Cristina M. Shea

Cristina represents clients across numerous industries, including product manufacturers, tech companies, health care, public pension fund trustees, construction and engineering companies, telecommunications firms, financial institutions, and oil and chemical companies. Cristina is also a successful general commercial litigator, and she successfully defended a financial advisor against a $200-million legal claim.

Cristina also counsels clients on non-litigation aspects of their insurance programs, including policy renewals. She advises clients on the impact of corporate restructuring and the purchase and sale of businesses, including an assessment of potential gaps in coverage and an assessment of a client’s right and obligations under indemnification provisions with its business associates and partners. Cristina has also assisted clients with self-insurance programs and advising on alternative coverage options.

Cristina is the lead trial counsel in a cross-border $500-million business interruption and property damage claim arising out of a catastrophic fire in Mexico.

Cristina was the lead trial counsel in successfully defending a financial advising firm in a $200-million claim brought by one of the firm’s former partners.

Cristina was part of the lead trial team representing a Fortune 500 financial institution in multiple cases throughout the country involving mortgage insurance, subprime mortgage claims and mortgage fraud claims. In that highly complex representation, Cristina was trial counsel for matters venued in federal court, state court and multiple arbitrations.

Cristina also successfully represented a major online peer-to-peer transportation company in a dispute against its insurance company for personal injury and wrongful death claims in San Francisco. In addition to litigating matters, Cristina has assisted clients who have been impacted by data and privacy breaches, ransomware attacks and other cyberattacks. Her representation of those clients spans a variety of sectors, including health care, manufacturing, supply chain management, fintech startups and many others.

Cristina sits on Reed Smith’s Executive Committee, the firm’s governing board. She is a head of the firm’s Talent Committee and served between 2018 and 2024 as the global chair of the firm’s Women’s Initiative Network.