Charles M. Adams, CPCU

Charles M. Adams is a partner in Thomas, Thomas & Hafer’s Ambler, PA office.  Chuck focuses his complex litigation practice in the areas of product liability, premises liability, construction site accidents, construction defect, and transportation liability. He is frequently retained to investigate and defend fire cases involving corrugated stainless steel tubing (“CSST”) and is widely recognized as a thought leader in the defense of catastrophic swimming pool-related accidents. Attorney Adams possess particular skill in the handling of injury cases arising out of the use of vertical transportation and aerial lift systems. He has an in-depth understanding of contractual indemnification and additional insured risk transfer.

Chuck successfully navigates his clients through arbitration, mediation, and trial and the securing of judgments for the defense or favorable settlements on a regular basis. He has obtained summary judgment for clients in matters including but not limited to premises liability, contractual indemnification, additional insured status and waiver of subrogation.

Prior to entering the practice of law Chuck devoted more than twenty (20) years to the property-casualty insurance industry by managing and supervising thousands of catastrophic liability and complex coverage claims.

Attorney Adams started his insurance career as a liability claim adjuster at Hanover Insurance Company. Thereafter, he served as an adjuster and progressed to the position of Assistance Vice President with American European Group (“AEG”), where he recruited, trained, and managed AEG’s liability claim personnel. He also administered special projects for AEG subsidiaries Rutgers Casualty, United National and Kentucky National, including the structured implementation of Waste Hauler, Homeowners, General Liability, Commercial Automobile and Commercial Property insurance programs at Rutgers Casualty.

Following his tenure at AEG, Chuck served as Litigation Management Manager with Harleysville Insurance (Nationwide), where he conducted and oversaw claim assessment, negotiation and investigation. Under Attorney Adams’ leadership, Harleysville’s Litigation Unit successfully handled a sizeable volume of multi-faceted complex and severe commercial and personal lines liability claims, as well as a high volume of intricate and challenging coverage matters. He also recruited and trained claim personnel.

Chuck then worked at ACE American Insurance Company (Chubb), where he managed a domestic risk management liability team handling claims for ACE’s Fortune 1200 insureds operating under large deductibles and/or self-insured retentions programs. While managing his domestic liability staff, Chuck simultaneously managed a claims team responsible for the handling of catastrophic casualty claims arising out of products manufactured by corporations located abroad. While at ACE, he also served as a relationship liaison for ACE’s insureds, counsel, TPAs, brokers and underwriters. Chuck was licensed to handle and supervise claims in multiple states during his tenure with ACE.

Attorney Adams is proud to have honorably served in the United States Army, where he worked as a paralegal in the Judge Advocate General’s Office. In that capacity he reviewed Courts-Martial evidence and materials, drafted charges, pleadings and Article 15 documentation, and instructed Commanders on select aspects of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

After obtaining his B.A. in Business from Stockton University, he earned an M.B.A. from Eastern University, a J.D. from the Rutgers University School of Law, and his Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter Designation with Commercial Insurance Concentration from The Institutes in Malvern, Pennsylvania. He is frequently invited to speak on important topics impacting the insurance industry, including risk transfer, construction defect issues, and transportation related matters, including EDR and EOBR technology.

Attorney Adams is a member of the bars of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Georgia. He is also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania and the District of New Jersey.

Chuck is also a member of the CPCU Society, The Coverage, Litigators, Educators & Witnesses Interest Group section of the CPCU Society, DRI – The Voice of the Defense Bar, The Claims & Litigation Management Alliance (CLM), Philadelphia Loss Conference, and the South Jersey Claims Association. He is also a Director of the Philadelphia Chapter of CPCU Society and is a member of the chapter’s Good Works Committee.