Christine practices general civil litigation with a focus on constitutional law and lawsuits against government entities. Christine’s experience representing plaintiffs and defendants gives her the perspective necessary to advise clients on all aspects of an issue. Drawing from her wide-ranging experience, Christine offers clients a breadth of knowledge and a practical approach to problem solving.

Full Bio »

Christine practices general civil litigation with a focus on constitutional law and lawsuits against government entities. Christine’s experience representing plaintiffs and defendants gives her the perspective necessary to advise clients on all aspects of an issue. Drawing from her wide-ranging experience, Christine offers clients a breadth of knowledge and a practical approach to problem solving.

Highlights

• Named to the Northern California Super Lawyers – Rising Stars, 2009, 2010 and 2011.
• Experienced in litigating constitutional issues in a wide variety of contexts, including business regulation, privacy, campaign finance, lobbyist regulation, public employment, takings, nuisance, compassionate use, selective enforcement, illegal search and seizure, and excessive force cases.
• Experienced in handling complex discovery matters, including third-party subpoena defense and cases involving the government's assertion of executive privileges.

Representative Matters

• Represented the Santa Clara County Bar Association and prepared an amicus brief on its behalf before the California Supreme Court in In re Marriage Cases (2008) 43 Cal.4th 757.
• Represented a Stanford graduate student from Malaysia who found herself unexpectedly on the No-Fly List. Assisted in obtaining a Ninth Circuit ruling holding for the first time that federal district courts have the power to hear and decide challenges to an individual’s placement on the No-Fly List.
• Succeeded in recovering a substantial monetary settlement, attorneys’ fees, and costs from the City of San Jose on behalf of a local Latino family, in a Fourth Amendment case alleging excessive force and illegal search and seizure.

Professional and Community Contributions

Christine is an active member of the Santa Clara County Bar Association, currently serving on its Appellate Courts Committee. She previously served as co-chair of the Rainbow Committee and was a member of the Board of Trustees from 2007-2008. She previously served as Managing Editor of the Santa Clara Law Review, a mentor for the Leland High School Mock Trial Team and a volunteer for Fresh Lifelines for Youth.

Admissions

State Bar of California
U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals

Education

J.D., Santa Clara University School of Law, 2004
B.A., San Jose State University, 2000