Natalie C. Schaefer
Member | Owner | 
nschaefer@shumanlaw.com304-345-1400
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Attorney Bio
BIOGRAPHY
Natalie C. Schaefer focuses her diverse practice on high-stakes litigation involving catastrophic loss in various industries including construction, general litigation, professional liability, product manufacturing, retail and hospitality, and trucking. Ms. Schaefer defends professionals, employers, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, construction, engineering, and architectural companies, mining companies, and commercial trucking companies in (1) pre-suit investigations; (2) all phases of litigation from the initial pre-suit investigation through trial and appeal; (3) mediation/arbitration/ADR; and (4) preventive risk management consultation. In addition, Ms. Schaefer also defends product liability cases such as benzene and other mass tort cases.
An Order of the Coif and Order of Barristers graduate of the West Virginia College of Law, she was the 2002 Lugar Trial Association Invitational Competition winner and also served as Executive Board Member for the West Virginia University Law Review.
She is the recipient of the peer-reviewed honor “Super Lawyer Rising Star” for eight consecutive years. She obtained her AV Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, evidencing her dedication to the preeminent practice of law and high ethical standards. She was also selected as a Best Lawyer® in 2019. Ms. Schaefer is actively involved with the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM), the largest professional association in the insurance industry. CLM is a recognized leader in the claims resolution and litigation management industries. She proudly serves as Vice President of the West Virginia Chapter of CLM. In 2018, she attended CLM’s Litigation Management Institute and has been awarded the designation of Certified Litigation Management Professional (CLMP).
Ms. Schaefer is married to Dr. Mark E. Schaefer, Professor, and Chair of the Department of Political Science at Marietta College. They live in Charleston with their two children.
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Education / Admissions
Bar Admissions
U.S. District Court, Southern District of West Virginia
U.S. District Court, Northern District of West Virginia
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit
Supreme Court of the United States
Education
J.D., West Virginia University College of Law
B.A., West Virginia University
- Major: Political Science
- Double Minor: English and Philosophy
- Honors: cum laudeCertifications
Certified Litigation Management Professional (CLMP)
Honors and Accomplishments
Lugar Trial Association Invitational Competition, Winner
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Experience & Involvement
Published Works
“Insurance Coverage Trends in Construction Litigation” in In-House Defense Quarterly (DRI, Defense Research Institute) (2016).
“Construction of Construction Coverage – Poor Workmanship Constitutes an Occurrence” in DRI Newsletter, (DRI, Defense Research Institute) (2016).
“Impeachment With Deposition At Trial” in Gaye Nell Currie, et al., The Deposition Manual, Ch. 12 (2015).
“Deposition of a Police Officer” in Gaye Nell Currie, et al., The Deposition Manual, Ch. 16 (2015).
“Deposition of Truck Driver (CDL)” in Gaye Nell Currie, et al., The Deposition Manual, Ch. 21 (2015).
“The Unusual Suspects: Unlikely Players in the Product Liability Arena,” Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia
“Administrative Preclusion: Litigation Ammunition?”, Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia
“Technology in Litigation,” For the Defense, DRI, September 2012
“Speak Psychology,” For the Defense, DRI, October 2014
“It Goes By So Fast: Achieving Work-Life Balance Through Community Service.” American Bar Association Section of Litigation, Woman Advocate, May 2015.
“Mediation 101 for Newly-Minted Lawyers,” Trials and Tribulations, DRI, Volume 21, Issue 2.
Presentations
“Influential Opening Statements That Make An Impact." NBI, Civil Trial: Everything You Need To Know, February 2020.
“Creative Case Themes: Strategies of Seasoned Litigators." NBI, Civil Trial: Everything You Need To Know, February 2020.
“Litigation in Sound Bites: How to Prepare a Case in the New Millennium." CLM Cyber, Management and Professional Liability Conference, July 2020.
Representative Cases
Cooper v. W. Va. Div. of Corr., 2022 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 190030
Sunshine v. Jividen, 2022 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 146341
Chalifoux v. W. Va. Dep't of Health & Human Res., 2023 W. Va. LEXIS 436
Kerr v. McKay, 2023 U.S. App. LEXIS 26975
Classes/Seminars Taught
Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia, Young Lawyers Trial Academy 2022, Direct and Cross Examination Presentation
Applying the Rules of Evidence: What Every Attorney Needs to Know, NBI 2019
Personal Injury 101, NBI 2018
Applying the Rules of Evidence:
Civil Trial From Start to Finish, NBI 2018
Applying the Rules of Evidence: What Every Attorney Needs to Know, NBI 2014
A Litigation Paralegal’s Guide to Case Management, Institute for Paralegal Education, 2013
Maneuvering Social Media in Litigation, LAPSWV 2013
Handling Government Liability Claims, NBI 2011
Evidence and Expert Testimony Best Practices: Supporting Your Case, NBI 2011
Useful Discovery for Trial,Institute for Paralegal Education, June 2010.
Navigating the Ethics of the Tripartite Relationship, Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia Annual Meeting, June 2009.
Professional Associations and Memberships
Claims and Litigation Management (CLM) Alliance
Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia, Board of Directors
Defense Research Institute
DRI
- Retail and Hospitality Committee
- Construction Law Committee
- Governmental Liability Committee
- Insurance Law Committee
- Trial Tactics Committee
- Women in the Law Committee
- Trucking Law CommitteeWest Virginia Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc.
Honors and Awards
2021 Article of the Year, Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia
PRACTICE AREAS
Appeals
Architect & Engineering Liability
Civil Rights Litigation
Construction Litigation
Energy & Mineral Litigation
Errors & Omissions Litigation
Insurance Coverage & Bad Faith
Mass Tort & Toxic Exposure
Professional Liability
Retail, Restaurant & Hospitality
State, Municipal & Public Utility Litigation