Christopher Edward Appel

Chris Appel is an Of Counsel at Shook, Hardy & Bacon, L.L.P. in Washington, DC.  He is a member of the firm’s Public Policy Group, which specializes in tort law and reform of the civil justice system.  His unique practice touches on each branch of government at the federal and state level.  Chris has drafted model legislation to be introduced in Congress and state legislatures, testified on numerous legislative initiatives, authored amicus curiae briefs to federal and state appellate courts, including the Supreme Court of the United States, and developed comments on proposed rulemakings.  He has also worked with other policy setting bodies on initiatives to curb abuse in the civil justice system. 

Chris additionally counsels clients on tort liability issues and liability prevention.  He serves as an adviser to various business groups and trade associations interested in tort liability issues and civil justice reform.  He has also produced significant legal scholarship in this area.  Chris has authored more than 70 legal publications on a wide range of tort issues, and has served as a contributor to two tort texts, including Prosser, Wade & Schwartz’s Torts: Cases and Materials (14th ed. 2020).  In addition, Chris has been a recurrent guest lecturer at the U.S. Department of Justice and Wake Forest University School of Law, as well as a speaker at numerous legal conferences and industry group meetings, on issues related to tort law.