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Kristina Fernandez Mabrie

Associate
About

Kristina Fernandez Mabrie is an experienced complex commercial litigator, strategic advisor, and crisis manager who regularly represents high-profile clients, including Fortune 100 and 500 companies across the hospitality, health, fitness, sports, media, and entertainment industries. Kristina also counsels emerging businesses and entrepreneurs, entertainment studios and executives, sports teams, leagues, athletes, municipalities, and non-profit organizations in their most novel issues and complex disputes. Kristina regularly handles high-profile matters involving right of publicity (name, image, and likeness), defamation and libel, trademark and copyright infringement, breach of contract, fraud, false advertising, misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition, cyber hacking, conversion, and employment-related issues.  Kristina also has experience conducting sensitive internal investigations and designing regulatory compliance strategies.

Kristina is experienced in solving complicated problems in high-profile settings.  Kristina has developed the litigation, public policy, and communications skills to manage disputes and urgent crises discretely, holistically, and creatively. Kristina focuses on preventing disruptive conflicts before they occur and efficiently solving any when they do. Kristina is skilled at collaborating with her clients to correct problems to further the client's long-term objectives in an integrated and efficient way that minimizes prospective harm. Along these lines, Kristina effectively collaborates with her clients' public relations teams and the media when needed. Kristina's clients commonly rely on her to advise on both novel legal questions that arise and day-to-day operational needs, including intellectual property, domain name, and right of publicity issues, labor and employment matters, internal and external investigations, governance issues, emerging developments in the law, and industry trends, among other things.  
Before joining DLA, Kristina worked as an associate with a global law firm, focusing on issues in complex and business litigation, racial justice and equity, labor and employment, and sports law.

Kristina also served as a judicial extern for The Honorable Judge Alex Kozinski of the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, where she worked on various appellate cases. Before her legal career, Mrs. Fernandez Mabrie gained legal experience as a litigation paralegal. Before that, she gained valuable sports and entertainment industry knowledge while working for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Bar admissionsCaliforniaDistrict of Columbia
CourtsAll California state courtsUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

EXPERIENCE

  • Litigation counsel for sports agency against former NFL player in a contract dispute. Including the complete disqualification of the player’s counsel and firm on conflict-of-interest grounds.
  • Provided advice and counsel to global online sports gambling platform on state sports gambling legislation after the Supreme Court’s decision in Christie v. NCAA.
  • Provided advice and counsel to Major League Baseball teams on obtaining and utilizing athlete biometrics.
  • Provided advice and counsel to sports teams and leagues on right of publicity issues.
  • Represented MLB Athlete who was the victim of extortionist threats in a federal investigation.
  • Litigation counsel for restaurant start-up in a case concerning the misappropriation of trade secrets and breach of contract.
  • Successfully defended the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors against a petition for writ of mandate brought by a county resident seeking to block the transfer of Bruce’s Beach back to the heirs of the Bruce family.  
  • Acted as pro-bono counsel to the LA Police Commission’s Advisory Committee on Building Trust and Equity, which was tasked with conducting a comprehensive review of LAPD policies and procedures and delivering recommendations for additional reforms.
  • Litigation counsel for several Fortune 500 hospitality companies facing single plaintiff and class action California labor and employment disputes.
  • Represented sports apparel company in obtaining and enforcing registrations for various marks and designs. 
  • Secured dismissal with prejudice on behalf of venture capital firm against the employee of a portfolio company asserting claims of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation.
Education
  • J.D., University of California at Los Angeles 2017
  • B.A., Loyola Marymount University 2008

Pro Bono

Mrs. Fernandez Mabrie devotes her pro bono practice to matters impacting racial justice and equality locally and nationally.

Seminars

  • Women in Sport, 19 April 2023

Memberships And Affiliations

Mrs. Fernandez Mabrie is a member of the Sports Lawyers Association, WISE (Women In Sports and Entertainment), and the Association of Business Trial Lawyers.

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