education

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

related practices

related industries

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

cgraves@carltonfields.com

Tallahassee

T: 850.513.3606

F: 850.222.0398

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Christine Graves is an experienced appellate advocate, regularly handling all aspects of appellate litigation in the Florida Supreme Court, all five of Florida’s district courts of appeal, and the Eleventh Circuit Courts of Appeals. Ms. Graves concentrates her practice on constitutional litigation, complex commercial litigation, medical malpractice, personal injury, health care, products liability, and insurance coverage issues. She has represented large corporations, insurance companies, manufacturers, and governmental entities, among others, in all of these areas.

In addition to her traditional appellate work, a large part of Ms. Graves's practice involves providing legal assistance at trial. This work involves extensive involvement as appellate counsel at the trial level, which serves to take the pressure off trial counsel who are dealing with the many intricacies and complex issues involved in preparing for trial. For example, she routinely attends trial and assists with general trial strategy, drafting and arguing complex legal motions both before and during trial, as well as case dispositive motions, jury instructions, and post-trial motions.

Ms. Graves is board certified in Appellate Practice by The Florida Bar. She has been listed in Florida Trend’s Florida Legal Elite as an “Up and Comer” and selected as a “Rising Star” by Florida Super Lawyers every year since 2010.

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

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Representative Experience

Rhea v. District Bd. of Trustees of Santa Fe College, No. 1D11-3049, 2013 WL 950544 (Fla. 1st DCA Mar. 13, 2013).
Citrus Mem’l Health Foundation, Inc. v. Citrus Cnty. Hosp. Bd., No. 1D12-0858, 2013 WL 535769 (Fla. 1st DCA Feb. 14, 2013).
Graham v. Haridopolos, No. SC11-2453, 2013 WL 362773 (Fla. Jan. 31, 2013).
Fitchner v. LifeSouth Cmty. Blood Centers, Inc., 88 So. 3d 269 (Fla. 1st DCA 2012).
Swenson v. Am. Ammunition, 78 So. 3d 736 (Fla. 4th DCA 2012).
McKesson Mediation Mgmt., LLC v. Slavin, 75 So. 3d 798 (Fla. 3d DCA 2011).
Phillips Capital, Inc. v. Crestview, LLC, 492 Fed. App’x 948 (11th Cir. 2012).
Faile v. Estee Lauder Travel Retail Servs., 480 Fed. App’x 951 (11th Cir. 2012).
Fairfield Lakes Apts. v. Wells Fargo Banks, N.A., 61 So. 3d 1116 (Fla. 1st DCA 2011).
President’s Council of SD, Inc. v. Walton County, 36 So. 3d 764 (Fla. 1st DCA 2010).
Council for Secular Humanism, Inc. v. McNeil, 44 So. 3d 112 (Fla. 1st DCA 2010).
Harper Mech., LLC v. Hunt Constr. Group, 23 So. 3d 772 (Fla. 5th DCA 2009).
Houck v. Tarragon Mgmt., 4 So. 3d 73 (Fla. 1st DCA 2009).
Creative Choice XXV, Ltd. v. Fla. Housing Fin. Corp., 991 So. 2d 899 (Fla. 1st DCA 2008).
Wuesthoff Memorial Hosp., Inc. v. Agency for Health Care Admin., 977 So. 2d 592 (Fla. 5th DCA 2008).
McCalister v. School Bd. of Bay County, 971 So. 2d 1020 (Fla. 1st DCA 2008).
LifeSouth Cmty. Blood Centers, Inc. v. Fitchner, 970 So. 2d 379 (Fla. 1st DCA 2007).
Marion Cnty. v. Kirk, 965 So. 2d 330 (Fla. 5th DCA 2007).
Miami-Dade School Board et al. v. King, as President of Fla. Senate et al., 940 So. 2d 593 (Fla. 1st DCA 2006).
Mueck v. Macklin, 194 Fed. App’x 712 (11th Cir. 2006).
Worrall v. Werneck, 918 So. 2d 383 (Fla. 4th DCA 2006).

Representative Amicus Briefs

Bondi v. Tucker, 93 So. 3d 1106 (Fla. 1st DCA 2012).
Atwater v. City of Weston, 64 So. 3d 701 (Fla. 1st DCA 2011).

Pro Bono

Representative Pro Bono Matters

Kelley v. State, 974 So. 2d 1047 (Fla. 2007).
Bush v. State, 945 So. 2d 1207 (Fla. 2006).
State v. Richardson, 915 So. 2d 86 (Fla. 2005).

Publications

06.13.2012	Client Alert: "Florida Supreme Court Declares Hospital Lien Law Unconstitutional Under Florida Constitution's Prohibitions Concerning Special Laws, But Upholds Local Ordinance With Same Effect As Law," (June 13, 2012).
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	Co-Author, “Statutory Construction in Florida: In Search of a Principled Approach” (2008).
12.01.2008	“Using Technology to Help Win the Trial and Appeal,” American Bar Association Business Torts Journal (Winter 2008).
06.01.2008	Co-Author, “Statutory Construction In Florida: In Search Of A Principled Approach,” 9 Florida Coastal Law Review 437 (2008).
02.26.2007	“Striking the Balance to Win: Balancing the Need to Win the Trial with the Need to Preserve the Record on Appeal,” 81 Fla. B.J. 18 (February 2007).
10.01.2005	Co-Author, “Continued Erosion of the Economic Loss Rule in Construction Litigation by and Against Owners,” The Construction Lawyer (Fall 2005).
06.29.2005	Client Alert: Significant Appellate Decision - The Continued Need for a Contemporaneous Objection
01.01.2005	Co-Author, “Continued Erosion of the Economic Loss Rule- Will it Become a Distant Memory in Construction Litigation By and Against Owners?” ABA Forum on Construction Industry (2005).
02.01.2002	“Approaching Reform: The Future of Multijurisdictional Practice in Today’s Legal Profession,” 29 Fla. St. U. L. Rev. 1339 (2002).

Speaking Engagements

Chaired and moderated the Basic Appellate Practice CLE sponsored by The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division (2006-2008)
Speaker, Practicing Before the Florida Supreme Court seminar (2006-2012)
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, 2008)

Professional Recognition

Phi Delta Phi
Honorary International Legal Fraternity
Selected for inclusion in Florida Super Lawyers (Appellate) (2013)
Selected for inclusion in Florida Super Lawyers Rising Stars (2010-2012)
Listed as an “Up-and-Comer” in Florida Trend’s 2010-2012 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