Partner
Chris Haaf
Specialities
Litigation & Appeals
Bio
A former Third Circuit law clerk, Chris handles sophisticated litigation and appeals including real estate and contract disputes, trade secrets litigation, constitutional claims, fiduciary litigation, fraudulent transfer cases, and shareholder and partnership disputes.
In 2024, Chris successfully briefed and argued an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit involving a novel issue of employment law. Chris briefed and argued an appeal to the Bankruptcy Appellate Panel of the Ninth Circuit in 2025 that resulted in a highly favorable opinion preventing manufacturers from discharging future mass tort liability.
In addition to his federal court practice, Chris regularly appears in North Carolina’s state courts including, in 2025, a multi-million-dollar commercial foreclosure action and a protracted multi-jurisdiction litigation involving billions of dollars of healthcare and insurance fraud.
Clients seek Chris’ advice on a variety of business-related matters that require both sophisticated legal expertise and deep knowledge of the underlying business context.
Chris lives in a house on a river with his wife, four kids, two dogs, and nine chickens.
- J.D. 2009 University of Pennsylvania Law School, magna cum laude, Senior Editor, University of Pennsylvania Law Review, A. Littleton and H.C. Louderback Legal Writing Instructor
- A.B. 2000 Duke University
- North Carolina, 2013
- Pennsylvania, 2009 (inactive)
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina
- U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina
- U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eleventh, and Federal Circuits
- U.S. Supreme Court
- “Bankruptcy Update and Review,” Plaintiffs Asbestos Litigation Seminar (PALS), Las Vegas, NV, May 15, 2025
- Represents asbestos creditors and claimants in the Bestwall, Aldrich Pump, and DBMP Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, including related appeals before the district court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
- Represents silicosis creditors and claimants in Chapter 11 restructuring proceedings, including
the Ben Nye Subchapter V bankruptcy, where he successfully obtained relief before the
Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the Ninth Circuit. - Represented the litigation trustee for multiple critical access hospitals in a Chapter 11
reorganization, pursuing fraud and other tort claims arising from a multimillion-dollar laboratory
testing scheme. - Successfully briefed and argued an appeal before the United States Court of Appeals for the
Fourth Circuit, resulting in reversal of a motion to dismiss on behalf of former substance abuse
counselors alleging wrongful termination in violation of North Carolina public policy. - Represents property developers and landowners in disputes involving development rights,
easements, access rights, and related real estate litigation matters. - Represents businesses in disputes involving trade secrets, confidential information, and other
intellectual property rights.
