Christine Hanley
Senior Associate
Seattle
Christine is recognized by her clients for her unique ability to distill complicated concepts into powerful and persuasive narratives that put their interests front and center.
She has experience working on multi-jurisdictional litigations and regulatory investigations that involve a complex combination of securities law, shareholder litigation, and regulatory compliance. Her experience also includes litigating matters with the Washington Attorney General's office. Christine dives into new cases and areas of law fearlessly and has a talent for quickly getting up to speed and crafting strategies to stop the opposition in its tracks.
Christine has a strong interest in the intersection of financial litigation and regulation and emerging fintech, and she has written articles on the intersection of securities law and cryptocurrency, which are featured below. As technology advances beyond the traditional language of the law, Christine understands that clients need a cohesive strategy to move their business forward while avoiding legal pitfalls.
Christine also maintains a pro bono practice centering on immigration and prisoners' rights.
-
Christine’s experience includes:
- Representing two bankers associations in litigation against the State of Washington and the Washington Department of Revenue in matters challenging the constitutionality of a new state business and occupations tax on big banks.
- Assisting a large, publicly-traded energy company to obtain the dismissal of a class-action lawsuit asserting violations of the federal securities laws related to a private debt exchange offer made to Qualified Institutional Buyers.
- Defending a former officer of a company in a highly regulated industry in multijurisdictional “Me Too” litigation alleging breach of fiduciary duty and insider trading.
- Representing an entertainment company in one of the very few “no-poach” cases that have been pursued as a class action.
- Advising a SaaS start-up in litigation against a former vendor involving claims for breach of contract.
- Assisting the audit committee of an IoT company with an internal investigation that was the result of allegations from an internal whistleblower and helping them to determine the claims were unfounded.
- Representing one of the largest healthcare benefit companies in the Pacific Northwest in a declaratory relief coverage action brought by its commercial general liability insurer, regarding coverage for underlying class-action lawsuits arising out of a data breach that affected millions of customers.
