Charles A. Fitzpatrick IV

Biography

Charles Fitzpatrick is a member of Blank Rome’s Commercial Litigation practice group. He represents clients in a wide variety of commercial and corporate litigation contexts, including:

  • Business and contract disputes
  • Investigations by state attorneys general and other government regulators
  • Class actions
  • Zoning and land use disputes
  • Products liability defense
  • Toxic tort litigation
  • Requests for information under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law (“RTKL”)

Charles regularly represents businesses, government bodies, and individuals in federal and state courts, arbitrations, before administrative agencies, and in mediations. He has taken cases to trial and negotiated complex settlements.

Charles was selected as one The Legal Intelligencer’s 2016 “Lawyers on the Fast Track,” a recognition given to only 35 lawyers under the age of 40 throughout Pennsylvania who have influenced the legal industry through their development of the law, commitment to the community, and service to the bar. 

Charles was also named as a “Pennsylvania Rising Star” in Business Litigation by Super Lawyers in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020.

In addition to his litigation practice, Charles is a member of Blank Rome’s Recruiting and Retention Committee

Before he began his career as an attorney, Charles worked for U.S. Senator Arlen Specter. He was Senator Specter’s Deputy Political Director during the Senator’s successful 2004 primary and general election campaigns and then served as a Legislative Aide in the Senator’s Washington, D.C. office, where his portfolio included defense, foreign affairs, veterans’ affairs, and international trade matters.

Outside the Firm

Charles is a Philadelphia native and a graduate of St. Joseph’s Prep. He is an avid Philadelphia sports fan and enjoys spending time with his wife and four young children.

Experience

  • Won a six million dollar judgment in favor of a client in the gaming industry based on a breach of contract by the client's former partner.
  • Represented several Energy Service Companies (“ESCOs”) in class action lawsuits and investigations by state attorneys general and other government agencies.
  • Represented the co-founder of a nationally known manufacturer of haircare products in a complex dispute involving an attempt to force a sale of the company pursuant to a “drag-along” provision in the company’s shareholder agreement.
  • Defeated a request for preliminary injunction in Pennsylvania state court that would have prevented Charles’ client, a high-profile real estate developer, from moving forward with construction of a $180 million high-rise residential condominium project.
  • Achieved a complete defense verdict following a jury trial in federal district court for a leading natural gas and oilfield services company in a toxic tort lawsuit in which the plaintiff claimed injuries and the need for medical monitoring as a result of exposure to chemicals used for extracting natural gas from the ground using hydraulic fracturing.
  • Represented client in a Daubert motion in the disqualification of a plaintiff’s toxicologist in a case alleging personal injuries as a result of alleged exposure to hydraulic fracturing chemicals.
  • Represented the owner of dozens of nursing homes and a captive institutional pharmacy in a lawsuit brought in federal district court alleging that the owner violated the federal Anti-Kickback Statute (“AKS”).
  • Successfully defeated a $70 million breach of contract claim and won a counter-claim on behalf of a building supply company in New York state court.
  • Achieved summary judgment in Pennsylvania state court on behalf of a lending institution accused of violation of consumer protection statutes, fraud, and breach of fiduciary duty.
  • Successfully defended business entrepreneur in appeal of Philadelphia Zoning Board Adjustment decision allowing entrepreneur to renovate and restore unused commercial space.

Recognitions

  • 2016–2020, Pennsylvania “Rising Star” in Business Litigation, listed in Super Lawyers®
  • 2016, “Lawyers on the Fast Track,” listed in The Legal Intelligencer

Affiliations

Professional Activities

Charles is active in Pennsylvania politics and his Philadelphia community.

Charles is a member of the board of trustees of the Hope Partnership for Education, a middle school and adult education center that serves children, families, and adults in North Philadelphia who live below the poverty line.

Charles is also an enthusiastic participant in Blank Rome’s pro bono programs. He was named to the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania Pro Bono Roll of Honor in 2011, 2015, 2016, and 2017.

Credentials

Admissions

  • Pennsylvania
  • New Jersey
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
  • U.S. District Court - Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court - New Jersey
  • U.S. District Court - Middle District of Pennsylvania

Education

  • University of Pittsburgh, BA, summa cum laude
  • Temple University Beasley School of Law, JD