Christopher M. Kise

Christopher M. Kise is an AV®-rated litigation partner concentrating his practice in the areas of major trials and appeals involving complex corporate, environmental and white collar defense issues. Chris has argued successfully four cases before the United States Supreme Court and filed briefs in more than a dozen cases before the high court. He has also handled and been involved in dozens of cases before the Florida Supreme Court, and in state and federal appellate courts across the country. His trial and appellate litigation practice extends throughout the United States, representing individuals, private and public corporations and government entities. In addition to his substantial private sector experience, Chris served as Florida’s solicitor general (the state’s top litigator), as counsellor to Florida Governor Charlie Crist, as general counsel to Florida Governor Rick Scott’s Transition Team, and as counsellor to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ Transition Team

Chris serves as co-chair of the firm’s Appellate Practice and is a member of the Business Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Government Enforcement Defense & Investigations Practices. He is also a member of the Energy Industry Team.

Affiliations

Chris held the Richard Ervin Eminent Scholar Chair at the Florida State University College of Law from 2003-2006, teaching courses in Appellate Advocacy and White Collar Criminal Practice.

Recognition

In recognition of his experience, Chris has been peer review rated as AV Preeminent®, the highest performance rating in the Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ system. He has also been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© in the field of Appellate Practice since 2013.

Education

Chris is a 1990, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif graduate of the Florida State University College of Law, where he served as managing editor and articles editor of the Law Review. He received his undergraduate business degree in accounting from the University of Miami in 1986.

Representative Cases

• Oil States Energy Services LLC v. Greene’s Energy Group LLC, 138 S.Ct. 1365 (2018) (argued as counsel of record)
• Lawrence v. Florida, 127 S.Ct. 1079 (2007) (argued as counsel of record)
• Day v. McDonough, 126 S.Ct. 1675 (2006) (argued as counsel of record)
• Gonzalez v. Crosby, 125 S.Ct. 2641 (2005) (argued as counsel of record)
• Florida v. Georgia, Original No. 142 (2021)
• Sargeant v. Hall, 951 F.3d 1280 (11th Cir. 2020)
• In re MDL-1824 Tri-State Water Rights Litig., 644 F.3d 1160 (11th Cir. 2011)
• Virgin Islands Housing Authority v. Coastal General Constr. Services Corp., 27 F.3d 911 (3d Cir. 1994)
• Otto Candies, LLC v. KPMG LLP, No. 338, 2020 (Del. 2021)
  
• Florida House of Representatives v. Crist, 999 So.2d 601 (2008)
• Crist, et al v. Holmes, 919 So.2d 392 (Fla. 2006)
• American Home Assurance Co. v. National R.R. Passenger Corp., 908 So.2d 459 (Fla. 2005)
• State v. Espindola, 894 So.2d 924 (Fla. 2005)
• AFL v. Hood, 885 So.2d 373 (Fla. 2004)
• Florida Dept. of Children & Families v. Sun Sentinel, Inc., 865 So.2d 1278 (Fla. 2004)
• State v. City of Clearwater, 863 So.2d 149 (Fla. 2003)
• Sargeant v. Al-Saleh, 137 So.3d 432 (Fla. 4th DCA 2014), rehearing den., (May 5, 2014), rev. den., 157 So.3d 1040 (Fla. 2014)
• Sargeant v. Al-Saleh, 120 So.3d 86 (Fla. 4th DCA 2013), rev. den., 143 So.3d 921 (Fla. 2014)
• Florida v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 357 F.Supp.2d 1313 (N.D.Ala. 2005)
• State v. Tenet Healthcare Corporation, 420 F.Supp.2d 1288 (S.D.Fla. 2005)
• In re: Paramount Payphones, Inc., 256 B.R. 341 (Bnkr. M.D.Fla. 2000)
• Arnold D. Palmer v. WDI Systems, Inc., 588 So.2d 1087 (Fla. 5th DCA 1991)

Admissions

• U.S. Supreme Court
• Florida Supreme Court
• Florida State Bar
• U.S. Court of Appeals 3rd, 9th and 11th Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals District of Columbia
• Southern, Middle and Northern District Court of Florida