Christine M. Walker is a Shareholder in the firm's Maritime and Insurance Practice Groups.

Practice Focus

Christine Walker’s practice focuses on providing counsel to clients on virtually every aspect of the maritime industry, including yacht transactions, ship construction, vendor agreements, purchase and sale agreements, trademarks, asset forfeiture and recovery, international law, international and domestic regulatory compliance and administrative actions. She also represents clients in litigation on a vast variety of insurance matters, including: general liability; products liability; construction; significant exposure personal injury; wrongful death and catastrophes; groundings; collisions and allisons; crew and employment claims; cargo damage; pollution; primary, umbrella, excess policies and reinsurance; captive, self-insured and surplus lines programs; bad faith, proof of claim and coverage disputes.

Christine has defended cases in litigation involving the domestic and international insurers, cargo carriers, major cruise lines, operators and charter companies, and marina and terminal owners and operators and Write-Your-Own insurers, acting as a fiduciary to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, in nationwide multi jurisdiction litigation for the National Flood Insurance Program following natural disasters. Additionally, Christine has defended clients before arbitration panels, various Florida state appellate courts, the Eleventh and Second Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of the United States.

Prior to joining Fowler White Burnett, received her LL.M. in Admiralty from Tulane University Law School, a Certificate in Financial Regulatory Law & Policy from Washington College of Law, her Juris Doctor degree from Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a major in International Finance and minor in Interpersonal Communications, from the University of Miami.

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Maritime Law Association, Member
  • Committee on Marine Torts and Casualties, Young Lawyer Liaison, 2020-2022
  • Committee on Marine Torts and Casualties, Bitter End Bulletin, Co-Editor, 2022
• Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute, Member
  • Board of Directors, 2015-2017
• ABA's Torts Trial and Insurance Practice Section, Admiralty Committee, Member
  • Vice Chair, 2015-Present
  • Technology Chair, 2014-2015
• Women's International Shipping & Trading Association, Member
• Humane Society of Broward County, Member

Speaking Engagements

• Speaker, “Evidentiary Implication of Higgs v. Costa Crociere S.P.A. Co., 969 F. 3d 1295 (11th Cir. 2020)”, Maritime Law Association, Torts Committee, October 2021
• Co-Speaker, “Recent Developments in the Cruise Ship Industry: Litigation Challenges, Arbitration Issues and Strategies, Labor Issues, Environmental Compliance, and How Does a Cruise Ship Protect Itself from Claims Arising from Zika Virus and Other Unavoidable Natural Disasters?", American Conference Institute's 6th Annual Forum on Admiralty & Maritime Claims and Litigation, January 2017
• Panelist, "Practice of Law for a Young Lawyer”, Florida International University College of Law, Environmental Law Society, October 2017
• Co-Presenter, "Crew Desertion/ Stowaways/ Marpol Crew/ Immigration", Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute (SEALI) Annual Conference, June 2016
• Panelist, "Maritime Law", Florida International University College of Law, Environmental Law Society, October 2015
• Presenter, "Forum Selection Clauses," Florida Bar Admiralty Law Committee Conference, June 24, 2015; paper originally presented in Journal of Transportation Law, Logistics & Policy, Vol. 81, No. 4
• "The Most Significant Circuit Splits In Admiralty And Maritime Law," Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute (SEALI) Annual Seminar, June 2014

Publications

• Author, "US Virgin Islands New Open Ship Registry: Will It Serve as Friend or Foe?" Daily Business Review, June 13, 2022
• Co-Author, "Marina Liability," The Florida Bar Maritime Law and Practice, Seventh Edition, June 2022
• Author, "A Word About SWIFT Accounts and Crew Pay," Maritime Law Association of the United States Bitter End Bulletin, Committee on Marine Torts and Casualties, March 14, 2022
• Author, "Troubled Waters - Crew Claims From The Black Sea," Maritime Law Association of the United States Bitter End Bulletin, Committee on Marine Torts and Casualties, March 14, 2022
• Co-Author with Adam B. Cooke, "How Genuinely Salty is Salty Enough?" Maritime Law Association of the United States Bitter End Bulletin, Committee on Marine Torts and Casualties, November 1, 2021

• Author, "Vaccine Mandates and Testing Requirements in Maritime Employment: All Aboard or Time to Jump Ship?" Maritime Law Association of the United States Bitter End Bulletin, Committee on Marine Torts and Casualties, November 1, 2021

• Author, "Marina Liability," The Florida Bar Maritime Law and Practice, Sixth Edition, September 2019
• Author, "Eleventh Circuit Update," Maritime Law Association Of The United States Committee On Arbitration and ADR Newsletter, May 2015

• Co-Author, "Recent Developments in Admiralty and Maritime Law," Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Law Journal, Winter 2015

• Author, "Panama Canal Expansion Update: October 2014 Milestones," Fowler White Burnett Alert, November 21, 2014; Republished on JD Supra, November 25, 2014

• Author, "The Most Significant Circuit Splits In Admiralty And Maritime Law," ABA Committee News, TIPS Admiralty and Maritime Law Committee Newsletter, October 2014

• Author, "Piracy Update," Bilge & Barratry, Marine Ecology and Maritime Criminal Law Committee of the Maritime Law Association, October 2014

• Co-Author, "Charter Parties: Safe Harbor Warranty and Cargo Liabilities," Journal of Transportation Law, Logistics and Policy, Volume 80, Number 4, 4th Quarter 2013

• Author, "Cruise Ships: The Next Terrorism Target," Travel Law Quarterly, June 2012

• Project Staff, "Promoting Cross-Sector Partnerships for Equitable Transit-Oriented Development," Urban Land Institute, April 2011