Biographical
Christopher S. Knopik
Chris Knopik is certified by the Florida Supreme Court as a circuit civil mediator. Chris has more than 35 years of experience as a trial lawyer handling a wide array of cases, including matters involving personal injury, wrongful death, premises liability, professional liability, and commercial disputes in state and federal courts. He has been board certified as a civil trial lawyer for many years and has represented both plaintiffs and defendants during his career.
In addition to his trial and litigation experience, Chris has unique and valued experience in a corporate setting. His tenure as general counsel and as a c-suite executive in a multi-state health care company also provides valuable insight into litigation and corporate matters. Chris has held leadership positions in each of the fields in which he has worked.
Recent Professional Recognitions
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND AS LITIGATION AND TRIAL LAWYER
Mr. Knopik advised and represented clients in litigation and litigation-related matters in a private law firm setting for more than 30 years. After graduation from law school and completion of a federal court clerkship, he began private practice with Holland & Knight in Tampa. After leaving Holland and Knight with respected colleagues to form and manage a series of successful small law firms, Mr. Knopik ultimately formed Knopik Deskins Law Group, a small firm of trial lawyers in Tampa, Florida. After an intervening period in which he served as chief legal officer for a national healthcare company, Mr. Knopik returned to the private practice of law before opening his mediation practice.
Chris Knopik has extensive experience in medical negligence litigation, personal injury litigation, products liability litigation, and commercial litigation. He has tried many cases – including medical negligence cases, catastrophic personal injury lawsuits, commercial disputes, intellectual property matters, and civil rights claims – in state and federal courts. Mr. Knopik has represented plaintiffs and defendants, including stints as national trial counsel for one of the world’s largest product manufacturers and defense trial counsel for three of Florida’s largest electric utilities.
COURT ADMISSIONS
United States Supreme Court
United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
United States District Court for the Middle and Southern Districts of Florida
Florida State Courts
EDUCATION
Florida State University, Bachelor of Science, Political Science and Government
University of Virginia School of Law, Juris Doctorate
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS
The Florida Bar Association
Hillsborough County Bar Association
The American Board of Trial Advocates
The Tampa Bay Federal Bar Association
Chief Judge of United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida appointee to the Merit Selection Panel regarding the selection of United States Magistrates and to the Grievance Committee for the Tampa/Fort Myers Division
Chief Judge of Florida’s Thirteenth Judicial Circuit appointee to the Judicial Rotation Committee regarding the evaluation of policies governing judicial assignments
HONORS & AWARDS
Rated “AV” by Martindale-Hubbell
Board Certified in Civil Trial Advocacy by the Florida Bar
Board Certified in Civil Trial Advocacy by the American Board of Trial Advocates and the National Board of Legal Specialty Certification
Board Certified as Civil Trial Pretrial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy
Listed among Best Lawyers in America for Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury, and Commercial Litigation
Selected as one of “Tampa’s Best Lawyers” by Tampa Bay Business Journal
Named “Leading Plaintiff Attorney in America” by Lawdragon.com
Named to Florida Monthly list of “Best Legal Eagles in the State.”
Member Florida Trend Magazine’s “Florida’s Legal Elite” and Legal Elite Hall of Fame
Named “Florida Super Lawyer”
Named Top 100 Florida “Super Lawyers” while in private practice
Member, Million Dollar Advocates Forum
2004 recipient, Hillsborough County Bar Association’s Michael A. Fogarty “In the Trenches” Award
2012 recipient, Tampa Bay Chapter of the Federal Bar Association’s George C. Carr Memorial Award
2015 recipient, Florida Chapters of the American Board of Trial Advocates’ Joseph P. Milton Award for Professionalism
Knopik Deskins Law Group recognized as among the “Best Law Firms in America”
Knopik Deskins Law Group 2013 recipient of the U.S. Trade and Commerce Institute’s Florida Excellence Award
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND AS GENERAL COUNSEL
Chris Knopik previously served as Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel at the Laser Spine Institute (LSI). He also served as a member of the company’s executive committee and as corporate secretary for the company and all of its affiliated entities. He was initially employed with the company starting in March 2014 and later joined the company’s executive committee. Prior to its closure, LSI was the nation’s leader in minimally invasive spine surgery, operating seven surgical centers in six states and employing more than one thousand employees. In his role as Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel, Mr. Knopik and his team had responsibility for a number of areas, including: Advice to the executive committee and board of managers- Litigation
- Risk Management
- Enterprise-wide insurance
- Corporate compliance
- Healthcare provider licensure, credentialing, and enrollment
- Internal investigations
- Employment disputes
- Selection and management of outside counsel
- Protection of intellectual property
- Contract review
- Relations and communications with the company’s lenders, shareholders, and board of managers
- Internal and external crisis management and communications