Rex F. Brien

Shareholder

Rex Brien has been with the firm since its inception in 1992 and has served as national and trial counsel for numerous insurance company clients of the firm. He has litigated, through trial, some of the most notable environmental and products liability coverage actions in the country. Mr. Brien also handles complex insurance bad faith litigation, and recently won the pretrial dismissal of one of the largest bad faith claims in Pennsylvania (in excess of $60 million in underlying damages). In his professional liability defense practice, Mr. Brien litigates complex legal malpractice claims, recently achieving the first Pennsylvania appellate court rejection of the “continuous representation” rule. Mr. Brien also has broad experience in litigating construction defect and accident claims, both in the direct defense of insureds and in the representation of insurers in coverage disputes.

Admitted to Practice:

  • Pennsylvania
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit


Practice Areas:

Representative Cases:
  • Estate of Colin Fitzpatrick v. Universal Technical Institute, Inc., 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 71426 (E.D. Pa. August 13, 2009)
  • Power Gourmet Concepts, Inc. v. Grimes, 2009 Extra LEXIS 1 (Pa. Super. January 9, 2009)
  • Wachovia Bank, N.A. v. Ferretti, 935 A.2d 565 (Pa. Super. 2007)
  • Glenbrook Leasing Co. v. Beausang, 839 A.2d 437 (Pa. Super. 2003), affirmed, 881 A.2d 1266 (Pa. 2005)
  • T.A. v. Allen, 868 A.2d 594 (Pa. Super. 2005), alloc. denied, 931A.2d 565 (PA. Super. 2007)
  • Schmidt v. Deutsch Larrimore, Farnish & Anderson, LLP, 876 A.2d 1044 (Pa. Super. 2005), alloc. denied, 889 A.2d 89 (Pa. 2005)
  • Brown & Root Braun, Inc. v. Bogan, Inc., 2002 U.S. App. LEXIS 27347 (3d Cir. 2002)
  • Robert Cato & Associates, Inc. v. Pa. Nat’l Mutual Cas. Ins. Co., 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 26810 (E.D. Pa. 2003)


Professional and Community Organizations:
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association, Professional Liability Committee
  • Defense Research Institute, Insurance Law Committee, Regional Editor
  • Clean Air Council, former Board Member
  • Schuylkill River Greenways Association, former Board Member

 

 



Rex F. Brien

Tel: 215-587-1609
Fax: 215-587-1699
Email: RFBrien@cpmy.com
Vcard: Download

Education:
J.D., 1984, Vermont Law School

M., 1980, Regional Environmental Planning, University of Pennsylvania

B.S., 1977, Architecture, Pennsylvania State University