Maria Cristina Armenta (“M. Cris Armenta”) is a strong, first-chair trial lawyer and has been praised by judges as one of the best trial lawyers, able to simplify a complex case into a compelling story. Her approach to litigation is technical, strategic, outside-the-box, with proper respect for ethics and the rule of law. Cris is not afraid to push the envelope and takes her position as a zealous advocate seriously.
Cris was the architect of the RICO class action case against Harvey Weinstein and initiated the lawsuit on behalf of over 100 named and unnamed women. Cris was lead counsel in Garcia v. Google, a copyright case concerning the copyrightability of an actor’s performance arising from the Benghazi matter. Cris is lead counsel in Doe v. Google, a First Amendment case that followed the deplatforming of content creators from YouTube.
Cris dedicates time and her legal skills to positively impact those in need. Her pro bono work is dedicated exclusively to finding missing children and at-risk adults. She uses her 26 years of experience to help families facing an unimaginable crisis. She has appeared on Dateline, The View, Discovery ID. Cris founded The Find Project, a non-profit dedicated to finding missing children and at-risk adults.
Cris was named by the Los Angeles Business Journal in 2018 to the Women’s Council Awards, selected to the Southern California Super Lawyers list from 2019 to 2022, and recognized by the Daily Journal as one of the Top 100 Women Lawyers in California. She is a past Board Member of the Southern California ACLU, the Century City Bar Association, and was President of her sorority at U.C. Berkeley.
Cris attended U.C. Berkeley and Loyola Law School. She clerked for United States District Court Judge Robert J. Kelleher (1913-2012) from 1994 until 1995 and was honored to have him as a friend and mentor.
At Loyola, Cris was the Managing Editor of the Loyola Law Review and a member of La Raza Law Students. She interned at the Western Law Center for Disability Rights.
After entering private practice, Cris worked at Alschuler Grossman & Pines, learning the basics of civil litigation and high-end corporate disputes. Cris was a Senior Litigation Associate at Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP where she worked on high-stakes litigation and performed litigation diligence on large mergers and acquisitions.
Cris started her own law firm in 2005 where she managed a varied litigation practice that includes areas such as real estate, copyright, trademarks, constitutional law, corporate disputes, and white-collar defense. Cris is experienced with hiring teams of lawyers, frequently partnering with lawyers in specialized practice areas.
Education
- Loyola Law School, J.D.
Managing Editor, Loyola Law Review; Order of the Coif; La Raza Law Students - University of California, Berkeley, B.A.
National Hispanic Fund Scholar; Order of the Golden Bear; President, Alpha Chi Omega; Senator, Associated Students UC
Bar Admissions
- California
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
- U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota
- Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
