U.S. on 9/11, and in claims against not for profit entities, including both condominium boards and co-ops.
When a catastrophic incident occurred, shutting down an airport, over 100 businesses, schools, roads and evacuating thousands of people from their homes, Chris was sent in to coordinate the response and manage the resulting exposure and litigation.
The clients’ trust was rewarded when five class actions, toxic tort allegations and a wrongful death suit all closed with payments and costs totaling one-third of the clients’ initial estimates. In addition, he pursued claims against responsible third parties leading to further recoveries for his clients.
Early in his legal career, Chris spent two years in the London insurance market seconded as in-house counsel for a Lloyd’s syndicate. During that period, he qualified as a solicitor authorized to practice in England and Wales, as well as Texas.
Education :
- College of William and Mary, Juris Doctor, 1995
- Oklahoma City University, Bachelor of Arts, 1992
Admissions :
- State Bar Admissions, Texas
- United States District Courts
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- United States District Court for the Western District of Texas
- International Admissions, United Kingdom
Cost
Rate : $$$