Barker, Chris A.

Chris A. Barker, was born in Sheffield, Alabama, on July 24, 1965. He has been a member of the Bar of the State of Alabama since 1990, and Florida since 1991. He is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court; the U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit; the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida; and, the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Alabama. Mr. Barker has also been certified by the Florida Supreme Court as a Circuit Civil Mediator, is a member of the Florida Academy of Professional Mediators, Florida Circuit-Civil Mediator Society and National Association of Distinguished Neutrals.

Mr. Barker has significant trial experience involving both jury and bench trials as well as arbitration proceedings. He has tried over 100 cases in federal, state and workers' compensation courts and has written and presented oral argument in both state and federal appellate courts. He handles many different types of matters including Constitutional litigation, commercial litigation, employment law discrimination and compliance, premises liability, personal injury and class actions. Mr. Barker has been awarded the highest possible rating of "AV" by Martindale-Hubbell, the preeminent, national directory of attorneys.

Mr. Barker was graduated from Birmingham-Southern College (B.A., magna cum laude, 1987) and the University of Alabama (J.D., 1990), where he was a member of Phi Alpha Delta. Mr. Barker has been listed in Who's Who in American Law; and in Who's Who in Finance and Industry. He was Editor-In-Chief of The Column-Legal Newspaper, 1989-1990 and Associate Editor, The Law and Psychology Review, 1988-1990. He is a Co-Author of Florida Practice Handbook, Damages, Volumes 1 and 2, 1990, current supplement; Florida Practice Handbook, Settlement and Release, Contribution Indemnity with Forms, 1991, current supplement; Florida Practice Handbook, Workers' Compensation With Forms, Volumes 1 and 2, 1995, current supplement; and Survey of State Class Action Law, American Bar Association, Litigation Section, 1999, and current supplement. This last publication is now included in the leading treatise on class action law, Newberg on Class Actions.

Mr. Barker has lectured on numerous topics including employment rights, law enforcement, personal injury settlements and ethical claims adjusting. He was also certified as an Instructor for Workers' Compensation Adjusters by the Florida Department of Insurance in 1999.

Mr. Barker is licensed by the state bars of Florida and Alabama and is a member of the Hillsborough County Bar Association and the American Bar Association. Mr. Barker is also a member and sponsor of the CEO Council of Tampa Bay, an organization comprised of hundreds of CEOs from all over the Tampa Bay area, and has been elected to serve on the Board of Directors for the Council. Mr. Barker is also a member of the Tampa Club and the Tampa Bay Society.

In April of 2008, Mr. Barker was appointed by Governor Charlie Crist to serve on the Judicial Nominating Commission for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, which assists the Governor in selecting qualified judges.