Kariss Gainey was born and raised in Gainesville, Florida. In 2016, she earned her degree in Criminology from the University of South Florida. Kariss obtained her law degree in two years, from Florida A&M University, graduating in December of 2019. During law school, she was a member of the National Black Law Students Association and Women’s Law Caucus. In addition, Kariss interned with the Orange County Regional Conflict Counsel and received academic recognition for making the Dean’s List.
Prior to joining Williams, Leininger & Cosby, P.A., Kariss practiced insurance defense. She represented numerous carriers in first-party insurance defense matters, including hurricane, wind, flood, and fire claims. Kariss’s prior experiences have allowed her to develop keen insight regarding case evaluation and litigation strategy. At WLC, Kariss continues to zealously defend insurance companies in property damage cases.
Outside of work, Kariss enjoys mentoring and volunteering with the youth, and spending time with family and friends.