John F. Lewis
Partner

(215) 299-4386 (phone)
(215) 299-4301 (fax)

Philadelphia, PA Office

JOHN F. LEWIS is a partner in the Philadelphia office of Swartz Campbell and is actively engaged in litigation, primarily in the defense of Property and Casualty Insurance Companies. He is admitted to the bar in Pennsylvania, the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern District as well as the Middle District of Pennsylvania, and to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.

Mr. Lewis received his B.S. from Temple University and his J.D. from Temple University School of Law. He then became staff counsel and ultimately managing attorney for Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company’s Philadelphia office. In this capacity, he litigated cases in the State and Federal Courts and was responsible for the supervision of a staff of trial attorneys.

In 1980, Mr. Lewis joined the firm of Bennett, Bricklin & Saltzburg, where he was elected partner in 1987, and became managing partner for the firm’s growing suburban office. In this position, he successfully defended both insurers and clients in a wide variety of cases including products liability, premises liability, automobile negligence and insurance coverage cases.

His practice has included the defense of catastrophic injury and brain injury cases, one of which resulted in a defense verdict in a jury trial in Delaware County. In a products liability action involving a significant injury, Mr. Lewis was successful in securing the dismissal, prior to trial of a self-insured manufacturer of a vacuum hoist at an automobile assembly plant. He also successfully defended the manufacturer of a trash recycling compactor, in a case involving a devastating hand injury, again securing dismissal prior to trial. He has tried a wide variety of premises liability actions, defending supermarkets, shopping centers and property owners, and has tried numerous automobile negligence cases, Uninsured Motorist and Underinsured Motorist Claims.

In 2004, Mr. Lewis joined Swartz Campbell as a partner. Here he has continued to defend property and casualty insurance companies and their insureds in both State and Federal Courts. His practice has included the defense of bad faith and extra-contractual claims, personal injury claims arising from construction site accidents, as well as litigating insurance coverage cases and providing legal opinions for commercial and personal insurers in coverage disputes.

In addition to his busy practice, John is a member of the Defense Research Institute, the Pennsylvania Defense Institute and the Pennsylvania Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, where he has presented at their Claims Conferences on insurance coverage, liability claims and related subjects. He has been invited to present to Liberty Mutual’s claims office on Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist claims and defense of automobile and premises liability claims.

John lives in Wayne and his interests include skiing, travel and involvement with his children’s scholastic and sporting activities.

Areas of Practice

Civil Litigation
Premises Liability
Auto Liability
Insurance Coverage
Bad Faith
Products Liability

Bar Admissions

1977 Pennsylvania

Court Admissions

U.S. Court of Appeals - Third Circuit
U. S. District Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania
U. S. District Court Middle District of Pennsylvania

Education

1977
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
J.D.

1973
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
B.S.

Affiliations

Montgomery County Bar Association
Philadelphia Bar Association
Pennsylvania Bar Association
Defense Research Institute
Pennsylvania Association of Mutual Insurance Companies

Representative Clients

Nationwide Insurance Company
State Farm Insurance Company
Erie Insurance Co.
Harleysville Insurance Co.
Liberty Mutual Insurance Company
Geico

Representative Matters

Moustakidis v. Nationwide Ins. Co., Pa. Superior Court

Carbo v. Naidu, Pa. Superior Court