CHRISTOPHER L. YEILDING is a Partner in the firm's Birmingham office. Mr. Yeilding is a member of the firm's Litigation section as well as the Health Law and Business Litigation Practice Groups. His practice involves many areas of litigation, including the following:
· Business Litigation: Representing individuals and companies in general business litigation, including lawsuits with competitors, suppliers, purchasers, customers, business partners, and former officers, executives, and employees; prosecuting and defending lawsuits arising out of stock sale agreements, asset purchase agreements, and employment agreements; representing business clients in lawsuits alleging, among other things, breach of contract, fraud, suppression, shareholder oppression, and negligence/wantonness.
· Insurance Coverage Litigation: Representing insurance carriers in coverage analyses, coverage litigation, and risk allocation issues involving various types of insurance policies, including, but not limited to, title insurance, commercial general liability, automobile, errors and omissions, officers' and directors', professional liability, and pollution policies.
· Health Law: Representing health care providers, managed care organizations, preferred provider organizations, and other health care entities in various types of litigation, including relating to health law issues and general business disputes; defending appropriate claims denials under life, health, and disability policies; representing insurers in ERISA and non-ERISA litigation relating to employee benefits; negotiating employment agreements.
· Environmental Litigation: Defending companies in toxic tort and environmental litigation, including putative class actions. Representing companies that are the subject of federal and state enforcement actions and citizens suits under environmental statutes and defending companies involved in federal and state toxic tort lawsuits arising out of alleged exposure or contamination.
Representative Experience
· Obtained summary judgment in defense of numerous lawsuits alleging claims for benefits under life, health, disability, and AD&D policies
· Recently obtained summary judgment for lender in lawsuit alleging wrongful foreclosure
· Recently obtained summary judgment for insurer in defense of accidental death claim on basis of medical treatment exclusion
· Defeated class certification and obtained summary judgment for insurer in action alleging improper calculation of benefits under health insurance policies
· Won defense verdict in defense of developer in dispute with owner regarding development of ambulatory surgery center and office building
· Won defense verdict in pro bono defense of church in property dispute with neighbor
· Obtained dismissal of claims brought by former owner of property against current property owner who had obtained property through foreclosure proceeding
· Obtained dismissal of lawsuit brought by insured against numerous insurance companies regarding coverage for underlying litigation
· Won trial verdict in favor of one sibling in inheritance dispute with other siblings
Professional Activities
· American Bar Association
· Alabama State Bar
· Birmingham Bar Association
· Defense Research Institute
· Birmingham Inns of Court
· PARCA Roundtable
· Named a "Rising Star" in the 2010 Alabama Super Lawyers
Publications
Alabama Supreme Court Clarifies Statue of Limitations for Wantonness. The Alabama Lawyer
Christopher L. Yeilding, Conrad Anderson, IV
April 2009, The National Practitioner Data Bank: How Does It Actually Work. The Birmingham Medical News, pp. 23-24
Christopher L. Yeilding
2009, Alabama Appellate Practice Guide (2009).
Ed R. Haden (Author), Matthew F. Carroll (Editor), Thomas L. Casey, III (Editor), Gregory C. Cook (Editor), Daniel E. Harrell (Editor), W. Joseph McCorkle, Jr. (Editor), Kelly F. Pate (Editor), Jason B. Tompkins (Editor), Dorman Walker (Editor), Christopher L. Yeilding (Editor)
Winter 2006, Settling NSR Cases: Can You? Is It Really Over?. 20 Nat. Res. & Env. 3
Michael D. Freeman, Christopher L. Yeilding (co-author)
December 2004, Getting Paid: The Recovery of Attorney's Fees in Contractual Indemnity Suits. For The Defense, p. 16
Christopher L. Yeilding (author) F. Inge Johnstone