Partner
Christopher Deal
Previously an in-house attorney at a major title insurance company, Christopher Deal represents title insurers and their insureds, lenders, escrow companies and developers in litigation involving real estate, business and corporate disputes. A partner in Best Best & Krieger LLP’s Irvine office, Chris’s practice focuses on litigation involving title and escrow liability, lien priority disputes, mechanic’s liens, boundary disputes and lender liability. Chris is also an experienced insurance coverage practitioner who handles complex insurance coverage investigations, issues insurance coverage opinions and litigates insurance “bad faith” disputes involving title insurance, commercial general liability, premises environmental (pollution) and crime/fidelity coverage. He is a qualified expert witness and regularly consults and testifies about title searching and constructive notice issues.
Chris’s in-house experience as a title insurer gives him unique insight into the industry. He has worked closely with underwriters, title officers and operations managers and is familiar with all aspects of the business. Chris’s clients benefit from his deep understanding of the nuts and bolts of title insurance transactions, and appreciate his ability to tackle issues efficiently. In addition to handling litigation for the insurer, Chris provided regulatory and pre-litigation counsel to title, escrow and operations units.
Chris lives in Laguna Niguel with his wife and two daughters. Chris is admitted to all the California districts of the U.S. District Court.
- Horn v. Spectrum: Obtained million-dollar unanimous federal jury verdict in matter involving real estate fraud and money laundering.
- AREI Litigation: Worked on defense team that successfully defended a lender in a matter involving a multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme that defrauded hundreds of investors throughout California.
- Orange County Bar Association
- California Land Title Association, 2005-2016
- California Land Title Association Legislative, Litigation and Forms and Practices Committees, various dates 2006-2011
Publications
- “The Basics of Closing Protection Letters,” CEB’s California Business Law Practitioner, Winter 2017
Presentations
- “Resolving Owner’s and Lender’s Covered Claims,” First American Title Insurance Company, July 2017
- “Closing Protection Letters,” Los Angeles County Bar Association, Title Insurance Subsection, 2015
- “Title Insurance Recoupment Claims,” Fidelity National Title Group, Omaha, Nebraska, 2013
- “Escrow Liability,” Lender Processing Services, First American Title Insurance Company, 2012