Biography

James W. Christie has over forty years of experience trying cases as a licensed attorney in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.  He now serves as a mediator and arbitrator in both simple and complex cases, including professional malpractice (attorneys and physicians), employment, construction, commercial and personal injury litigation.

Mr. Christie started Christie Mediation & Arbitration LLC in 2019 to focus on cases that could be resolved through alternative dispute resolution.  He also offers these services through Burns White where he presently is of counsel.  He has reviewed and mediated cases with substantial multi-million dollar values and assisted parties in determining how and when to settle their claims.  He has served as a mediator and arbitrator at the request of attorneys seeking a private resolution, and also as a mediator and arbitrator appointed by the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas; an arbitrator in federal court (Eastern District of Pennsylvania); a court-approved mediator and arbitrator for the New Jersey Superior Court; and arbitrator for FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority).

Prior to joining Burns White, Mr. Christie was a co-founder of Christie & Young where he primarily practiced in the civil trial arena, including a wide variety of matters—professional liability (attorneys, physicians, accountants, engineers, brokers, and architects), insurance coverage, employment, ERISA, construction, and commercial litigation.

During his legal career, Mr. Christie has tried a number of complex cases to verdict in the federal and state courts in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.  He has also represented clients in the state Supreme Courts of Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Arkansas, and Connecticut; in the Second and Third Courts of Appeals; and in the intermediate appellate courts in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey.  He is recognized as a “lawyer’s lawyer,” having represented attorneys in front of the Disciplinary Board of Pennsylvania as well as those in disputes involved in joining and leaving law firms.  He has served as an expert witness in insurance coverage and professional responsibility matters in both state and federal courts in Pennsylvania.  And he has lectured to law firms and county bar associations about risk avoidance, ethics, professional responsibility and disciplinary matters.

Mr. Christie has successfully resolved commercial disputes, shareholder and partner controversies, civil rights issues and cases involving malpractice.  He has represented municipal organizations and their employees in civil rights matters; public transportation disputes; casino license; and law enforcement issues.  He also has substantial experience, representing corporations and their employees in litigation concerning the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and state counterparts.  He has represented employers with respect to the hiring and termination of employees; discrimination and sexual harassment; employee benefit disputes, including all aspects of ERISA; and the negotiation and drafting of employment agreements, employer handbooks; and confidentiality agreements.

Mr. Christie is a graduate of Yale College and Harvard Law School.  He has also been elected to membership in the American College of Trial Lawyers and the American Law Institute.