Christian D. Ambler

(Shareholder)

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Christian D. Ambler is the Managing Partner at Stone & Johnson. He was admitted to the Illinois Bar and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in 1995. He graduated that same year from DePaul University College of Law, where he served on the DePaul Law Review, as the Managing Editor of Lead Articles. Following law school, Mr. Ambler served two years as law clerk to the Honorable Robert C. Buckley on the Illinois Appellate Court.

Mr. Ambler has been with Stone & Johnson since its founding. His practice focuses on the analysis and litigation of complex construction accident and defect cases, insurance coverage claims, products liability suits, and professional liability disputes. Mr. Ambler represents some of the nation’s largest construction companies and insurers throughout Illinois and Indiana, and he has appeared on their behalf in state and federal courts in Wisconsin, Alabama, Missouri and Kansas.

In over 20 years of practice, Mr. Ambler’s trial experience ranges from simple accidents to complex toxic tort and construction defect cases. He also constantly searches for pathways to case resolution short of trial. Representative recent outcomes include:

  • LePretre v. Lend Lease (US) Construction, Inc., 2017 IL App. (1st) 162320, 82 N.E.3d 174.  First District Appellate Court upheld summary judgment in favor of a general contractor in an opinion placing significant restraints on a plaintiff’s right to recover for a construction site injury under the retained control doctrine.
  • Summary judgment in favor of another general contractor where evidence through discovery could not support contention that general contractor created or knew of alleged dangerous condition.
  • Jury verdict in St. Joseph County, Indiana where the plaintiffs’ house was constructed with the furnace and the fireplace venting into the attic and the chimney chase, rather than outside the house. The plaintiffs claimed their exposure to mold and carbon monoxide caused permanent personal injuries, psychological damage and economic loss. Liability could not be disputed, and the case was tried on damages. After a 7-day trial, the jury’s verdict was just 3% of the plaintiffs’ initial demand and less than 10% of their final demand.
  • Summary judgment in an environmental insurance coverage case involving more than $10 million in defense and remediation costs.
  • Summary judgment in an $8 million advertising injury insurance coverage dispute.
  • Summary judgment in a fatal products liability toxic tort case.
  • Summary judgment in a professional liability case involving a $3 million underlying award.

Mr. Ambler also recognizes that if the facts and the law do not support a dispositive motion or favorable verdict, his clients’ best interests are often best served by efficient evaluation and settlement of the case.

In addition to his litigation experience, Mr. Ambler has delivered Continuing Legal Education programs and seminars in areas of contractual risk transfer, long-tail insurance coverage and professional liability. He is a member of the Defense Research Institute, the Chicago Bar Association and the Armadillo Club.