Kris Graham

Kris came to Taggart, Rimes & Graham with over a decade of experience litigating cases throughout the state. Prior to joining Taggart, Rimes & Graham, he practiced with a large metro-area firm and, prior to that, with the largest firm in the Mississippi Delta.

Kris focuses his practice on litigation, along with a mix of complex commercial and regulatory work. He holds a current pilot’s license for both land and sea, and is a member of AUVSI, the Lawyer Pilots Bar Association and the International Air & Transportation Safety Bar Association. A frequent speaker on unmanned systems law, he leads the firm’s UAS practice group. Kris was the first attorney in Mississippi to obtain a 333 exemption for commercial UAS operations, the first to obtain approval for commercial operations in Class C airspace, and the first to obtain a Blanket Area Public Safety Agency COA. Kris has helped multiple commercial entities navigate the process of beginning flight operations, from selection of a mission-appropriate UAS platform to gaining approval for flights in controlled airspace. Additionally, he counsels new operators on liability exposure and insurance coverage, drafting internal policies and procedures, privacy best practices and training. In the public realm, both state and federal government agencies have sought out Kris for assistance in developing and implementing UAS programs. Kris currently serves as the Director of Public Sector UAV Initiatives with Open Technology Center at the Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center.

Kris has worked with policymakers to develop common sense UAS regulations and has acted as an advocate/educator for UAS technologies for many years. As a commercial UAS pilot, Kris has performed flights in support of real estate, motion picture, education, agriculture and government clients. He lends a unique perspective to any UAS policy discussion and has firsthand knowledge of the practical effect of regulations on current commercial and public operations.

An approved attorney for the Mississippi Tort Claims Board, Kris has also advised educational institutions on campus safety and security, study abroad, risk management, contracts, fundraising and development, student discipline and a wide variety of other issues. In 2012, he founded the daily news digest Mississippi Higher Ed Review. In the healthcare arena, Kris has represented nurses, doctors, clinics and hospitals throughout Mississippi in the defense of professional liability claims.

Kris received a B.S. in biology from Millsaps College, with an emphasis in molecular biology. He then obtained his J.D. from the University of Mississippi. While in law school, Kris was a member of the Journal of National Security Law and Phi Delta Phi, and received the Contract Negotiation Award for Best Overall Contract. Kris is a member of the Mississippi Bar and the Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association. He previously served on the Central Region Young Lawyers Committee for MDLA and as treasurer of the LeFlore County Bar. He is undefeated before the Mississippi Supreme Court and Court of Appeals.

Recent Articles

Events

  • Public Safety UAS Operations
    Nat’l Alliance of State Drug Enforcement Agencies – Southeastern Regional Conference -Biloxi, MS
  • Real Estate, Architecture and Building Inspection
    International Drone Expo & Business Conference – Los Angeles, CA
  • Law Enforcement, Security & Counter UAS Operations
    International Drone Expo & Business Conference – Los Angeles, CA
  • Emergency Response UAS Operations
    International Drone Expo & Business Conference – Los Angeles, CA
  • First Responder UAS Hot Wash
    Commercial UAV Expo – Las Vegas, NV
  • Legal Implications of Law Enforcement UAS Programs
    Mississippi Prosecutors’ Conference – Philadelphia, MS
  • First Responder UAS Programs
    Interdrone: International Drone Conference and Exposition – Las Vegas, NV
  • Beginning a Public Safety UAS Program
    Webinar
  • Access to the Sky – Requirements for Public Sector Operations of Unmanned Vehicle Systems
    Open Technology Center – Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center, MS
  • Unmanned Aerial Systems (It’s OK to call them “drones”)
    Innovate Mississippi: Tech JXN Innovation Summit & Hackathon – Jackson, MS
  • Recent Changes to UAS Law – Recreational/Commercial/Public
    Mississippi State University – Starkville, MS
  • UAS Safety, Regulation and Technology
    International Air & Transportation Safety Bar Association Conference – Washington, DC
  • Commercial Drone Operations
    Airport Minority Advisory Council: Southeastern Regional Forum – Jackson, MS

Kris Graham

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