Cristina D. Hernandez

Biography

Cristina D. Hernandez specializes in complex litigation, representing her clients in class actions, intellectual property disputes, securities investigations and litigation, antitrust investigations, mergers and other transactions, internal investigations, and business disputes. Ms. Hernandez’ practice also includes advising clients on information law, particularly electronic document retention and production issues. She represents clients in numerous industries, including media, insurance, financial, logistics, manufacturing, and healthcare.

Ms. Hernandez draws upon almost twenty years of complex litigation experience, including acting as lead defense counsel in federal and state securities class actions, securities and antitrust investigations, and pre-and post-merger disputes. Her large law firm background includes a decade practicing with Quarles & Brady LLP. Ms. Hernandez’ representative experience includes:

• Lead counsel for the seller in a proposed $8.6 billion proposed transaction, where she and her team successfully defeated several motions to enjoin the shareholder vote brought by putative class representatives in federal court.
• Led a 50-lawyer team in responding to a Second Request from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division concerning a $3 billion merger of two service providers in the financial industry. The merger was ultimately allowed to close without conditions.
• Worked with a team to defeat class certification in a matter where plaintiffs sought certification of a putative nationwide class; plaintiffs sought in excess of $150 million in damages.
• Successfully represented defendants, including individual officers and directors, in Rule 10b-5 class actions in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin and the Northern District of California.
• Obtained summary judgment in favor of a manufacturer in a federal action in California concerning an earn-out provision in a merger agreement.
• Successfully represented a defendant investor in a breach of fiduciary duty/minority oppression case in New York state court in a three-week trial.

Ms. Hernandez has received numerous honors during her career. She was named the Latina Attorney of the Year by the Hispanic National Bar Association in 2009, and served as the President of the Eastern District of Wisconsin Bar Association that same year. She was also named by the Chief Judge of the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Wisconsin to serve on the U.S .Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Panel for that District. Ms. Hernandez has been listed in Best Lawyers in America for Securities Litigation and Commercial Litigation each year since 2012; Wisconsin Super Lawyers Rising Star in Securities Litigation (2006-2009); United Way of Greater Milwaukee’s Philanthropic 5 Award (2009); and received the Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Award (2008). She also received the 2008 United States Postal Service award, “Women Putting Their Stamp on Metro Milwaukee,” where she was honored for her outstanding achievements in the field of government and law.

Ms. Hernandez’ professional memberships include the American Bar Association; the Hispanic National Bar Association; the Los Angeles County Bar Association; the State Bar of California; the State Bar of Wisconsin; and the Eastern District of Wisconsin Bar Association. Ms. Hernandez is active in the community, most recently as the 2013 Spring Soirée Event Chair for the Pasadena Master Chorale. She also served on the boards of the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra; the United Community Center - Centro de la Comunidad Unida (Milwaukee); and the Cardiovascular Center of the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Ms. Hernandez earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School, where she was the Editor in Chief for Volume 1 of the Harvard Latino Law Review. She earned an A.B., cum laude, in U.S. History at Harvard-Radcliffe College. She is admitted to practice in California and Wisconsin; the U.S. District Courts for the Central District of California, Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin, Central District of Illinois, and District of Massachusetts; as well as the U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh and Ninth Circuits.

Opinions (Partial List)

• City of Sterling Heights v. Bucyrus Int’l, Inc., No. 2010-CV-1106 (E.D. Wis. Jan. 19, 2011) (representing Bucyrus International, Inc.).
• Syndicated Commc’n Venture Partners IV, LP v. BayStar Capital, L.P., et al., Appeal No. 3705 (N.Y. App. Div. May 22, 2008) (representing BayStar).
• Rumis et al v. Brady Worldwide, Inc., 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 37190 (S.D. Cal. 2007) (representing Brady Worldwide).
• Noonan v. The Northwestern Mut. Life Ins. Co., Appeal No. 2005AP1683 (Wis. Ct. App.) (representing Northwestern Mutual).
• Heiting Tool and Die Inc. v. Ossur North Am. Inc., Case No. 03-C-1057 (E.D. Wis. Nov. 16, 2005) (representing Ossur).
• In re Van Wagoner Funds, Inc. Secs. Litig., Case No. 3:02-CV-03383 (N.D. Cal. July 27, 2004)(representing UMB Fund Services).

Other

Ms. Hernandez’ outside interests includes spending time with her very active family (which includes her two sons, 14 and 10, and a stepdaughter, 13), choral singing, cooking, and hiking. She lives in Altadena, California.

Education & Bar Admissions

Education

• Harvard Law School, J.D.
• Harvard-Radcliffe College, A.B., cum laude

Bar Admissions

• California
• Wisconsin
• U.S. District Courts for the Central District of California
• Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin
• Central District of Illinois
• District of Massachusetts
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh and Ninth Circuits

In the News

• 9/1/2015 - PBA Discussion on Women’s Issues in the Workplace
• 8/17/2015 - GSH Attorneys Listed in 2016 “Best Lawyers in America”
• 8/18/2014 - GSH Attorneys Listed in 2015 “Best Lawyers in America”
• 1/3/2014 - Cristina Hernandez Speaking at Corporate Counsel CLE Seminar
• 8/15/2013 - GSH Attorneys Listed in 2014 “Best Lawyers in America”
• 8/5/2013 - GSH Welcomes Cristina D. Hernandez to Pasadena Office