Andrew A. Chirls

Andrew Chirls has tried a broad variety of business and tort cases. A graduate of the University of California (Boalt Hall) School of Law, he served as a clerk for the U.S. District Court in New Jersey for a year and then spent 25 years litigating at Wolf, Block, Schorr & Solis-Cohen, where he was a partner from 1989 to 2009. He was Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association in 2005.

Class actions and mass torts: Mr. Chirls is known for his practice in class actions and multi-district litigation, both as an advocate and a neutral. He was appointed in 2013 by the United States District Court in Philadelphia to oversee and resolve discovery disputes in the Zoloft Birth Defects national multi-district litigation. He serves by appointment of the Court as Common Benefit Fund Administrator in the Avandia multi-district litigation. Mr. Chirls has been class counsel in a number of securities cases, and represented the AHP Settlement Trust, which administered a $4.3 billion class settlement from the marketing of the diet drug Fen Phen.

Business litigation: Mr. Chirls has also tried contract cases arising from mergers, acquisitions and dissolutions. He is recognized as an authority in the field of property rights and condemnation law, involving the constitutional rights of property owners when governments and utility companies take property for public projects.

Attorney discipline: Mr. Chirls represents and consults with lawyers on attorney discipline and professional ethics matters.

Torts: He was the first lawyer to represent a plaintiff in an AIDS/HIV discrimination case before a jury in Pennsylvania, and was lead defense counsel in a class action involving exposure to toxic metals at a dialysis clinic.

University of California, Berkeley School of Law

J.D. (1981)

1981

University of Pennsylvania

B.A. (1977) | Design of the Environment (Architecture)

1977

Honors: Cum Laude

Attorney

Fineman Krekstein & Harris

2009 - Current

Partner

Wolf, Block, Schorr & Solis-Cohen

1989 - 2009

Chancellor

Philadelphia Bar Association

2005

Clerk

U.S. District Court in New Jersey

1988

The Law of Eminent Domain

American Bar Association Real Estate Section, Eminent Domain Division

2012

Super Lawyer

Super Lawyers

2014

Service Award

Lambda Legal Defense

2010

Social Justice Award

Jewish Social Policy Action Network (“JSPAN”)

2006

Special Recognition Award for pro bono service

Human Rights Campaign

2006

Community Service Award

Gay and Lesbian Professional Network of Philadelphia

2005

Pennsylvania State Bar  # 35422

Member

Current

Academy of Court

Appointed Masters

Current

American Law Institute

Member

Current

American Bar Association

Member

Current

Activities: Real Estate and Trusts Section; Litigation Section

Pennsylvania

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

Supreme Court of the United States

United States Court of Appeal for the Third Circuit

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

• Litigation
• Commercial Litigation/Business Disputes
• Alternative Dispute Resolution