education

Stetson University College of Law (J.D., 2006), summa cum laude
University of Texas (2003)
Stetson University (B.A., 2002), summa cum laude

related practices

related industries

bar admissions

Florida

court admissions

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

Kathryn Harrigan Christian

Associate

Tampa

T: 813.229.4229

F: 813.229.4133

vCard

PDF

Kathryn Christian is experienced in defending complex insurance coverage and bad faith litigation as well as other commercial litigation matters in state and federal courts located primarily in Florida. Her representations include a wide range of insured risks and types of insurance coverage, including particular experience in handling matters involving environmental and pollution liability insurance, title insurance, professional liability insurance, directors and officers insurance, commercial general liability insurance, liquor liability insurance, and fidelity bonds. She has also counseled clients concerning a wide range of antitrust issues, including resale price maintenance and franchising issues.

Ms. Christian has particular experience in defending insurance companies in disputes involving coverage for environmental risks including underground and aboveground storage tank systems, litigating title insurance claims, title agent defalcations, and closing protection letter disputes, and defending consumer class actions.

Expand AllCollapse All

Representative Matters
- Brinker v. Chicago Title Ins. Co., 8:10-cv-01199-JDW-AEP (M.D. Fla. March 30, 2012) (denying class certification because individualized issues of loss causation predominated in closing protection letter suit by condominium buyers who alleged that they would not have purchased units if attorney closing agent had made more or different disclosures).
- McGee v. Commonwealth Land Title Ins. Co., 2012 WL 263000 (M.D. Fla. Jan. 30, 2012) (order dismissing claims by condominium buyers that developer’s alleged failure to make required disclosures, secure administrative approval, and set aside sufficient common elements caused entire condominium regime to fail, creating a covered title defect).
- Brinker v. Chicago Title Ins. Co., 8:10-cv-01199-JDW-AEP (M.D. Fla. Sept. 9, 2011) (granting protective order against discovery of joint defense privileged communications between title insurance underwriter and title agent defending claims under closing protection letters).
- Chicago Title Ins. Co. v. Lerner, No. 10-60329 (S.D. Fla. June 30, 2010) (denying motion to abate in action for breach of personal undertaking against principals of bankrupt developer for failure to remove liens on insured property pending resolution of state court lien cases and holding that, absent the bankruptcy court's extension of the automatic stay to principals, insurer's action may proceed).
- Sugarloaf Lodge Tavern, Inc., et al. v. Commerce and Indus. Ins. Co., No. 08-10087, 2009 WL 1393423 (S.D. Fla. May 18, 2009) (obtained dismissal of bad faith claim in insurance coverage action and enforcement of choice-of-law clause in policy).
- Smith v. Lawyers Title Ins. Corp., No. 07-12124, 2009 WL 514210 (E.D. Mich. March 2, 2009) (obtained dismissal of putative multistate class action alleging violations of RESPA, unfair trade practices, and unjust enrichment based on alleged overcharging for title insurance).
- Steinberg v. Barclay’s Nominees (Branches) Ltd., et al., No. 04-60897, 2008 WL 4601043 (S.D. Fla. September 30, 2008) (obtained dismissal of claims under Florida’s Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act and claim for unjust enrichment).
- Infinity Global, LLC v. WCI Communities, Inc., et al., No. 07-80680, 2008 WL 1711535 (S.D. Fla. April 10, 2008) (obtained dismissal of complaint alleging Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and ILSA claims).
- Represented real estate developers in numerous actions alleging violations of ILSA. Extensive experience crafting arguments for motions to dismiss ILSA claims.
- Extensive briefing and discovery experience in insurance coverage litigation, including defending against motions to compel drafting history and interpretive materials relating to insurance policies as well as other insureds’ claims files and litigating e-discovery and work product doctrine issues.
Reported Decisions
- Grand Lodge of Pa. v. Coast Fin. Holdings, Inc., et al., 550 F. Supp. 2d 1363 (M.D. Fla. 2008) (securities class action)
- Republic Servs., Inc. v. Am. Int’l Specialty Lines Ins. Co., No. 07-21991, 2008 WL 4691836 (S.D. Fla. Oct. 21, 2008) (insurance coverage)
- Ryan v. WCI Communities, Inc., No. 3:08CV4/MCR, 2008 WL 2557541 (N.D. Fla. June 23, 2008) (ILSA claims)
- Grand Lodge of Pa. v. Coast Fin. Holdings, Inc., et al., No. 8:07-cv-479-T-26EAJ, 2008 WL 2790237 (M.D. Fla. July 18, 2008) (securities class action).

Publications

03.24.2011	Co-Author, "An Update On Top-Down Discovery In Actions Alleging 'Institutional Bad Faith,'" Seminar Paper for the 2011 ABA Section of Litigation Insurance Coverage Committee CLE Seminar (March 2011).
April 2010	Co-Author, “Fixed Annuity Regulation—How Far Will The SEC Go?” Seminar Paper for the Defense Research Institute's Life, Health, Disability and ERISA Claims Seminar (April 2010).
2009	Co-Author, “Annual Review of Developments in Business and Corporate Litigation,” ABA Section of Business Law, Committee on Business and Corporate Litigation, Ch. 24, Nonprofit Law and Litigation (2009 ed. Vol. 2).
more

Professional Recognition
- Selected by Florida Super Lawyers as a 2010-2011 Florida Rising Star (Insurance Coverage)
Professional and Civic Activities
- The Florida Bar
- American Bar Association
- Federal Bar Association
- American Heart Association
  Go Red For Women Luncheon Committee Member (2007)
  Company Leader, Heart Walk (2007-2009)
- Susan G. Komen Foundation
  Committee Member, Race for the Cure (2007)
- Hillsborough County Bar Association
  Young Lawyers Division
  Leadership Institute, Participant (2008-2009)
- J. Clifford Cheatwood Inn of Court (Pupil, August 2008-May 2010)
- Leadership Stetson Participant (2008)
- Tampa Connection (2010-2011)
Background
- Florida Supreme Court Extern, Chief Justice Barbara J. Pariente (Fall 2005)
- Federal Judicial Intern, The Honorable Susan C. Bucklew, United States District Court, Middle District of Florida (Spring 2005)
- Carlton Fields, Tampa Office
  Summer Associate (2005)
- United States Immigration Court Intern, Judge R. Kevin McHugh, Bradenton, Florida (Summer 2004)