Former Insurance Department Counsel joins firm
Hawke McKeon and Sniscak LLP, is pleased to announce the expansion of its insurance regulatory practice, with Christopher J. Knight joining the firm as Of Counsel.
Chris spent nearly nine years as Counsel for the Pennsylvania Insurance Department as a member of the Governor’s Office of General Counsel, and will now use that experience and knowledge in his representation of insurance companies, producer licensees and other insurance-entity clients in regulatory, licensing and government compliance matters and related litigation.
During his career with the Insurance Department, Chris represented the Insurance Commissioner and Department regarding regulatory matters in all lines of insurance, and had lead responsibility for litigated matters in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and Commonwealth Court, as well as before the Department’s Administrative Hearings Office. He frequently coordinated enforcement investigations and administrative prosecutions related to company and producer legal compliance and licensing, including multi-state investigations of major international insurance companies and brokers. Most recently, Chris served from 2009-2011 as lead attorney for the MCARE Fund, Pennsylvania’s statutory contingency fund, providing required medical professional liability excess coverage for doctors and hospitals.
Prior to joining the Insurance Department, Chris spent five years in the private practice of law, serving as lead counsel in numerous jury trials in courts throughout Pennsylvania. He has lectured regarding insurance regulation and litigation and served as a presenter and panelist at various continuing education seminars, and has taught trial advocacy to law students on numerous occasions.