Kristen Lejnieks is a trial lawyer and passionate advocate who represents clients in complex civil litigation and white collar matters. Kristen has in-depth experience in high-stakes parallel and multijurisdiction proceedings as well as government facing litigation and investigations. With a deep substantive knowledge of discovery practice and technology, Kristen has effectively and efficiently managed discovery and resolved cross-border disputes around the world, including in Japan, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Australia, South Africa, China, and Mozambique. Kristen has defended officers and corporate clients in parallel civil, administrative, and criminal proceedings involving violations of antitrust, securities, anticorruption, consumer protection, and fraud laws.
Kristen is an experienced antitrust litigator who has defended clients against price-fixing, market allocation, product-hopping, and sham litigation claims. She has handled several antitrust merger challenges, including the successful defense of Cabell Huntington Hospital's acquisition of St. Mary's Medical Center from an FTC challenge and the defense of Electrolux Corporation at trial regarding the DOJ's challenge to the proposed acquisition of General Electric's appliance business.
Kristen has represented clients in all stages of corporate criminal investigations and defense. She has represented clients before the DOJ and the SEC and has experience with investigations involving corporate disclosures, books and records violations, restatements, internal controls, and the FCPA.
Kristen maintains an active pro bono practice and heads up the Washington Office's Housing Right to Counsel Project, a joint effort between the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center and legal service providers in the District to reduce subsidized housing evictions by increasing access to pro bono services. She also serves on the board of the Council for Court Excellence.
Experience
- New York University (J.D. cum laude 2005); University of Rochester (B.A. cum laude 2002)
- District of Columbia, New Jersey, New York, U.S. District Courts for the District of Columbia and Southern District of New York, and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- Law Clerk to Judge Carl E. Stewart, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit (2007-2008) and to Judge Stanley R. Chesler, U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey (2006-2007)