Christopher J. Merken is a litigation associate in Dechert’s Trials, Investigations, and Securities group. He focuses his practice on business disputes, complex commercial litigation, class actions, and appellate matters.

Before joining Dechert, Mr. Merken clerked for the Honorable Jane R. Roth of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the Honorable Madeline H. Haikala of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. He also externed for the Honorable Mark A. Kearney of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Mr. Merken was a Dechert summer associate in 2019.

Mr. Merken maintains an active and varied pro bono practice. He has served in partnership with the ACLU, the ACLU of Georgia, the ACLU of Pennsylvania, the Education Law Center, the Juvenile Law Center, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the National Veterans Legal Services Program, Philadelphia VIP, and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Mr. Merken frequently writes on issues related to federal practice and serves as a contributor to the Pennsylvania Bar Association Federal Practice Committee’s quarterly newsletter. Mr. Merken was an adjunct professor at Delaware Law School and often judges moot court and mock trial competitions. He also mentors undergraduates, law students, and recent law school graduates as they prepare to enter the legal profession.

    • Incentivize Law Students’ Pro Bono Service: Explain the Practice Benefits – At Issue (2020)
    • Recognizing Hozanna-Tabor’s Limited Scope and Inapplicability to Clergy Sex Abuse Litigation – Arkansas Law Notes (2020)
    • A Tight Labor Market: Could Reentering Citizens Fill the Gap? – Houston Law Review – Off the Record (2020)
    • Protecting Aging Inmates from Discrimination: An Approach to Rehabilitative Dignity – Denver Law Review Forum (2019)
    • Not Just Going Private: In re MFW Shareholder Litigation’s Evolution and Expansion Should Result in a Uniform Standard of Review in all Conflicted Controller Transactions – Western State Law Review (2019)
    • A Not So Sweet Ending: Masterpiece Cakeshop and the Battle for Freedom of Expression – Columbia University Global Freedom of Expression (2018)
    • Every Move You Make: SCOTUS Says Warrant Needed for Cell-Site Location Data – Business Law Today (2018)
    • American Bar Association
      • Section on Litigation
      • Law Practice Division
      • Young Lawyers Division
    • Pennsylvania Bar Association
      • Appellate Advocacy Committee
      • Civil Litigation Section
      • Civility in the Profession Committee
      • Federal Practice Committee
        • Newsletter Subcommittee
      • Large Law Firm Committee
      • Legal Services to the Public Committee
      • Young Lawyers Division
    • Villanova Law J. Willard O’Brien American Inn of Court - Associate
    • University of Delaware HenLaw Alumni Society - Vice President and Member, Board of Directors
    • The Legal Mentor Network - Philadelphia Regional Chair
    • American Mensa
    • United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Honorable Jane R. Roth
    • United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, Honorable Madeline H. Haikala