Clients see Christy as a business partner—someone whose goals align with theirs. In addition to her success defending litigation, clients value her ability to successfully manage large volumes of work at a national level, and her commitment to offering preventative advice and counseling that can improve their internal processes and avoid future suits.
Knowing that clients need cost-effective and creative solutions, Christy has developed significant expertise in conducting early case assessments and immediately engaging opposing counsel in discussions about the weaknesses of their case. This offers her clients the opportunity for early dismissal or case resolution —and avoids costly litigation. Christy also has a “no surprises” motto—her clients can be assured that they will know about potential exposures or difficult legal issues far in advance, and that costs will come in at or under budget.
Outside of work, you can find Christy boating, skiing, or relaxing with her family.
Key Practice Experience
- National trial counsel for recreational product manufacturer including wrongful death, personal injury, and property damage claims
- Recreational products and powersports product liability defense, including ATVs, side by sides, snowmobiles, personal water craft, boats, and bicycles
- Product liability defense of industrial and consumer product claims involving personal injury, wrongful death, carbon monoxide exposure, fires, explosions, and scald injuries
- Consumer class action defense
- Premises liability and personal injury defense
- Preventative measures and corporate risk management counseling, including warnings development, recalls and recall policies, CPSC investigations, and regulatory issues
- Social media investigations/policies and litigation consulting
- Trucking and transportation defense of wrongful death, personal injury, and property damage claims
- Medical malpractice defense
- Defense of medical providers administering laser and skin and treating skin conditions
Key Industry Experience
- Recreational Products and Powersports
- Consumer Products
- Industrial Products
- Heater and Boiler Industry
- Transportation and Trucking Industry
- Social Media Investigations
Representative Matters
- Trials resulting in defense verdicts in product liability design defect and failure to warn cases
- Trials resulting in directed verdicts in product liability design defect and failure to warn cases
- Multiple dismissals of product manufacturers in product liability and personal injury actions
- Bench trial resulting in defense verdict in product liability action
- Summary judgment for product manufacturer based on successor liability doctrine in death and brain injury case
- Summary judgment for manufacturer in double fatality product liability case
- Zero contribution to settlement in multi-party product liability cases
- Representation of products manufacturers in over 100 cases involving significant bodily injury, property damage and wrongful death claims
- Successful early resolution of multiple product liability claims involving significant bodily injury, traumatic brain injury and fatalities
- Favorable settlement for home health care agency in breach of contract/medical malpractice action
- Assisted with hundreds of social media investigation in product liability, commercial litigation and FELA claims and lawsuits
Publications and Presentations
- Recalls: What Information Should Be On Your Social Media Forums?, March 2017
- What’s New in 2013: Ethical Considerations, Generational Differences and How to Get the Good Stuff, National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel, July 2013
- Ethical Considerations in the Use of Social Media for Investigations, Fact Gathering, Juror Research and Networking, Law Office Management Assistance Twin Cities CLE Presentation, November 2012
- Social Media Strategies: Best Business and Litigation Practices, CLE and webcast, October 2012
- Social Media and Your Defense Themes, Minnesota Lawyer, September 2012
- Social Media: 12 Months, 400 Cases and Another 155 Million Facebook Users, Association of American Railroads General Claims Conference, September 2012
- Social Media Strategies: A Checklist For Your Outside Counsel, In-House Defense Quarterly, Summer 2012
- Discovering Social Media: Before and During Trial, Association of American Railroads General Claims Conference, September 2011
- How Social Media Investigations Can Make or Break Your Case, Arkansas Association of Defense Counsel Annual Meeting, July 2011
- Ethics of Social Media in the Courtroom, 2011 Medical Malpractice Seminar, April 2011
- Using Social Media to Defend Medical Malpractice Suits, MDLA Medical Malpractice Seminar, April 2011
- Web 2.0 to the Rescue: Using the Internet to Bolster Your Defense, DRI Annual Meeting, October 2010
- When Social Media Steps Into the Courtroom, Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association Trial Tactics Seminar, August 2010
- How Internet Investigations Can Bolster Your Defense, South Dakota Defense Lawyers Association Seminar, December 2009
- Social Media in the Courtroom, Program Chair and Presenter, Hennepin County Bar Association Seminar, November 2009
- Surfing the Web for Your Best Defense, DRI Commercial Litigation Seminar, April 2009
- Discovery Strategies for Generation X and Y Plaintiffs, MDLA Mid-Winter Conference, February 2008
- “Compliance with New Standard for Safety Information Can Assist Product Manufacturer in Defending Failure to Warn Claims”, DRI Strictly Speaking, Summer 2007 and Minnesota Defense, Fall 2007
- “Drafting Enforceable Product Warranties,” DRI The Business Suit, March 2007
- “Conducting Discovery in a Foreign Country,” DRI The Business Suit, December 2006
Professional Associations
- Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association
- Board of Directors (2012-2017)
- Diversity Committee Liaison (2015)
- Former Chair, New Lawyers Committee (2006-2009)
- ALFA International
- Product Liability Steering Committee
- Women’s Initiative Steering Committee
- IPSLP (International Product Safety & Liability Prevention Association)
- Twin Cities Diversity in Practice, Ambassador
- National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel
- The International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC)
- Defense Research Institute
- Product Liability Committee
- Trucking and Transportation Committee
- Commercial Litigation Steering Committee
- Women in the Law Committee
- Young Lawyers Steering Committee
- Chair, Annual Meeting (2012-2013)
- Chair and Vice-chair, Marketing (2009-2011)
- Chair and Vice-chair, Membership (2007-2009)
- Minnesota Women Lawyers
- Minnesota Mother Attorneys Association
- Hennepin County Bar Association
- Women in eDiscovery
Community Engagement
- Minnesota Women Lawyers, Attorney Mentor
- Minnesota Mother Attorneys Association
- Board of Directors
- Cornerstone Advocacy Center, Past Board Member
- Edison High School Reader/Writer Program Mentor
- Feed My Starving Children Volunteer
- Coalition for the Homeless Volunteer
- Greater Las Vegas After-School All-Stars Volunteer
- Miami Community Partnership for the Homeless Volunteer
- Page Foundation Mentor
- Capital Food Bank Volunteer
- Waivers and Releases: How Sports Clubs and Summer Camps Should Prepare To Reopen
- She’s Been Working (And Winning) on the Railroad
- Illinois Jury Awards FELA Plaintiff Less Than 1% of Ask
- Recalls: What Information Should Be On Your Social Media Forums?
- Nilan Johnson Lewis’ Board of Directors Now Predominantly Female
- Nilan Johnson Lewis Announces Its 2016 Board of Directors