Charles Becker

Charles "Chip" Becker has primary responsibility for Kline & Specter's post-trial and appellate practice. He works with firm lawyers on procedural and substantive issues as they arise during cases and supports the full range of cases that the firm handles, including cases arising from medical malpractice, defective products, including drugs and devices, environmental and toxic torts, vehicle crashes, dangerous workplaces, sexual abuse, human trafficking, and civil rights violations. A partner at Kline & Specter, Becker routinely presents argument in Pennsylvania's trial and appellate courts. He has presented argument in other state appellate courts and multiple federal circuit courts as well. In addition to his work at Kline & Specter, Becker serves as a judge on the Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline, which exercises jurisdiction over charges of judicial misconduct when filed against Pennsylvania judges. He co-chairs the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's Historical Commission, which promotes the Supreme Court's history dating back to William Penn's provincial courts founded in 1684 and encourages civics education in Pennsylvania's schools. He vice-chairs the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's Commission on Judicial Independence, which supports public understanding of the judiciary and the importance of judicial independence as a necessary dimension of the rule of law and the American constitutional system. He has received some of the highest honors a practitioner can be awarded. Along with John Hare of Marshall Dennehy, Becker was named Pennsylvania Attorney of the Year by the Legal Intelligencer in June 2026. Becker and Hare were recognized not only for facing off against each other in appellate cases involving more than $3.5 billion in verdicts and judgments, but also for working closely together to promote judicial independence and greater awareness of Pennsylvania's courts. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law, where he teaches state constitutional law and previously taught appellate practice. He is also a fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, a national invitation-only organization that promotes excellence in the appellate courts. He has authored book chapters on substantive and procedural matters and contributes to legal education programs. He served three terms on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's Appellate Courts Procedural Rules Committee, which makes recommendations to the Supreme Court on Pennsylvania's appellate rules. Becker is a member of the American Law Institute, a board member of the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association, a past president of the Third Circuit Bar Association, and a past president of Germantown Jewish Centre. A graduate of Williams College and Yale Law School, Becker served as a law clerk for Judge Sandra Lynch of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. In recognition of his efforts, Becker has been consistently selected by Super Lawyers as among the Top 100 attorneys in Pennsylvania. He also has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America, Chambers and Partners, and Forbes for excellence in appellate practice.