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Proven Trial Counsel for Business Disputes.
Chris is a go-to trial attorney for high-stakes business disputes with jury trial experience in courts nationwide. He secured two verdicts ranked by Virginia Lawyers Weekly as the second-largest in Virginia for their respective years: a $9.57 million statutory conspiracy and trade secrets verdict in 2025 and a $3.8 million tortious interference verdict in 2017. In recent other high-stakes civil jury trials, Chris prevailed on fraud and commercial claims on an oral contract, an equity earn-out dispute, and reversed the tides by defeating all fraud claims against a business owner and prevailing completely on a post-closing acquisition counterclaim.
Chris frequently litigates in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia—the E.D.V.A. “Rocket Docket,” often cited as the fastest federal court in the country. He has handled bench and jury trials in courts around the country, worked with national trial counsel, defended multidistrict litigation claims involving alleged damages exceeding one billion dollars, and preserved a $13 million commercial lease and fraud dispute on appeal. He has successfully defended his own verdicts on appeal before the United States Supreme Court, the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fourth and Second Circuits, the Supreme Court of Virginia, and the Virginia Court of Appeals.
Public Company Experience and Technology Insight.
Before founding the firm, Chris spent seven years as corporate litigation counsel for a publicly traded company, litigating cases nationally. In 2014, he left to establish Davis Law, PLC (now Davis, Burch & Abrams) to focus on his passion: representing business owners, helping companies use legal strategy to grow, and building creative approaches to win business-critical disputes.
Prior to practicing law, Chris served as Chief Information Officer for an Internet Service Provider in Buffalo, New York, where he focused in internet and network security. That technology background gives him a practical edge in disputes and business deals involving software, cybersecurity, trade secrets, AI, and SaaS issues.
Teaching, Leadership, and Recognition.
Chris is an adjunct professor at Regent University School of Law and sits on the boards of the Life Enrichment Center and the Radiance Foundation. He is a graduate of the 2019 LEAD Hampton Roads class and a member of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association.
He has been recognized as a “Rising Star” (2016–2020) and “Super Lawyer” (2021–2026) by Super Lawyers. He has also been repeatedly named “Legal Elite” by Virginia Business and recognized as a “Top Lawyer” for Business Law by Coastal Virginia Magazine. He maintains a score of “10.0” on Avvo. And in 2026, he was recognized as one of the Best Lawyers in America.
Bar Admissions
- Virginia
- North Carolina
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Virginia
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
- Supreme Court of the United States
Education
- J.D. & MBA, Regent University School of Law and School of Business
- Graduate Study in International Politics, Hertford College, Oxford University
- Undergraduate Study in Biblical Studies, Elim Bible Institute