Christopher P. Leise Partner

Christopher Leise focuses his practice on complex insurance and commercial litigation, including the representation of licensed insurance agents and brokers in professional liability claims and agency contract disputes.  He also has extensive experience litigating complex insurance coverage, insurance bad faith, RICO and insurance fraud claims, fire damage claims, and ERISA disputes.  Chris works with regional and national brokerage firms defending professional liability claims and handling disputes with insurance companies throughout the mid-Atlantic region, as well as with commercial insurance carriers defending allegations of bad faith.

Chris has published and lectured on the topics of insurance broker professional liability, fire litigation, insurance bad faith and insurance coverage for the American Bar Association, New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, the Pennsylvania Defense Institute and the Practicing Law Institute.   

After graduating from law school, Chris served as a law clerk to the Honorable William Bishoff of the New Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division.

Representative Matters

• Won jury verdict for property insurer voiding coverage for a multi-million dollar Pennsylvania fire loss due to policyholder’s material misrepresentations about the risk during the application process; verdict and judgment affirmed on appeal; see Hered, LLC v. Seneca Insurance Company, 2011 WL 1183212 (3^rd Cir. 2011)
• Secured jury verdict rejecting Federal RICO claims against an insurance broker arising from the sale of life insurance pursuant to an employee benefit plan 
• Lead counsel before the New Jersey Appellate Division wherein the Court vacated a $9 million trial court judgment and entered judgment for an insurance broker in suit arising from the sale of breach of warranty and hull policies to a commercial ferry operator; see Harbor Commuter Service, Inc. v. Frenkel & Co., Inc., et al., 401 N.J. Super 546 (N.J. App. Div. 2008)
• Secured multi-million dollar recovery on behalf of New Jersey insurance agents by proving that their agreements with an auto insurance carrier were terminated in bad faith and violation of New Jersey law; see Scheller v. Rutgers Casualty Insurance Co., 2008 WL 2121254 (N.J. App. Div. 2008)

Recognition & Involvement

Recognized as a certified civil trial attorney by the Supreme Court of New Jersey for the past 20 years, Chris was recently appointed an adjunct professor at Rutgers Camden School of Law, where he teaches a course in advanced trial evidence.  From 2005-2010, Chris was a member of the NJ Supreme Court District IV Ethics Committee.

Chris has been selected in a survey of his peers as a "Super Lawyer” in Pennsylvania by Law & Politics magazine in 2004, 2005, and every year since 2007.  He was also named a New Jersey "Super Lawyer” by Law & Politics magazine since 2005.  Chris has been AV® rated by the Martindale-Hubbell peer review rating system.

Chris is a member of the Board and a former President of the Heart of Camden, Inc., a community development housing organization.  He is an officer and Board member of the Markeim Art Center in Haddonfield, New Jersey.