Christina Assi is a senior counsel in the Litigation Department and a member of the Mass Torts & Product Liability and Trials Groups. She has significant experience trying high-stakes cases in state and federal courts throughout the country and is a seasoned litigation strategist. Christina specializes in complex commercial, product liability, and antitrust litigation and represents many leading companies in tech, pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and healthcare industries, including Meta, Gilead Sciences, Monsanto, AbbVie, and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Christina has significant experience managing large, complex actions from the pleading stage through discovery and trial, including cross-jurisdiction matters involving multiple parties, counsel, and case issues. She has served as trial counsel in numerous cases; has taken/defended critical fact and expert witness depositions all over the country; and has briefed and argued successful dispositive, evidentiary, and discovery motions.
In addition to her trial work, Christina also advises domestic and international clients in a range of commercial controversies, including securities litigation and partnership disputes.
Christina maintains an active pro bono practice, including advising civil liberties and anti-hate organizations. She also previously co-chaired the Young Lawyer’s Division of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers in Los Angeles.
Before joining Proskauer, Christina graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center. While at Georgetown, she served as symposium editor for the Georgetown Environmental Law Review.
Education
- Georgetown University Law Center, J.D.
- Northwestern University, B.A.
Admissions & Qualifications
- California
Matters
Representative Matters:
- Trial counsel for Meta Platforms, Inc. and two individual defendants in a high-stakes gender discrimination action in San Francisco Superior Court. Plaintiff asserted claims under California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act for hostile work environment, retaliation, and sex-based discrimination, seeking $32 million in economic damages and $500 million in punitive damages. Following a multi-month jury trial, the jury rendered a complete defense verdict on all claims.
- Trial counsel for Gilead Sciences, Inc., Gilead Holdings, LLC, and Gilead Sciences, LLC in a $3.6 billion antitrust case on allegations that the pharmaceutical company struck an anticompetitive "pay-for-delay" patent settlement related to two HIV medications. A California federal jury deliberated for two days and delivered a full defense verdict.
- Trial counsel and key member of multiple winning trial teams representing Monsanto in Roundup litigation, securing complete defense jury verdicts in product liability trials in California, Oregon, and Missouri state courts.
- Trial counsel for AbbVie in ongoing antitrust litigation stemming from alleged anticompetitive “pay-for-delay” agreement with a generic drug manufacturer.
- Trial counsel for Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in a multi-week Los Angeles Superior Court wrongful termination matter, prevailing on four out of six claims and materially limiting remaining damages to a fraction of what the plaintiff sought.
- Represented a board member and company private-equity investor against claims of breach of fiduciary duty in connection with drag-along sale of a fantasy sports company
- Represented general partner of a real estate limited partnership in connection with a dispute brought by a purported limited partner in a series of direct and derivative litigations.
- Served as a pro bono prosecutor with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, prosecuting jury trials as sole or co-lead trial counsel