Christopher Josten

Associate

Christopher focuses his practice on Commercial Litigation with particular emphasis on Construction Law.  He counsels and represents project owners, developers, contractors, and design professionals in all phases of public and private construction projects and the dispute resolution process. Christopher represents clients on a wide range of projects from traditional vertical construction to some of the largest interstate linear infrastructure projects. He has experience navigating clients through challenges in project management, litigation, and private and international arbitration, as well as through mechanics’ liens claims and prompt pay act claims. He has also contributed to the drafting of construction services agreements for various six and seven figure construction projects in Pennsylvania and New York. 

Christopher serves the U.S. Armed Forces veterans community through his pro bono work, representing veterans who have experienced service-related harm in disability claims.  He also has experience guiding clients through guardianship proceedings.  

Christopher was a law clerk to the Honorable C. Darnell Jones II in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Before that, he spent one semester as a certified legal intern at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office, where he prosecuted low-level crimes.

Prior to working in the legal industry, Christopher worked as a registered professional civil/structural engineer. In that capacity, he managed and provided civil and structural design, analysis and consultation services for small and medium-sized, local, residential and commercial building construction, renovation and restoration projects as well as large international industrial construction projects. Christopher also served as an officer in U.S. Navy Reserve Construction Battalions between January 2012 and April 2016.

Christopher earned his civil engineering degree, cum laude, from Villanova University and his law degree and certificate in trial advocacy from Temple University Beasley School of Law.

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Experience

Secured a favorable jury verdict for a client working as a subcontractor to a multibillion-dollar design and construction firm on a 60-unit wind turbine complex in Illinois. The case centered on the termination of the subcontract during the project, and the trial was before a jury in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois - on damages only - after the Court found the subcontract had been terminated properly for cause. The issue presented to the jury was the amount of damages owed to the general contractor following the subcontractor's termination. Although the general contractor sought more than $30 million in damages, the jury awarded the general contractor only one dollar.

Successfully represented a development partnership in connection with one of the largest real estate deals in downtown Pittsburgh in 2020, transforming an iconic department store building into a premier Class A-plus, mixed-use facility. Assisted primarily with resolving more than $6 million in mechanics’ liens and claims filed by approximately 75 contractors and vendors relating to work performed or materials provided for the prior owner’s redevelopment efforts.

Successfully represented a Fortune 100 midstream energy company (joint venture) in defense of claims of more than $100 million by a pipeline contractor arising from the construction of the 700-mile Rover natural gas pipeline through Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and Michigan. After a 9-day trial in Harris County, Texas, the court awarded the contractor only $1.1 million of $63.1 million in breach of contract damages and denied all other tort and quasi-contract claims. The court then awarded the client $13.7 million on its counterclaims for breach of contract, as well as attorneys' fees and costs. U.S. Pipeline, Inc. v. Rover Pipeline LLC, 333rd Judicial District of Harris County, Texas, No. 2018-39920.

Publications

Third Circuit Rules on Pennsylvania Prompt Payment Act, Affirms Penalty Interest and Attorney's Fees [Alert]

May 10, 2024

Kenny Cushing and Christopher Josten discus the Third Circuit of Appeals decision that PA’s Contractor and Subcontractor Payment Act (CASPA) allows downstream parties to recover penalty interest and attorney’s fees from upstream contractors who wrongfully withhold payment.

U.S. Supreme Court Revisits the Right of Local Government to Exact Permit Conditions from Developers [Alert]

April 29, 2024

Steven Katkov, Tom Casparian, and Chris Josten discuss the April 12 California Supreme Court ruling in Sheetz v. El Dorado County that affects how local governments can impose conditions on property developers.

Education

  • Temple University—James E. Beasley School of Law, J.D., 2018
  • Villanova University, B.S., cum laude, 2000
  • Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court -- Eastern District of Pennsylvania

The Honorable C. Darnell Jones II, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.