Biography

Christina D. Harrison is a partner of Williams Montgomery & John Ltd. and a member of the firm’s commercial, insurance, class action and appellate practices. She focuses her practice on commercial, class action, insurance coverage and bad faith matters in state and federal courts around the country. Ms. Harrison also handles appeals at the state and federal levels. She is “AV Preeminent” peer review rated by Martindale-Hubbell, reflecting the highest peer recognition for ethical standards and legal ability.

In the commercial area, Ms. Harrison has represented power companies, law firms, insurance brokers and contractors in breach of contract claims.

Ms. Harrison also has defended lawsuits brought against medical bill review companies, food manufacturers, car dealerships and insurance companies seeking certification of state and national classes. She has successfully had class allegations stricken, obtained dismissal of class actions and settled class actions on individual bases.

Ms. Harrison has represented several insurance companies, including Progressive Insurance, Zurich Insurance and Liberty Mutual Insurance. For these and other clients she has successfully prosecuted and defended declaratory judgment actions and provided coverage opinions for claims arising from general liability, commercial auto, personal auto and homeowner policies. In addition, she has defended insurance companies against claims of bad faith, consumer fraud and breach of contract.

Ms. Harrison’s appellate practice focuses on protecting client interests before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and Illinois appellate courts.

Education/Bar Admissions

Ms. Harrison received a B.S. in advertising in 1994 from the University of Illinois College of Communications. She received her J.D., magna cum laude, in 1998 from the University of Illinois College of Law, where she was chosen to be a member and notes editor of the Law Review.

Ms. Harrison was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1998 and also has been admitted to the following federal trial and appellate courts:

• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois (including the trial bar)
• U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit

In addition, Ms. Harrison has been admitted pro hac vice in six state and federal courts throughout the country.

Professional Activities

Ms. Harrison is active in a number of professional and civic organizations, including:

• American Bar Association
• Chicago Bar Association: Judicial Evaluation Committee, Insurance Committee
• The Chicago-Lincoln Inn of Court, member, Board of Directors

Representative Cases

Smith as Bankruptcy Plan Trustee for Estate of Boston Chicken, Inc. v. Arthur Anderson, et al., U.S. District Court, District Court of Arizona: Represented individual director and member of audit committee of Boston Chicken, Inc. in suit against breach of fiduciary duty claims arising out of the Boston Chicken bankruptcy. Settled after extensive discovery and while summary judgment motions were pending.

United States Fire Ins. Co. v. Zurich Ins. Co., Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill.: Obtained dismissal and summary judgment on all pending claims on behalf of a primary insurer in lawsuit brought by an excess insurer. Plaintiff was attempting to recover the defense and settlement costs it incurred in defending a party insured by both the primary and excess insurer. Appellate court affirmed that the excess insurer’s complaint was properly dismissed and summarily resolved in the primary insurer’s favor.

Knip v. Ohio Casualty Group, Inc., Circuit Court of Champaign County, Ill.: Obtained summary judgment on behalf of Ohio Casualty Group in breach of contract and bad faith lawsuit. Plaintiff’s claims arose out of defendant’s denial of coverage for a property damage claim based on plaintiff’s failure to cooperate.

Reznikoff v. Indiana Insurance Co., Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill.: Obtained judgment on the pleadings in favor of defendant insurer in bad faith lawsuit. Plaintiff’s claim arose out of defendant’s denial of coverage for several hundred thousand dollars of water damage to business property.

Ahearn v. Archibald Candy Corporation, Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill.: Favorably resolved national class action against defendant Archibald Candy claiming breach of warranty and violation of the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act. Settled case after trial court denied, in part, plaintiffs’ motion for class certification and granted, in part, defendant’s motion for summary judgment.

Fuller v. Liberty Mutual Fire Ins. Co., Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill.: Obtained dismissal, with prejudice, of class action claims against defendant Liberty Mutual. Plaintiffs alleged negligence and consumer fraud based on defendant’s failure to provide plaintiffs with optional water back-up coverage. Plaintiffs sought to certify a national class. Individual claims in this matter are still pending.

Baltzell v. R & R Trucking Co., U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit: Won appeal before Seventh Circuit vacating a multimillion-dollar contribution judgment against employer. The trial court had denied the third-party defendant/employer’s motion to waive its workers’ compensation lien and motion to dismiss the third-party contribution claims of the direct defendants, and entered the contribution judgment against the employer. The Seventh Circuit ruled that, on remand, the employer could waive its workers’ compensation lien and that, after such a waiver, the contribution verdict against the employer must be dismissed.

Janikowski v. Lynch Motor Group, U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit: Obtained affirmance of summary judgment entered in favor of defendant in a class action alleging violation of the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and consumer fraud based on auto dealer’s credit sales practice.

Publications

Chapter on “Insurance Bad Faith,” (with Bradley C. Nahrstadt), Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Illinois Insurance Law, March 2009.

“A Primer on Defending Breast Cancer Litigation,” (with Bradley C. Nahrstadt), American Journal of Trial Advocacy, Vol. 25, No. 3, Spring 2002.