Christian's practice includes the defense of professionals, public entities, police officers and public officials. He has handled numerous cases defending public entities and public officials in matters involving general negligence and intentional tort claims, land use and zoning issues including municipal statutory appeals, mandamus and inverse condemnation claims, and administrative regulatory issues. He also defends public entities, public officials and police officers in civil rights actions including land use and zoning denials, unlawful use of force, wrongful arrest and malicious prosecution claims, and also wrongful termination and discrimination claims.
Christian has significant experience representing architects and engineers, construction contractors, home and code inspectors, real estate agents and other professionals in the defense of professional and general negligence, construction injuries and accidents, construction defect and breach of contract claims. He also defends clients in personal injury, commercial, environmental and toxic tort litigation matters, more recently surrounding fracking related to natural gas drilling. Christian has tried and handled cases in state and federal courts.
In 1995, Christian graduated from St. Vincent College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics. In 1996, he graduated from the Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering. He then earned his juris doctor from the New England School of Law, Boston, Massachusetts, in 1999.
Honors & awards
AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell
The Best Lawyers in America, 'Lawyer of the Year,' Pittsburgh, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendant
2019
The Best Lawyers in America, Litigation - Municipal; Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
2014-2026
Pennsylvania Super Lawyer Rising Star
2005-2006
Year joined
2001
Results
Summary Judgment Obtained for School District in Slip-and-Fall Case
Public Entity & Civil Rights Litigation
December 18, 2023
We secured summary judgment on behalf of a school district in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. The plaintiff alleged he sustained a concussion as a result of a fall from a loading dock when making a delivery to a middle school in the school district. He argued that the loading dock was dangerous due to inappropriate depth, causing boxes on his hand truck to strike a wall, thus pushing him off of the loading dock. The court concluded that, because of the plaintiff’s prior uneventful encounters with the loading dock, the plaintiff was aware of the intricacies of the loading dock.
Successful appeal of summary judgment in favor of insurer.
Appellate Advocacy & Post-Trial Practice
Insurance Services - Coverage & Bad Faith Litigation
December 6, 2022
We successfully appealed a summary judgment in favor of an insurance client that had been sued by another insurance carrier for more than $1.6 million in damages arising out of a fire loss to an insured auto repair facility. The opposing insurance company had paid $1.6 million in damages and intended to pursue a product liability claim against a vehicle manufacturer, alleging a defectively manufactured vehicle had caused the fire. Our client insured the vehicle that was allegedly defective.
Promissory estoppel claim does not survive summary judgment.
Insurance Services - Coverage & Bad Faith Litigation
February 16, 2022
We obtained summary judgment for an insurance carrier client that had been sued by another insurance carrier for more than $1.6M in damages arising out of a fire loss. The opposing insurance company had paid $1.6M in damages and intended to pursue a product liability claim against a vehicle manufacturer, alleging that a defectively manufactured vehicle had caused the fire to an auto repair facility. Our client insured the vehicle that was allegedly defective.
Federal claims against borough and its employees dismissed.
Public Entity & Civil Rights Litigation
December 2, 2021
Our attorneys obtained judgment in favor of a local borough and its employees/agents following numerous rounds of motions to dismiss in the Western District. The plaintiff, a construction contractor, brought suit alleging the borough violated its constitutional civil rights by failing to issue it a grading permit in the time it perceived as reasonable. The matter is more generally described as a land use dispute, involving the plaintiff’s excessive dumping and destruction of a local sewer line, thus jeopardizing the health and safety of the local residents.
Thought Leadership
98 Marshall Dennehey Attorneys Recognized in the 2026 Editions of The Best Lawyers in America and the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America
August 20, 2025
Marshall Dennehey is proud to highlight the firm’s 98 attorneys who have been recognized in the 2026 editions of The Best Lawyers in America and the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America. Less than 6% of all practicing lawyers in the U.S.
Taking vs. Tort: Which Is It in Relation to Sanitary Sewer Overflows?
Pittsburgh
Public Entity & Civil Rights Litigation
March 1, 2021
Defense Digest, Vol. 27, No.
