Christopher L. Barnett
Partner
Christopher L. Barnett is a member of the firm’s Dispute Resolution Team and its Construction Practice. He focuses his practice on general real estate matters and contract disputes, including development and construction matters. He regularly represents clients in complex business disputes in federal and state courts across the country. Christopher’s experience includes a wide variety of complex commercial matters, including suretyship and construction litigation, partnership and joint venture disputes, unfair and deceptive trade practices law, securities litigation, intellectual property litigation, defamation, and libel law, and appeals.
Representative Matters 
- Regularly represents developers in connection with neighbors’ nuisance and trespass claims arising from development and construction of adjacent properties and projects.
- Represented condominium developer in construction defect claims against the general contractor and surety, resulting in a multimillion-dollar settlement.
- Represented owner of office tower in a construction defect claims against the general contractor and surety, resulting in a multimillion-dollar settlement
- Represented real estate developer in series of related cases seeking over $11 million in damages for construction delays.
- Represented municipality in several surety bond claims arising out of $100 million infrastructure project.
- Defended a leading global consumer products company in a lawsuit seeking lost profit damages in excess of $17 million. The case was won at trial and ultimately affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
- Obtained complete reversal of multimillion-dollar jury verdict in appeals before Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeals and the Florida Supreme Court.
- Defended a Fortune Global 500 telecommunications company in fee and compensation disputes brought in federal courts in Massachusetts and New York.
- Obtained dismissal with prejudice of claims of trade name dilution and cyber stalking against Internet portal in suit brought in federal court in Massachusetts.
- Defended international digital content distributor against claims of defamation, commercial misappropriation, and invasion of privacy.
- Obtained dismissal with prejudice of administrative proceeding challenging real estate developer’s ocean front development rights.
Community Activities / Associations
- Member, Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce
Awards & Honors
- Best Lawyers in America, Litigation - Construction, 2016-2025
- The Legal 500, United States
- Real Estate - Construction (Including Construction Litigation), 2019 and 2022
- "Other Key Lawyer," 2022
- Real Estate and Construction - Construction, 2016
- Real Estate - Construction (Including Construction Litigation), 2019 and 2022
Prior Affiliations
- Greenberg Traurig, P.A.
- Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson, P.A.