Craig J. Staudenmaier
- Harrisburg
- cstaudenmaier@cohenseglias.com
- 717.480.5307
- Craig successfully represented a Class I railroad in a unanimous decision of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court reaffirming the occupied crossing rule as a complete bar to recovery and finding for the first time Pennsylvania’s blocked crossing statute pre-empted under Federal Rail Safety Act. Krentz v. Consolidated Rail Corp., 910 A.2d 20 (Pa. Supreme Ct.). He also successfully represented a Class I railroad in obtaining judgment as a matter of law at trial in a FELA case affirmed by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, Castro v. Consolidated Rail Corp., 46 F. 3d 1115 (3rd Cir.), and successfully represented a Class I railroad in summary judgment of a trespasser rendered a paraplegic. Barry v. Consolidated Rail Corp., 1999 WL 554598 (E.D. Pa.).
- Craig also litigates Right-to-Know and media law issues. He successfully represented a coalition of 11 print and broadcast media organizations before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court resulting in an order compelling the Public Utility Commission to release an anonymous tip letter and investigation records surrounding favorable restoration of power to the neighborhood of a high-ranking PPL executive after a power outage that resulted in loss of power to over 388,000 PPL customers and a $60,000 fine to PPL. The decision affirmed the public’s right to access PUC records under its own governing statutes independently of the Right-to-Know Law. Pennsylvania Public Utility Com’n. v. Seder/The Times Leader et al., 139 A.2d 165 (Pa. 2016).
- He successfully represented the Patriot-News before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court where the salary information of Penn State employees belonging to the state retirement system was found to be a public record, including that of head football coach, Joe Paterno, Penn State University v. State Employees’ Retirement Board, 935 A.2d 530, and successfully represented the Patriot-News, Associated Press, and WTAE-TV, Pittsburgh, in a decision holding PHEAA Board retreat expenditures were public record and first appellate decision in Pennsylvania to award over $48,000 in counsel fees for willful failure of a state agency to release public records. Parsons, et al. v. PHEAA, 910 A.2d 177 (Commw.).
Craig has built a reputation as an authority on Right-to-Know and Media Law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He is at the forefront of issues and landmark cases stemming from the Commonwealth’s open records and meetings laws. Craig also concentrates his practice in the areas of state and federal litigation. Much of his litigation practice is devoted to representing the railroad industry, as well as assisting both large and small businesses facing litigation issues. He routinely represents clients in all phases of the litigation process, including mediation, arbitration, and appeals.
Craig concentrates his practice in the representation of Class I, regional and shortline railroads in all types of litigation, including employee claims under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA), crossing accidents, trespassers, and property damage. He has represented railroad clients in the trial courts and has successfully argued cases before the Commonwealth, Superior, and Supreme Courts of Pennsylvania, as well as all federal District Courts of Pennsylvania and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.
Craig routinely represents the print and broadcast media, businesses, and private individuals in public records and open meetings access matters and issues involving the subpoena of reporters, privacy, and defamation claims. He served for four years as co-chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Bar/Press Committee. Craig also serves as general counsel to the Pennsylvania Freedom of Information Coalition.
- Dickinson School of Law, J.D.
- Washington & Jefferson College, B.A., summa cum laude
- Pennsylvania
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- U.S. District Court, Middle District of Pennsylvania
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
- Dauphin County Bar Association
- National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel, Member
- Pennsylvania Bar Association
- Pennsylvania Bar Association, Bar/Press Committee, Member and Past Co-Chair
- Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association, Member
- Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association Foundation, Board Member and Chairman, 2020-2022
- William W. Lipsitt American Inn of Court, Founding Master and President, 2013-2015 (litigation focus)