Christopher M. Kise has litigated on behalf of major corporations and high-profile business and political leaders for over 30 years, providing legal and strategic advice in cases involving complex corporate and white-collar defense issues. Mr. Kise has successfully argued four cases before the United States Supreme Court and has filed briefs in more than a dozen cases before the high court. Most recently, Mr. Kise, the former Florida Solicitor General, successfully defended President Donald J. Trump in a first-ever federal criminal indictment of a former President, and defended President Trump at trial and on appeal in a complex (and unwarranted) civil action brought by the New York Attorney General. His trial and appellate litigation practice extends throughout the United States, representing individuals, government entities and a diverse range of Fortune 100 companies including those in the defense, energy, public utility, insurance, financial, agricultural, transportation and health care sectors. 

In addition to his substantial private sector experience, Mr. Kise served as counsellor to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ Transition Team, as general counsel to Florida Governor Rick counsellor Scott’s Transition Team, and as counsellor to Florida Governor Charlie Crist. Mr. Kise also 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 Defense Practice.

In recognition of his experience, Mr. Kise 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© since 2013.

Mr. Kise 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.

Mr. Kise’s notable reported cases include: 

• 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)