With nearly four decades of courtroom experience, Christopher J. Blake focuses his practice on high-stakes business and commercial litigation in state and federal courts and before arbitration panels. Chris is known for turning complex disputes into clear strategies. He begins every engagement by pinpointing the client’s business objectives, then partners with decision-makers to build a litigation plan that aligns resources, risks, and desired outcomes.
Leader in Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith Litigation and North Carolina Insurance Regulatory Matters
Insurers rely on Chris for both courtroom defense and practical guidance. He regularly advises property & casualty carriers and life insurers on coverage triggers, the duty to defend, indemnity, and claims-handling exposure, and has helped vacate discovery sanctions on appeal in a contested bad-faith matter. Chris serves as outside general counsel for the North Carolina Insurance Guaranty Association and has deep expertise in navigating legal issues arising from the insolvency of insurance companies. Chris regularly provides clients with guidance and advice on insurance regulatory matters in North Carolina.
Trusted Counsel for Complex Commercial Disputes
Chris’s work spans the full arc of commercial conflicts - complex business disputes, class and collective actions, coverage and bad-faith litigation, and judgment enforcement. In one acquisition-related dispute for a healthcare client, he led a week-long arbitration that resulted in an award of more than $5 million plus attorneys’ fees and costs, following proof that the seller’s practices undermined the value of the assets purchased. Chris has also represented two Medicare Advantage Plans in a class arbitration concerning the implementation of fee schedule changes under provider agreements, and a durable medical equipment provider in a class action alleging claims under the North Carolina Debt Collections Practices Act. Chris also has a track record in appellate advocacy. After a rare jury trial under the federal Equal Credit Opportunity Act in North Carolina, Chris briefed and argued the case to the North Carolina Supreme Court and secured reversal, with judgment entered for his client. Chris has also appeared in numerous cases before North Carolina’s appellate courts for the North Carolina Insurance Guaranty Association.
Serving Clients Across North Carolina and Beyond
Beyond the courtroom, Chris counsels boards and executives on governance litigation, fiduciary-duty claims, and the business-judgment rule, and he appears regularly before North Carolina regulatory bodies, including the N.C. Department of Insurance and the N.C. Industrial Commission. Across more than twenty jury trials and arbitration hearings, his steady leadership and outcome-oriented approach have earned the trust of clients facing complex, business-critical disputes.
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Christopher Blake Joins Cranfill Sumner LLP
Cranfill Sumner LLP today announced that Christopher Blake has joined the firm’s Raleigh office as Of Counsel. Chris brings more than four decades of courtroom experience to the firm and will continue to focus his practice on business and insurance litigation....
