M. Christine Klein

Christine is Deputy General Counsel for the Firm.

Christine’s practice focuses on professional liability defense, internal investigations, non-party subpoena compliance, and ethical, policy, and related issues involving law firm management and the practice of law.

Christine’s legal career began in 1994 with a clerkship for the Hon. Andrew J. Kleinfeld of the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Before her appointment as the firm’s Deputy General Counsel, she litigated for clients in a wide variety of areas, including products liability, commercial litigation, intellectual property, franchise law, and antitrust. She has represented amicus curiae in two briefs to the US Supreme Court and has represented clients in appeals before the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the Supreme Court of Virginia, and other federal and state appellate courts. Along with the Hon. John Charles Thomas, a former Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia, she is co-author of a chapter on Virginia appellate procedure for the “Appellate Practice Compendium” published by the American Bar Association in August 2012.

Christine’s pro bono work includes obtaining asylum for a woman who was subject to persecution in her native Liberia. Prior to joining the firm, Christine held a managerial position at, and provided in-house legal advice to, a well-known public policy research organization with a focus on civil liberties and free enterprise.

Relevant Experience

  • Handles law firm and legal department problems including defense of professional malpractice claims and subpoena compliance.
  • Preparation of policies related to law firm management and ethical issues.
  • Formerly represented major corporate clients in all aspects of antitrust, franchising and distribution litigation, intellectual property and related matters, both during the pre-trial and trial stages and on appeal.
  • Successfully argued motion for summary judgment on behalf of major US brewery in Virginia Beer Franchise Act case.
  • Successfully argued motion to dismiss Virginia Beer Franchise Act complaint on behalf of major US brewery and defeated motion to amend.
  • Defended well-known construction equipment manufacturer in nationwide dealer termination litigation arising from market withdrawals of product lines.
  • Experienced in appellate advocacy at state and federal levels, including co-authorship of amicus curiae briefs to US Supreme Court in significant Fourth and Fifth Amendment case and in False Claims Act case.
  • Argued damages issues in multi-million dollar arbitration case before the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
  • Argued before Supreme Court of Virginia, including rezoning case involving Virginia Conflict of Interests Act (COIA) and case involving renewal of mining lease.
  • Assisted in overturning $60 million jury verdict in brain injury case upon appeal to state supreme court.
  • Succeeded in obtaining asylum for pro bono client fleeing political persecution in Liberia, serving as lead counsel in briefing and at trial.
  • Broad additional litigation experience in areas including environmental litigation and toxic torts, mass tort litigation and class actions, automotive and other product liability, construction disputes, labor and employment defense, medical malpractice defense and other health care issues, and constitutional matters.
  • Successfully defended major corporate clients in asbestos- and vinyl chloride-related product liability, premises liability, and FELA claims.

Memberships

  • Member, American Bar Association

Awards & Recognition

  • CV Peer Review Rated, Martindale Hubbard

Insights

  • Events

    • Adjunct Assistant Professor of Law, University of Richmond’s T.C. Williams School of Law, Spring 2008

    Publications

    • Co-author, Virginia chapter, The Appellate Practice Compendium, August 2012
    • Author, Pitfalls of Appellate Advocacy: Preservation of Error, Docket Call (The Newsletter of the Young Lawyers Conference of the Virginia State Bar), Vol. 23, No. 3, Winter 2007
    • Author, The Cowboy Revealed: What States Should Do After Hiibel, ALEC Policy Forum: A Journal for State and National Policymakers, Winter 2004
    • Author, Silent No More: Hiibel and Its Implications, Engage: The Journal of the Federalist Society's Practice Groups, October 2004