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Attorney Profiles

Charles W. Craven 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Shareholder
phone(215) 575-2626
fax(215) 575-0856
emailcwcraven@mdwcg.com

Chuck is a renowned, respected, and talented appellate attorney with significant experience as a trial attorney. He devotes all of his professional practice to assisting clients and trial counsel across an extensive spectrum of federal and state cases. His services include the development and implementation of case strategy; the prosecution and defense of motions for dismissal, summary judgment, other dispositive and strategic pre-trial motions; providing assistance as appellate counsel on trial teams; and handling all phases of post-trial motions and appeals.

Throughout his 34-year career, initially as a trial attorney and later as appellate counsel, Chuck has been involved in the defense of hundreds of cases involving wide-ranging matters including motor vehicle accidents, construction projects, premises liability, liquor liability, medical and other professional liability claims, product liability, aviation accidents, employment and other discrimination actions, workers' compensation, and insurance coverage.

In addition to founding and leading our firm's Appellate Advocacy Practice Group for more than 26 years, Chuck has been an active and leading member of several national, state, and local appellate entities including:

  • the prestigious American Academy of Appellate Lawyers (one of seven Pennsylvania members);
  • the Bar Association of the Third Federal Judicial Circuit (Founding Steering Committee and Executive Committee member);
  • the Council of Appellate Lawyers of the Appellate Judges Conference of the American Bar Association's Judicial Division (Executive, Rules, and Awards Committees);
  • the Defense Research Institute's Appellate Advocacy Committee (Steering and Seminar Committees, Third Circuit Reporter);
  • the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Appellate Advocacy Committee (founding Co-Chair);
  • the Pennsylvania Defense Institute's Appellate Advocacy Committee (founding Chair);
  • the Appellate Advocacy Committee of the American Bar Association's Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section (Vice Chair, Newsletter Editor); and
  • the Philadelphia Bar Association's Appellate Courts Committee.

    • Chuck was instrumental in founding and developing our firm's newsletter Defense Digest. He served as that publication's editor until 2002 and continues to contribute articles dealing with a variety of litigation topics.

    Chuck is a 1969 graduate of St. Joseph's College (now St. Joseph's University) and a 1973 graduate of Temple University School of Law (now Temple's Beasley School of Law). He began his uninterrupted career with our firm as a law clerk in 1971.

    Significant Representative Matters

  • In addition to numerous unpublished appellate victories and successes, the following published cases represent some of the appellate achievements secured for clients over the years:

  • Secured judgment for life insurance agent accused of directing applicant to provide false and misleading answers about current and past medical history in Northwestern Mutual Life Ins. Co. v. Babayan, 430 F.3d 121 (3rd Cir. 2005).

  • Obtained judgment for water company whose reservoirs overflowed and flooded down stream properties during a hurricane notwithstanding the adverse verdict imposed by the trial judge and affirmed by the intermediate appellate court in Shamnoski v. PG Energy, 858 A.2d 589 (Pa. 2004).

  • Sustained judgment as a matter of law in favor of tennis club accused of negligence for not having defibrillator available for response to heart attack sustained by a club member on one of its tennis courts in Atcovitz v. Gulph Mills Tennis Club, 571 Pa. 580, 812 A.2d 1218 (2002).

  • Achieved milestone victory for insurer and viability of exclusion against public policy attacks in Burstein v. Prudential Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co., 570 Pa. 177, 809 A.2d 204 (2002).

  • Achieved judgment for and pioneering limitation of liability on the part of local municipalities for traffic accidents at intersections between local and state roadways in Starr v. Veneziano, 560 Pa. 650, 747 A.2d 867 (2000).

  • Obtained limitation on liability for mental health professionals in cases involving injury or death inflicted by outpatients on third persons in Emerich v. Philadelphia Ctr. for Human Dev., 554 Pa. 209, 720 A.2d 1032 (1998).

  • Persuaded Pennsylvania Supreme Court to assume extraordinary jurisdiction and to remand complex worker's compensation litigation for re-examination in light of claimant's suspicious claim maneuvers in Town & Country Fine Furniture v. Workmen's Compensation Appeal Bd. (Charles K. Jerrechian & Sons), 523 Pa. 424, 567 A.2d 1042 (1990).

  • Persuaded trial court and appellate court to grant judgment to truck manufacturer despite verdict of liability in Conway v. White Trucks, 885 F.2d 90 (3rd Cir. 1989).

  • Protected property owner's indemnity right in the landmark case of 23. Willey v. Minnesota Mining & Mfg. Co., 755 F.2d 315 (3rd Cir. 1985).
    • Year Joined Organization:
    1973
    Areas of Practice:
    State and Federal Post-Trial and Appellate Practice
    Bar Admissions:
    Pennsylvania, 1973
    U.S. Supreme Court
    U.S. Court of Appeals 3rd Circuit
    U.S. District Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania
    U.S. District Court Middle District of Pennsylvania
    Education:
    Temple University School of Law, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1973
    J.D.
    Honors: Dean's List


    St Joseph's University, 1969
    A.B.


    Published Works:
    Product Line Liability: Corralling the Wild Horse, Defense Digest, August, 1995


    Customers' Claims as "Unfair Competition" Under the Extended CGL Insurance Policy, Defense Digest, September, 1995


    Bad Faith Litigation: Are The Johnson v. Beane Footnotes Too Good To Be True?, Defense Digest, November, 1995


    Coverage Dispute Pointers, Defense Digest, Vol. 2, No. 6, 1996


    Co-Author, Construction Litigation Issues: Pennsylvania's Statutory Employer Immunity, Defense Digest, Vol. 2, No. 6, 1996


    Pennsylvania Construction Litigation: Does Lascio v. Belcher Roofing Ring The Death Knell of Statutory Employer Status?, Defense Digest, Vol. 4, No. 2, 1998


    Construction Litigation: Dealing With The Peculiar Risk And The Immune Government, Defense Digest, Vol. 4, No. 4, 1998


    The Advantages Provided By Appellate Counsel, Defense Digest, Vol. 4, No. 4, 1998


    Mace Knocks Out Indemnity Claim, Defense Digest, Vol. 5, No. 1, 1999


    Starr Brightens Lines of Local Governments' Liability For Intersectional Traffic Controls, Defense Digest, Vol. 6, No. 3, 2000


    The Owner's Defense in Construction Accident Cases: Bring On The Aspirin, Defense Digest, Vol. 7, No. 2, 2002


    Indemnity Contracts: Mace Maced By Pa. Supreme Court, Defense Digest, Vol. 8, No. 1


    Preparation Is Essential, For the Defense (DRI), July, 2003


    Motor Vehicle Insurance: Some Cases Generate More Questions Than Answers, Defense Digest, Vol. 8, No. 2, 2003


    Motor Vehicle Insurance: Some Cases Generate More Questions Than Answers, Defense Digest, Vol. 8, No. 3, 2003


    Pennsylvania Indemnity Law: Something Is Better Than Nothing, Defense Digest, Vol. 8, No. 4, 2003


    Pa. Supreme Court Resolves UM/UIM Controversies, Defense Digest, Vol. 9, No. 1, 2004


    The Persistent Pitfalls Of Pennsylvania Post-Decision Practice, Defense Digest, Vol. 9, No. 2, 2004


    Defense Research Institute's 2004 A Defense Lawyers Guide to Appellate Practice, oral argument chapter


    Chili Palmer and the Art of Appellate Oral Argument, 2005


    Unveiling the Mysteries of a Deposition by Written Interrogatories under Cooper v. Schoffstall, 2006


    Classes/Seminars Taught:
    Appellate Practice Tips From The Bench And The Trench, September 21, 2007


    Practical Tips for Navigating the Appellate Courts, March 2006


    Post-Trial Motions, November 2005


    Successful Oral Arguments in the Pennsylvania Federal and State Appellate Courts, August 2005


    Appellate Brief Writing, March 2005


    Tips from the Bench on Avoiding the Pitfalls of Appellate Practice, 2005


    Pennsylvania Appellate Practice, February 26-27, 2004


    Successfully Seeking and Opposing Review in Courts of Discretionary Review, DRI's Fourth Annual Appellate Practice Seminar, Chicago, May 1-2, 2003


    Various Seminars, Insurance Society of Philadelphia, various insurance companies


    Various Seminars, Marshall, Dennehey, Warner, Coleman & Goggin


    Honors and Awards:
    AV Peer Review Rating by LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell


    Special recognition awards from the Pennsylvania Bar Association, 2004, 2006


    Pennsylvania Super Lawyer, 2006-2011


    Best Lawyers in AmericaŽ, 2010 - Present


    Professional Associations and Memberships:
    American Academy of Appellate Lawyers


    American Bar Association, Judicial Division, Council of Appellate Lawyers; Tort Trial & Insurance Section, Appellate Advocacy Committee


    Bar Association of the Third Federal Circuit


    Defense Research Institute


    Lawyers Club of Philadelphia


    Pennsylvania Bar Association


    Pennsylvania Defense Institute


    Philadelphia Bar Association

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