Charles W. Craven

Significant Representative Matters

• 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).

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

Education

• Temple University School of Law, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1973 J.D.

  Honors: Dean's List 

• St Joseph's University, 1969 A.B.