Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

Class Actions and Mass Torts

Partner - Litigation and Investigations

Christian co-leads the firm’s Toxic Tort Practice and co-chairs the LGBTQ+ Affinity Group for the United States.

He represents clients in complex commercial disputes and mass tort litigation ranging from consumer claims, product liability, and environmental contamination to a variety of insurance and financial transactions. With bi-coastal residency in the firm’s Atlanta and Los Angeles offices, Christian regularly represents clients before courts and arbitral tribunals in California, Florida, Georgia, and throughout other venues nationwide.

TOXIC TORT, PFAS, STATE GOVERNMENT LITIGATION

Christian has dedicated a specific portion of his practice to toxic and environmental tort litigation, and product liability disputes, including complex mass torts, environmental consumer class actions, groundwater contamination disputes, and wastewater treatment litigation.

Christian’s experience spans successful mandamus claims interpreting state environmental rules, suits against government entities and municipalities, and state attorney general investigations. Christian has regularly defended and advised clients in manufacturing and contamination litigation involving PFCs (perfluorochemicals) and PFAS substances (per- and polyfluoroalkyl) since 2016. He has handled various aspects of these disputes, whether jurisdictional challenges in state and federal courts, evidentiary hearings on nuanced preemption and zoning issues, or managing years of complicated fact and expert discovery on complicated scientific questions.

COMPLEX COMMERCIAL LITIGATION

Christian advises regional and multi-national corporate clients through all stages of complex commercial litigation with particular experience handling nuanced jurisdictional disputes, cross-board challenges, and complicated discovery matters with numerous interested parties, international entities, and state and federal agencies.

Christian has successfully tried complex commercial contract and tort claims in state courts and in arbitration before the International Centre for Dispute Resolution, as well as multi-day evidentiary hearings and witness examinations.

Christian is also well versed in litigation for banking and financial institution clients involving consumer claims, digital currencies, challenges to servicing relationships for commercial, residential, and student loans, shareholder disputes and receiverships with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Federal Reserve, enforcement of various lending agreements, and alleged violations of consumer laws (the Truth in Lending Act (TILA); the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA); the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA); the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA); and the Electronic Funds Transfer Act (EFTA)).

STATE & FEDERAL APPEALS

Christian routinely brings and defends appeals on behalf of corporate clients in state and federal courts in California, Florida, and Georgia. These appeals have involved diverse legal issues, such as challenging personal jurisdiction over out-of-state and international entities in California, developing parameters for the interpretation of Georgia insurance contracts, and establishing precedent for the standing of financial services entities to bring foreclosure litigation in Florida.

Christian has also represented the Georgia Chamber of Commerce as an amicus curiae in many proceedings before the Georgia Supreme Court, the Georgia Court of Appeals, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in matters involving tort reform, the interpretation of Georgia’s Civil Practice Act, and jurisdiction over out-of-state corporations registered to do business in Georgia.

PRO-BONO INITIATIVES

Christian has been committed to pro-bono work since joining the firm as a summer associate. He has participated in a number of high-profile pro-bono matters and committed well over 1,000 hours to this work in recent years. These matters include an on-going capital post-conviction proceeding in Louisiana, prominent Voting Rights Act litigation for multiple state and federal elections in 2016, 2018, and 2020, and state and federal constitutional challenges to legislation impacting same-sex couples and families on behalf of Lambda Legal.

The pro-bono litigation teams on which Christian has served in these matters have received awards for their service from both the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and the Stonewall Bar Association of Georgia.

CIVIC INVOLVEMENT & HONORS The Best Lawyers in America©: Ones to Watch (2021-2024) Atlanta Bar Association: Member-at-Large, Litigation Section (2023-present) Judicial Selection and Tenure Committee (2023-2024) Community Service Committee, Litigation Section (2021-2022) Leadership Council for Legal Diversity Coaching Circle Co-Chair (2023) Pathfinder (2020) Human Rights Campaign, Federal Club (2016-Present) Civic Associations 1421 Peachtree (2021-present) Ansley Park (2021-present) Lake Burton (2021-present) Emory University School of Law Emory Law Journal, Managing Editor (2014-2015) Dean’s Award, Intellectual Property (Fall 2013) Dean’s Award, Legal Writing, Research and Advocacy Program (Fall 2012) Rollins College Valedictorian, Class of 2012 General Charles McCormick Reeve Award (2012) Brendan O’Sullivan Memorial Award (2012) PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS American Bar Association State Bar of California State Bar of Georgia The Florida Bar Atlanta Bar Association