Christian T. Higgins

Christian T. Higgins is a member of the firm’s Morgantown office and represents clients in matters involving municipal, regulatory, employment, and commercial law.

Associate Attorney
Vaughan Baio & Partners (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
August 2021 – February 2022

• Advised city officials on a wide range of city business ranging from ethics to land use to taxes and finance.
• Drafted and reviewed city contracts, city council resolutions, and city ordinances.
• Aggressively defended corporations, insurance carriers, public entities, and their officials in all areas of labor and employment, tort claims, civil rights claims, insurance defense, and commercial disputes.
• Advised corporate clients on federal and state regulations related to workplace safety during the pandemic.

Law Clerk
Vaughan Baio & Partners (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
January 2020 – August 2021

• Worked as a part-time Law Clerk for three semesters while attending Duquesne University law school.
• Gained extensive experience analyzing and drafting employment contracts, pleadings, motions, and discovery documents.
• Conducted research and writing on a wide range of legal issues related to commercial disputes and insurance defense.

Infantry Company Executive Officer
US Army
April 2017 – July 2018

• Second in command of 135-personnel organization; assumed command for over one month.
• Planned, synchronized, and made critical decisions for the Company.
• Directed the organization in a fast-paced and high-stress environment with strict deadlines.
• Delivered written and oral briefings to Senior Directors on a weekly basis.

Tank Platoon Leader
US Army
November 2015 – April 2017

• Led 15 personnel independently while deployed to Kuwait.
• Analyzed information and briefed Senior Directors with recommended courses of action.
• Drafted over 50 written briefings to Senior Directors of the organization; rated third of 22 peers.

Operations Officer
US Army
July 2014 – November 2015

• Completed a rigorous five-month Basic Officer Leadership Course and attended premier Army leadership courses.
• Developed leadership skills ranging from public speaking to critical thinking under stress; rated first of seven peers.

Assistant Platoon Leader
West Virginia Army National Guard
October 2011 – June 2014

• Led a 35 personnel organization while studying as a full-time undergraduate student.

• Commercial
  • Labor & Employment
  • Municipal Law
• Employment Law
• Government
  • Municipal Law
  • Utilities Law
• Litigation
  • Commercial
• Regulatory Law

Duquesne University School of Law, Pittsburgh, PA
Juris Doctor, May 2021
Concentration: Corporate governance and transactions
Activities: International law study abroad in Ireland and Northern Ireland, 2019; Summer legal externship in Germany, 2019

West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
Bachelor of Arts, Criminology, May 2014
Honors: Distinguished Military Graduate, US Army ROTC, 2014, Top 20% of Cadets nationwide Activities: Army ROTC, 2011-2014; WV Army National Guard, 2011-2014

“Second Circuit’s ‘Melendez’ Decision and the Reasonableness of Emergency-Related Laws,” NY Law Journal, January 2022