Christopher J. Eckhart
Partner
Admissions

Bar Admissions

  • Indiana
  • California

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court – C.D. California
  • U.S. District Court – E.D. California
  • U.S. District Court – N.D. California
  • U.S. District Court – S.D. California
  • U.S. District Court – N.D. Illinois
  • U.S. District Court – N.D. Indiana
  • U.S. District Court – S.D. Indiana
  • U.S. District Court – E.D. Michigan
  • U.S. District Court – E.D. Wisconsin
  • U.S. Court of Appeals – Third Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals – Fifth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals – Seventh Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals – Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals – Tenth Circuit
Memberships
  • Indianapolis Bar Association
Profile

Christopher Eckhart counsels clients on an array of regulatory compliance and transportation-related issues. Eckhart advises motor carriers and other transportation intermediary clients regarding DOT regulatory compliance and general business and operational strategies. His experience includes:

  • Conducting on-site and remote DOT due diligence audits
  • Drafting Corrective Action Plans (CAP) for safety rating upgrade requests and responses to DOT safety audits
  • Drafting and reviewing transportation-related contracts, employment/driver manuals, and company policies to address DOT compliance

Eckhart is also one of the Firm’s lead partners in Class Action Defense and Complex Litigation. He has defended motor carriers and other transportation clients in jurisdictions across the United States.

His practice is primarily devoted to defending clients in FLSA collective actions, state wage and hour class actions, and class actions alleging violations of the Federal Leasing Regulations. Licensed in California, Eckhart regularly defends clients in California wage and hour class actions, including cases alleging independent contractor misclassification.

Eckhart also counsels clients on compliance with federal and state wage and hour laws, including compliance with the California Labor Code and Wage Order No. 9. This counsel includes:

  • Reviewing policies related to compensation, wage statements, and expense reimbursements
  • Compliance with the FLSA’s minimum wage and overtime requirements, including conducting audits to assess the applicability of the motor carrier overtime exemption to the client’s operations

He frequently speaks at transportation-related seminars and webinars on topics related to class and collective actions and wage and hour compliance.

Before joining the Firm, Eckhart served as a law clerk for District Judge Larry J. McKinney in the U.S. District Court in Indianapolis. While in law school, he served as Editor for the Indiana Law Review. Eckhart was also a Moot Court participant, a tutor of Civil Procedure and Criminal Law for the Dean’s Tutorial Society, and a judicial intern in Indianapolis.

Education
  • Purdue University, B.S.
    • with distinction
  • Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, J.D.
    • summa cum laude
News & Publications
Presentations
Admissions

Bar Admissions

  • Indiana
  • California

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court – C.D. California
  • U.S. District Court – E.D. California
  • U.S. District Court – N.D. California
  • U.S. District Court – S.D. California
  • U.S. District Court – N.D. Illinois
  • U.S. District Court – N.D. Indiana
  • U.S. District Court – S.D. Indiana
  • U.S. District Court – E.D. Michigan
  • U.S. District Court – E.D. Wisconsin
  • U.S. Court of Appeals – Third Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals – Fifth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals – Seventh Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals – Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals – Tenth Circuit
Memberships
  • Indianapolis Bar Association
Admissions

Bar Admissions

  • Indiana
  • California

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court – C.D. California
  • U.S. District Court – E.D. California
  • U.S. District Court – N.D. California
  • U.S. District Court – S.D. California
  • U.S. District Court – N.D. Illinois
  • U.S. District Court – N.D. Indiana
  • U.S. District Court – S.D. Indiana
  • U.S. District Court – E.D. Michigan
  • U.S. District Court – E.D. Wisconsin
  • U.S. Court of Appeals – Third Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals – Fifth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals – Seventh Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals – Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals – Tenth Circuit
Memberships
  • Indianapolis Bar Association
Attorney Profile

Christopher Eckhart counsels clients on an array of regulatory compliance and transportation-related issues. Eckhart advises motor carriers and other transportation intermediary clients regarding DOT regulatory compliance and general business and operational strategies. His experience includes:

  • Conducting on-site and remote DOT due diligence audits
  • Drafting Corrective Action Plans (CAP) for safety rating upgrade requests and responses to DOT safety audits
  • Drafting and reviewing transportation-related contracts, employment/driver manuals, and company policies to address DOT compliance

Eckhart is also one of the Firm’s lead partners in Class Action Defense and Complex Litigation. He has defended motor carriers and other transportation clients in jurisdictions across the United States.

His practice is primarily devoted to defending clients in FLSA collective actions, state wage and hour class actions, and class actions alleging violations of the Federal Leasing Regulations. Licensed in California, Eckhart regularly defends clients in California wage and hour class actions, including cases alleging independent contractor misclassification.

Eckhart also counsels clients on compliance with federal and state wage and hour laws, including compliance with the California Labor Code and Wage Order No. 9. This counsel includes:

  • Reviewing policies related to compensation, wage statements, and expense reimbursements
  • Compliance with the FLSA’s minimum wage and overtime requirements, including conducting audits to assess the applicability of the motor carrier overtime exemption to the client’s operations

He frequently speaks at transportation-related seminars and webinars on topics related to class and collective actions and wage and hour compliance.

Before joining the Firm, Eckhart served as a law clerk for District Judge Larry J. McKinney in the U.S. District Court in Indianapolis. While in law school, he served as Editor for the Indiana Law Review. Eckhart was also a Moot Court participant, a tutor of Civil Procedure and Criminal Law for the Dean’s Tutorial Society, and a judicial intern in Indianapolis.

Accolades
Attorney Education
  • Purdue University, B.S.
    • with distinction
  • Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, J.D.
    • summa cum laude
Publications
Presentations