education

Florida State University College of Law (J.D., 2002), with honors
Florida State University (B.A., 1999)

related practices

related industries

Health Care Industry

clerkships

Justice Charles T. Wells, Florida Supreme Court

bar admissions

Florida

court admissions

Florida State Courts
U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida
U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit

Christine Davis Graves

Shareholder

Tallahassee

T: 850.513.3606

F: 850.222.0398

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Christine Graves handles all aspects of appellate litigation in state and federal court. She has been involved with over 20 docketed appeals in the Florida Supreme Court and over 50 docketed appeals in the First District Court of Appeal, in addition to her involvement in numerous appeals in the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the remaining district courts of appeal in Florida.

Ms. Graves also provides legal assistance at trial and has served as appellate counsel at over 15 trials. Her work includes providing litigation support, including general trial strategy, drafting and arguing complex pre-trial motions, case dispositive motions, jury instructions, and post-trial motions. Her areas of concentration include litigation concerning constitutional issues, complex commercial litigation, health care, insurance coverage, products liability, administrative litigation, medical malpractice, insurance defense, and workers' compensation.

Ms. Graves is board certified in Appellate Law by The Florida Bar. In 2010 and 2011, she was listed in Florida Trend's Florida Legal Elite as an "Up and Comer" and selected as a "Rising Star" by Florida Super Lawyers.

Prior to joining the Firm, she served as law clerk to the Honorable Charles T. Wells of the Supreme Court of Florida.

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Representative Matters
- Arbor Properties, Inc. v. Lake Jackson Protection Alliance, Inc., No. 1D09-5211, 2010 WL 4967715 (Fla. 1st DCA Dec. 8, 2010). Land use, development.
- Department of Revenue v. GameStop, Inc., 48 So. 3d 839 (Fla. 1st DCA 2010). Administrative rule challenge.
- Presidents' Council of SD, Inc. v. Walton County, No. 1D09-3667, 2010 WL 1793878 (Fla. 1st DCA May 6, 2010). Land use, development.
- Council for Secular Humanism, Inc. v. McNeil, No. 1D08-4713, 2010 WL 1658788 (Fla. 1st DCA Apr. 27, 2010). Application and interpretation of the no aid provision of Fla. Const.
- Fla. Power & Light Co. v. Fla. Public Serv. Comm'n, 31 So. 3d 860 (Fla. 1st DCA 2010). Public utility rate proceeding; discovery.
- Daniel Griffith Logging, Inc. v. Orix Financial Services, 28 So. 3d 48 (Fla. 1st DCA 2010) (PCA). Jurisdiction over foreign judgments.
- Harper Mechanical, LLC v. Hunt Construction Co., 23 So. 3d 772 (Fla. 5th DCA 2009). Construction dispute.
- Villa Capri Assoc., Ltd. v. Fla. Housing Finance Corp., 23 So. 3d 795 (Fla. 1st DCA 2009). Construction of Administrative Procedures Act.
- Omni Healthcare, Inc. v. Health First Health Plans, Inc., 22 So. 3d 92 (Fla. 5th DCA 2009) (PCA). Temporary injunction.
- Henry & Rilla White Youth Foundation, Inc. v. Dep't of Juvenile Justice, 14 So. 3d 1007 (Fla. 1st DCA 2009) (PCA). Procurement.
- State ex. rel Kopczynski v. Corrections Corp. of America et al., 12 So. 3d 756 (Fla. 1st DCA 2009) (PCA). Qui tam litigation.
- Corea v. MIA Cargo/CFS, 12 So. 3d 222 (Fla. 1st DCA 2009) (PCA). Workers' compensation.
- Prevost v. Villa & Son Landscaping Corp., 3 So. 3d 322 (Fla. 1st DCA 2009). Workers’ compensation.
- Houck v. Tarragon Mgmt., 4 So. 3d 73 (Fla. 1st DCA 2009). Workers’ compensation.
- Creative Choice XXV, Ltd. v. Florida Housing Finance Corp., 2008 WL 2755165 (Fla. 1st DCA July 17, 2008). Appeal from administrative order denying funding for affordable housing project.
- Wuesthoff Memorial Hosp., Inc. v. Agency for Health Care Admin., 977 So. 2d 592 (Fla. 5th DCA 2008). Certificate of Need.
- U.S. Agri-Chemicals Corp. v. Camacho, 975 So. 2d 1219 (Fla. 1st DCA 2008). Worker’s compensation.
- McCalister v. School Bd. of Bay County, 971 So. 2d 1020 (Fla. 1st DCA 2008). Distinctions between the rights and obligations of district school boards and school superintendents.
- LifeSouth Community Blood Centers, Inc. v. Fitchner, 970 So. 2d 379 (Fla. 1st DCA 2007). Medical negligence, blood bank donor screening, presuit notice under Florida Medical Malpractice Act.
- McWane, Inc. v. Water Management Services, Inc., 967 So. 2d 1006 (Fla. 1st DCA 2007). Construction of forum selection clause in construction contract.
- Marion County v. Kirk, 965 So. 2d 330 (Fla. 5th DCA 2007). Notice requirements of county land development code.
- Bakerman v. The Bombay Co., Inc., 961 So. 2d 259 (Fla. 2007). Applicability of intentional tort exception to Worker’s Compensation Act.
- Hinote v. Ford Motor Co., 958 So. 2d 1009 (Fla. 1st DCA 2007). Test for finality of order to determine right to appeal.
- Miami-Dade School Board et al. v. King, as President of Fla. Senate et al., 940 So. 2d 593 (Fla. 1st DCA 2006). Challenge to school funding for state-wide system of public schools.
- Mueck v. Macklin, 194 Fed.Appx. 712 (11th Cir. 2006). Copyright Infringement.
- Worrall v. Werneck, et al., 918 So. 2d 383 (Fla. 5th DCA 2006). Improper evidence and prejudicial error in wrongful death case.
Pro Bono
- Kelley v. State, 974 So. 2d 1047 (Fla. 2007). Postconviction DNA testing.
- Bush v. State, 945 So. 2d 1207 (Fla. 2006). Appropriate venue for action challenging sentence-reducing credits.
- State v. Richardson, 915 So. 2d 86 (Fla. 2005). Interpretation of "habitual offender" sentencing statute.
- Van Loan v. Downey, 915 So. 2d 203 (Fla. 1st DCA 2005). Copyright Infringement Action.

Publications

02.16.2011	Client Alert: Court Rules that Documents Ordered Produced Under “Patient’s Right to Know” Amendment (“Amendment 7”) are not Admissible at Trial (2011).
07.22.2010	Client Alert: New Amendment 7 Case (July 22, 2010).
12.01.2008	“Using Technology to Help Win the Trial and Appeal,” American Bar Association Business Torts Journal (Winter 2008).
more

Speaking Engagements
- Chaired and moderated the Basic Appellate Practice CLE sponsored by The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division 2006, 2007, and 2008
- Speaker, Practicing Before the Florida Supreme Court seminar, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010
- Co-chair, Statewide Summit, Funding Justice: The Campaign for Florida Courts, Miami, January 2009
- Speaker on behalf of Florida Bar Young Lawyers’ Division, Swearing in Ceremony of New Lawyers, Florida Supreme Court, Spring 2009
- Chair and Moderator, Practicing With Professionalism Seminar, Tallahassee, 2007 and 2008
Professional Recognition
- Phi Delta Phi
  Honorary International Legal Fraternity
- Selected by Florida Super Lawyers as a 2010-2011 Florida Rising Star
- Listed as an “Up-and-Comer” in Florida Trend’s 2010-2011 Florida Legal Elite
Professional and Civic Activities
- The Florida Bar
  Board of Governors, Young Lawyers Division, Second Circuit
  Elected Representative
  Appellate Practice Section, Young Lawyer Liaison
  Administrative Law Section, Young Lawyer Liaison
- First District Court of Appeal Inn of Court
- William H. Stafford Inn of Court
- Tallahassee Bar Association
  Board of Directors, Young Lawyers Section (2007-2009)
- American Bar Association
- Tallahassee Museum of Natural History, Board of Directors
Background
- Law Clerk to The Honorable Charles T. Wells, Florida Supreme Court (2002-2004)

News

07.14.2011	Two Carlton Fields Attorneys Achieve Board Certification in Appellate Practice Bringing Total to 11 – The Most of Any Law Firm
03.18.2010	Carlton Fields Wins Defense Verdict for Ford Motor Company