Get to Know Litigator Chris Bladel
We welcome you to learn more about health care litigator Chris Bladel who joined Buttaci Leardi & Werner in the spring of 2023.
At what point in your legal career did you gain an interest in the legal areas of insurance fraud and consumer fraud?
During my clerkship for Hon. Harried Derman, J.S.C (ret.), Superior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division for Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren counties. In that role, I had a front-row seat to lawsuits between and among healthcare providers. I saw vibrant and profitable practices where physicians had decades of experience and an abundance of patients seemingly evaporate when the stress of navigating insurance billing, audits, and mistrust turned providers against each other. When litigation was necessary, I saw the best results came when a healthcare provider’s attorneys were zealous in defending a client’s interests while working simultaneously, in good faith, to extricate their client from disputes in a practical and cost-effective manner.
After a decade litigating mass tort, environmental, and product liability claims, what interested you most about joining Buttaci Leardi & Werner?
I wanted a return to my healthcare roots. There is nothing like the fast pace of a case where the events that are the subject of a claimant’s injuries occurred years or decades prior. Such matters require knowledge of applicable regulations, government standards, and the ability to uncover facts that may lay dormant in a personnel file in a dusty box. This level of insight and diligence is at the heart of the firm, which is one of the many reasons the lawyers here are highly regarded in the health care industry. But it’s also the culture of the firm, which I saw as I met with Vincent, John, Paul and Nicole. This is a unique work environment based on a meritocracy and a dedication to teamwork.
What is your approach to client service?
I like helping clients stop problems before they start. I have reviewed and counseled clients in various industries regarding employment and independent contractor agreements with a particular focus on the enforceability of such provisions. Too often, clients enter into overly broad agreements in which many of the conditions are not enforceable in many states. Getting to know a client’s business, its history, and its operations is not only the best way to have a strong relationship, but that specific knowledge also frequently leads to better results.
What is your objective when advising clients?
When evaluating the many legal agreements of a healthcare practice, knowing what a client intends to do in the future is crucial to achieving a successful result. Winning a case or achieving a favorable settlement will not satisfy clients when the end result leaves them unable to turn their attention to their next goal for their personal lives and careers. I strive to leave clients in a better position than they thought was possible at the start of a dispute.
- Posted on: Apr 4 2023