Chris Hand is a Jacksonville native with a long record of public, civic, and legal service. He currently leads Hand Law, a strategic government law firm which helps clients navigate the often-complex process of working with city, county, regional, state, and federal governments.
Hand Law is especially interested in helping to foster partnerships among the public, private and non-profit sectors to advance economic development and infrastructure investment. From 2011 to 2015, Hand served as Chief of Staff at the City of Jacksonville, Florida. In 2018, Hand returned to City Hall for the Task Force on Civil Rights History.
Hand has also been engaged with federal and state government. From 1996 to 2000, he served as speechwriter, campaign press secretary, and Senate press secretary for U.S. Senator and former Governor Bob Graham. With Senator Graham, Hand is co-author of America, the Owner’s Manual: You Can Fight City Hall – and Win, a guide to helping Americans flex their citizenship muscles to make government respond.
Hand graduated from the Princeton University School of Public and International Affairs. Hand later graduated from the University of Florida’s Levin College of Law.
He also served as a research assistant to former Florida Governor and U.S. Representative Buddy MacKay. Hand is a member of the Jacksonville Bar Association, Leadership Jacksonville Class of 2014, and Leadership Florida Cornerstone Class XXXVI (36).
An enthusiastic hiker who loves the Florida outdoors, and a dedicated fan of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Florida Gators, Hand lives in Jacksonville with his wife and two children.
