Chris has spent his entire legal career with Heyl Royster beginning in 1984 in the Peoria office. Chris also clerked with the firm through law school in the Peoria and Urbana offices. Chris focuses his practice on toxic tort litigation and the defense of asbestos claims in central and northern Illinois. He has obtained defense verdicts as lead trial counsel in several cases, and has prepared hundreds of wrongful death, personal injury and premises cases for trial throughout the states of Illinois and Iowa in both state and federal courts.

With extensive litigation experience, Chris has been instrumental in leading defense efforts to manage asbestos personal injury litigation throughout the state of Illinois. Those efforts include the establishment of a pleural registry in Cook County, Illinois to remove unimpaired claimants from the court system, and the development of case management protocols and procedures in various jurisdictions to aid in the defense of mass lawsuits.

Chris has been designated one of the "Leading Lawyers" in Illinois and has established an AV Peer Review rating with Martindale-Hubbell. He has also been designated as "The Best Lawyers in America" (2008-2022) and has been named to the Illinois Super Lawyers list (2008-2011).

• Sondag v. Tremco, Incorporated – Plaintiff’s verdict reversed on appeal after 3-week trial in McLean County alleging asbestosis due to asbestos exposure. Appellate court determined defendant was entitled to directed verdict.
  
• Krumwiede v. Tremco, Incorporated – Plaintiff’s verdict reversed on appeal after 3-week trial in McLean County alleging wrongful death from mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure. Appellate court determined defendant was entitled to directed verdict.
• Johnson v. A. P. Green Industries, Inc. Defense verdict after 5-week trial in Peoria County alleging wrongful death due to asbestos exposure
• Costa v. A. P. Green Industries, Inc. Defense verdict after 7-week trial in Peoria County alleging wrongful death due to asbestos exposure
• Numerous asbestos trials begun and resolved via settlement or dismissal during course of trial proceedings.

• Negotiations of mass settlements in asbestos context.

• “An Update on Recent Illinois Toxic Tort Litigation and Legislation,” Illinois Defense Counsel Quarterly Monograph (2020)

• “Hot Topics in Asbestos Litigation Nationwide: Pleural Registries/Deferred Dockets for Non-Malignant Claims and the Use of Memory Experts in Asbestos Cases”
  DRI Asbestos Medicine Seminar 2004

• Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent
• Selected as a Leading Lawyer in Illinois. Only five percent of lawyers in the state are named as Leading Lawyers.
• The Best Lawyers in America (2008-2022): Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions - Defendants
• Illinois Super Lawyers list (2008-2011). The Super Lawyers selection process is based on peer recognition and professional achievement. Only five percent of the lawyers in each state earn this designation.

• Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel
• Defense Research Institute - Toxic Tort Committee
• American Bar Association
• Illinois State Bar Association
• Peoria County Bar Association
• Abraham Lincoln Court 

• State Courts of Illinois
• United States District Court, Central and Northern Districts of Illinois
• United States Court of Appeals, Seventh and Eighth Circuits 

• Board Member & Co-Chair 2011/2012 Campaign for Legal Services at Prairie State Legal Services
• Elder Board Chairman, Bethany Baptist Church, Peoria, Illinois
• Sigma Chi Fraternity - former chapter advisor, state-wide regional director, and current house corporation director at Bradley University, Delta Rho Chapter
• Leader - CBMC in Peoria (Connecting Businessmen to Christ)
• Volunteer - South Side Mission of Peoria, Peoria Rescue Mission
• Former participation - Amateur Musical Club of Peoria, Development Committee of Children's Hospital of Illinois, Youth for Christ leader to Children's Home of Peoria, local community theater involvement