A. Christopher Derden

Christopher Derden has a national litigation practice focusing particularly on the defense of mass tort, environmental, toxic tort and product liability matters. He also defends clients in commercial and class actions involving catastrophic injuries and wrongful death, including related insurance issues. Chris serves as national coordinating counsel to various oil, gas and petrochemical companies, and he directs clients’ nationwide dockets of mass-tort litigation matters. In the course of handling these dockets across multiple jurisdictions, Chris has coordinated numerous administrative resolutions and settlements for large claimant inventories.

His defense of environmental tort actions includes cases involving occupational exposures, which he has handled from initial investigation to administrative hearings and representation before OSHA through civil trial and appeal. In his role as national counsel, Chris has developed a deep understanding of jurisdictional and venue considerations as well as courtroom and trial dynamics.

Chris is the leader of the firm’s toxic tort practice team.

Chris has devoted significant time and effort to charitable organizations including Habitat for Humanity and the firm’s HUGS program.