Profile

Education

  • St. John's University School of Law, JD, 1992
  • St. Joseph's College, BA (magna cum laude), 1988

Chris is a partner in the New York and Basking Ridge offices and is the Chairman of Kennedys’ Governance Group. He has extensive experience in handling and resolving — through litigation and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms — insurance coverage disputes, including those involving environmental, toxic tort, asbestos, construction, advertising liability, products, cyber, technology, property, automobile, and employment issues.

Chris has represented clients in insurance coverage disputes in virtually every state in the United States, on both the state and federal level, as well as in Bermuda, Canada, Puerto Rico, and throughout Europe. He also is experienced in resolution of reinsurance disputes and the drafting of reinsurance contracts. Chris often provides counsel to corporate clients on general business matters, contract negotiation, environmental litigation and compliance, and all types of commercial disputes.

Chris is a frequent lecturer on a myriad of insurance and litigation topics, including mediation and negotiation, bad faith, construction defect, toxic tort, hazardous waste and advertising liability. He is on the Advisory Board for The Center for the Study of Insurance Regulation at St. John’s University in New York, as well as the Editorial Advisory Board of Insurance Law & Litigation Week. Chris is also a Senior Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, a Fellow of the American College of Coverage Counsel (ACCC), and a Fellow of the American Bar Association, an honor only given to one percent of the lawyers admitted to practice in the US. Chris is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of St. Joseph's College in New York, as well as a member of the Trial Law Institute and Diversity Law Institute and a board member of the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown, New Jersey.

Chris contributed to Kennedys' 'Global forecast 2024: Evolving insurance risks' report, published in January 2024.

Chris also contributed to the fourth edition of Kennedys’ Global Legal Handbook, one of our most popular guides, which outlines the main legal and procedural issues that case handlers may encounter when dealing with claims across 53 jurisdictions globally.

"An exceptional legal brain with a savvy commercial understanding."

Qualifications and admissions

  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • Pennsylvania
  • Texas
  • US Court of Appeals, First, Second, Fourth, Fifth, Seventh, Ninth and Eleventh Circuits
  • US District Court, Northern District of Illinois
  • US District Court, New Jersey
  • US District Court, Eastern, Northern and Southern Districts of New York
  • US District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • US District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin

Market recognition

  • Named a “Senior Fellow” by the Litigation Counsel of America (2024)
  • Recognized in Best Lawyers in America: Insurance Law (2019-2024)
  • Ranked lawyer and notable practitioner for 'Insurance (New Jersey)' (Band 1)
    “Christopher Carroll is a distinguished practitioner who regularly handles a range of insurance coverage disputes. He is revered by clients for his experience and knowledge.” "Chris is very responsive and able to jump on things very quickly." "Christopher has an exceptional intellect on coverage issues and is a strong advocate."
    Chambers USA 2023
  • Ranked lawyer and notable practitioner for 'Insurance: Dispute Resolution: Insurer (USA - Nationwide)'
    “Christopher Carroll is adept at handling an array of insurance coverage disputes on behalf of insurance carriers. He is particularly well regarded for his expertise in cases involving cybersecurity and environmental issues, among other areas.”
    Chambers USA 2023
  • Named a “Leading Lawyer” in The Legal 500 USA (2022)
  • Ranked lawyer and notable practitioner for 'Insurance (New Jersey)' (Band 1)
    Christopher Carroll was described as having "an exceptional legal brain with a savvy commercial understanding. He is very client-focused and great at delivering feedback and difficult issues, always in a manner that lands well."
    Chambers USA 2022
  • Ranked lawyer and notable practitioner for 'Insurance: Dispute Resolution: Insurer (USA - Nationwide)'
    Christopher Carroll was described as “an excellent lawyer and effective advocate with deep knowledge."
    Chambers USA 2022
  • Named in Who’s Who Legal: Insurance & Reinsurance (2018 – 2023)
  • New Jersey Super Lawyers (2013-2023)
  • Ranked lawyer and notable practitioner for 'Insurance (New Jersey)' (Band 1)
    "Christopher Carroll is a distinguished practitioner who regularly handles a range of insurance coverage disputes. He is revered by clients for his experience and knowledge." "Christopher combines a sophisticated knowledge of insurance issues with practicality and good judgment." "He will come back to me with clear answers."
    Chambers USA 2021
    • Ranked lawyer and notable practitioner for 'Insurance: Dispute Resolution: Insurer (USA - Nationwide)'
    "Christopher Carroll is adept at handling an array of insurance coverage disputes on behalf of insurance carriers. He is particularly well regarded for his expertise in cases involving cybersecurity and environmental issues, among other areas."
    Chambers USA 2021
  • Ranked a ‘Leading Individual: Insurance: Advice to Insurers: Coverage’ by US Legal 500 (2019-2021)
  • Ranked lawyer and notable practitioner for 'Insurance (New Jersey)' (Band 1)
    Christopher Carroll represents insurers in high-profile and sensitive disputes. "His service is impeccable," comments a client, continuing: "He's very savvy in solving problems for the client and he's an immensely skilled negotiator."
    Chambers US 2020
  • Ranked Chambers US Leading Lawyer (Band 2) for Insurance Litigation, 2019
    Impressed clients of Christopher Carroll consider him to be "an incredible advocate," highlighting his "uncanny ability to identify, develop and articulate issues on the spot." His widely respected insurance coverage practice incorporates environmental, toxic tort and asbestos disputes, and he demonstrates expertise handling coverage matters of national significance.
    Chambers US 2019
  • “He's given presentations to teams here and wider people involved in the chain. He's good at explaining issues to our senior management.” The Gracechurch London Market Insurance Law Report 2019
  • “He is very commercially minded and quite tactful in how he talks to the insurers and deals with clients in general.” The Gracechurch London Market Insurance Law Report 2019
  • Ranked Chambers US Leading Lawyer for Insurance Litigation
  • The phenomenal Christopher Carroll represents insurers in a range of coverage disputes. He is described by market sources as "an excellent lawyer; absolutely top-notch." Chambers US 2018
  • Named in Best Lawyers New York (2018)
  • Client Choice Award (2016)
  • AV Peer Rating from Martindale-Hubbell

Work highlights

  • Representing insurers in connection with claims against USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee arising from allegations of sexual abuse by former doctor, Larry Nassar.
  • Representing insurers in connection with resolution of more than 4,000 individual claimants against MGM alleging wrongful death, bodily injury, and emotional distress following the October 1, 2017 shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada.
  • Representing insurers in connection with insurance claims and litigation arising from class action and mass tort lawsuits asserted by former athletes alleging long-term brain injury against various sports leagues, including the National Football League, the National Hockey League, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
  • Representing insurers of drug distributors and manufacturers in opioid litigation in federal and state courts throughout the country, in connection with hundreds of lawsuits brought by governmental entities, individuals and other institutions seeking damages in the tens of billions of dollars.
  • Representing certain Bermuda and London based excess insurers of joint venture participant sued for catastrophic property, environmental, and personal injury damages associated with the failure of the Fundão Tailings Dam in Brazil.
  • Representing insurer in large coverage dispute arising out of the release of confidential medical records of approximately 32,500 patients that were stored electronically on hospital servers.
  • Representing excess insurer in connection with multiple claims under a professional/cyber liability policy involving disputes over the insured’s design and implementation of large IT projects.
  • Representing insurer in Bermuda arbitration involving complex reinsurance dispute arising from pre-suit settlement of numerous medical malpractice claims due to performance of unapproved experimental spinal procedure on hundreds of patients.
  • Representing insurer in three-week Bermuda arbitration proceeding arising from underlying fraud in the construction of hundreds of homes on the West Coast of the United States.
  • Representing insurer in connection with insurance policies issued to an international retailer regarding a data breach exposing over 45 million customer names and financial data, including a determination as to the applicability of a “cyber” exclusion and the duties, if any, of the insurance company to fund the expenses associated with customer class actions and government investigations. This analysis involved consideration of policies issued in multiple countries and the international laws pertaining to those policies.
  • Representing excess carrier in insurance coverage arbitration arising from bodily injury, wrongful death, and property damage claims resulting from the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion.

Presentations and publications

Presentations

  • “PFAS: Background and coverage implications,” In-House Client Training (October 2023)
  • “The clock is ticking – How to defuse time limit demands,” In-House Client Training (September 2023)
  • “Emerging trends in bankruptcy in the landscape of social inflation,” In-House Client Training (July 2023)
  • “Hot Topics 2023,” In-House Client Training (March 2023)
  • “Primer on Coverage B: Emerging Topics & Trends,” In-House Client Training (February 2023)
  • “Insight Day Talk,” In-House Client Training (February 2023)
  • “Bracing for Claims Inflation,” In-House Client Training (January 2023)
  • "Hot Topics for Insurance Coverage," In-House Client Training (November 2022)
  • “Understanding New York's Comprehensive Insurance Disclosure Act,” In-House Client Training (June 2022)
  • “Professional Negligence Lawyers Association: (Mis)Use of Bankruptcy Filings in the United States,” In-House Client Training (May 2022)
  • “Social Inflation, Cause and Effect,” In-House Client Training (January 2022)
  • “Professional Negligence Lawyers Association: Social Inflation,” presented to the Professional Negligence Lawyers Association (February 2021)
  • “Attorney-Client Privilege in the insurance setting: best practices,” In-House Client Training (January, March 2021)
  • “Hot Topics in Insurance Coverage,” In-House Client Training (November 2018, February, April 2020, January 2021)
  • Conference Co-Chair, The Opioid Litigation Conference by Perrin Conferences (June 2019, October 2020)
  • "Overview on general liability and umbrella policies" In-House Client Training (April 2020)
  • "Current US Challenges (Including Update on Coronavirus)" (April 2020)
  • "Opioid crisis: beginning of the end or end of the beginning?" presented at Kennedys Bermuda Hot Topics (October 2019)
  • "An Introduction to the Bermuda (Occurance reported) Form" In-House Client Training (October 2019)
  • “US Bad Faith Trials,” In-House Client Presentation, London (June 2019)

Publications

  • Co-author, “Opioid-related insurance coverage litigation: A primer on key issues developed in US courts,” published for The Brief: The American Bar Association (August 2022) View article now
  • Co-author, "A Legal Reality Check on Sports-Related Concussion," published for Kennedys (June 2019)
  • Co-author, "Opioid Litigation Keeps Moving Forward and Continues to Raise Coverage Issues," published for Kennedys (May 2019)