Christine Kirchner > Chamberlain Hrdlicka > Houston, United States > Lawyer Profile

Christine Kirchner

Work Department

• Commercial Litigation
• Insurance Law
• Construction Law
• Admiralty & Maritime
• Trade Secret Litigation
• Trademark Litigation
• Patent Litigation
• Intellectual Property

Position

Shareholder

Career

With nearly 30 years of experience in the courtroom and before arbitration tribunals, Christine Kirchner has successfully represented her clients in a variety of complex civil matters. Her client representation focuses on pre-litigation solutions such as risk management, a comprehensive review of the client’s insurance programs, as well as successfully and efficiently navigating clients through the active phase of the dispute, whether that be in litigation or arbitration.

As a certified mediator since 2016, Ms. Kirchner also brings unique perspective to her clients in fashioning creative resolutions for complex business disputes where protracted litigation does not make good business sense. These resolutions frequently include commercial terms in addition to monetary terms to add to the company’s bottom line — as opposed to detracting from it.

Ms. Kirchner has represented clients in all forums, including state and federal courts, as well as binding arbitration before the AAA (American Arbitration Association), Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), the ICDR (International Center for Dispute Resolution), Houston Maritime Arbitrators Association and other private alternate dispute resolution forums. Ms. Kirchner’s civil litigation practice focuses on both complex commercial and tort matters. Ms. Kirchner’s expertise in commercial matters ranges from complex construction, products liability, securities litigation, professional liability for financial professionals, minority and derivative shareholder claims, disputes related to ownership succession of closely held corporations, to wrongful competition and breach of contract actions.  She has also handled Qui tam or whistleblower suits over the years for healthcare professionals and contractors facing claims related to violations of the False Claims Act.

Most recently, in conjunction with her tax and corporate transactional colleagues at the Firm, Ms. Kirchner has handled significant private company transaction disputes, including post acquisition indemnification claims against established escrows; shareholder and ownership contests; as well as partnership disputes and litigation involving the invocation of buy/sell agreements.

She has represented aggrieved shareholders and members of various business entities to pursue improper and fraudulent practices with regard to entity operations, as well as defended entities and majority shareholders against claims of fraud, misrepresentation and breaches of fiduciary duties. Most disputes involve complex issues relating to financial operations of the entity, intellectual property, trade secrets or real estate interests.

Additionally, as a result of her years of practice in the tort area, Ms. Kirchner is a recognized construction and insurance law expert, representing carriers, and at times policyholders, in contractual disputes related to insurance coverage, as well as extra-contractual actions related to deceptive trade practice, statutory Insurance Code violations, the alleged mishandling of claims coverage, and opportunities to settle and protect the policyholder within policy limits.

Ms. Kirchner started her career in underwriting and with the formation of syndications for the offshore and London markets. Her experience in insurance includes all aspects from underwriting, coverage interpretation through claim resolution, including subrogation.  Her intimate understanding of insurance contracts has enhanced her success in both insurance and construction litigation.

Ms. Kirchner also represents contractors and owners in a variety of construction and design professional litigation and arbitrations through final award phase with a particular emphasis on indemnity and additional insured issues. She actively handles international disputes relating to procurement and construction projects, as well as offshore marine construction issues and property and contract related admiralty disputes. These include vessel and rig failures, as well as the arbitration of Party Charter agreements.  She has also defended brokerage firms and other financial institutions, as well as registered representatives and financial professionals before self-regulatory organizations and in arbitration, state and federal courts.

Ms. Kirchner is a frequent author and speaker at construction and insurance-related seminars and conferences. Her clients range from individuals, private entities and closely held entrepreneurial companies to large national insurance carriers and public companies with large self-insured retentions.

Ms. Kirchner prides herself in understanding each individual client’s business and operations, the unique challenges that a client may face with regard to risk management, contract drafting and resolving disputes. In doing so, she achieves an efficient and business-oriented outcome on behalf of her clients, regardless of the size or nature of the dispute or relative size of the client.

Education

Southern Methodist University, Finance, BBA, magna cum laude, 1988

Northwestern University School of Law, J.D., 1991