There is no shortcut to excellence. For BigLaw partner Christina Martini, every client relationship is created, every client relationship is created, fostered and proliferated through generosity, authenticity, perseverance, deep listening, holistic strategizing, and a business-focused orientation that has defined her decades-long career in BigLaw as a trusted advisor to hundreds of clients.
As one of the most respected members of the US intellectual property bar, and with a global practice since the very beginning of her career, Christina leads global intellectual property development, protection and enforcement strategies for clients ranging from Fortune 50 companies to start ups. Her focus on practical, proactive legal advice with a strong business bent has made her indispensable to clients operating in a business environment that evolves at an increasingly rapid pace with new technologies, platforms, opportunities and threats at every turn. But her impact reaches far beyond her client work. She is also a trusted advisor to the C-Suite, client service whisperer, strategic law firm and business leader, best-selling author, business of law thought leader, podcaster, operations and change management professional, mentor, advocate and trailblazer.
This is the story of Christina Martini’s professional journey as one of the most trusted advisors in law, and how she leaves an indelible imprint that shapes the future of the profession.
Understanding the New Frontiers of Law
The legal landscape is evolving at breakneck speed, and the intellectual property space is no exception. Christina’s practice is at the forefront of many cutting-edge legal issues, including artificial intelligence, deepfakes, the metaverse and digital content creation as just some of the pivotal forces in this transformation.
Take the use of social media as an example. “The use of social media platforms is ubiquitous and has evolved dramatically over the years. The legal issues presented by the content being generated by companies and individuals are developing more quickly than the law is being written,” she says. From issues involving the First Amendment to copyright infringement to brand misappropriation to unfair competition to comparative advertising to right of publicity to right to privacy issues, and everything in between, more disputes are arising than ever before as a result of how content is being used and shared across countless online and digital providers.
Another area of increasing importance is artificial intelligence, and issues such as copyright protection– or lack thereof – for AI-generated content.
As a trusted advisor, particularly during moments of uncertainty and unease, Christina regularly counsels her clients through these and myriad other issues, bringing more structure and certainty to the chaos.
Emotional Intelligence and Teamwork
Christina has received numerous professional accolades during her career, including from trade associations and organizations such as the American Bar Association. By way of example, she has been recognized for many years by World Trademark Review and other trade publications as one of the world’s leading trademark professionals. What makes her stand out is not just her legal prowess, but how she delivers her legal advice to clients.
“My approach has always been leading client relationships with authenticity, integrity and empathy,” she says. “Every client needs and wants someone who is not only well-versed in the law but who also understands their business, its pressure points and what keeps them up at night.”
She emphasizes emotional intelligence as a cornerstone of client service. “It is not just about solving legal problems. It is about understanding people, the organizations for whom they work, their business sectors, goals, strengths, weaknesses and what an optimal solution to an issue looks like for them. Great lawyering is being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes when you are delivering legal advice and tailoring your advice accordingly.”
Christina also greatly values and understands the importance of teamwork, and she believes that strong collaboration fuels the engine behind top-notch work. “I work with a phenomenal group of professionals. None of what I do happens in a vacuum. Having a team that shares a commitment to excellence and works well together is a huge part of our collective success.”
A Champion for All, and Paying It Forward
For Christina, the law is more than a career. It is a platform for making the world a better place, for both current and future generations. She has spent decades opening doors for countless people in the profession, both within and outside her firm.
“There is still not enough equality in the most senior level positions in the legal profession,” she says. “It is not just about getting people started in the profession, it is also about retaining those people and helping them rise through the ranks. That means supporting people at every stage of their careers.”
Her efforts are wide-ranging and include mentoring young lawyers, leading recruiting efforts for many years, and sitting on nonprofit boards committed to inclusion. In 2022, she received the American Bar Association’s Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award for her leadership and advocacy. Most recently, she has been appointed a Commissioner for the American Bar Association Commission on Women in the Profession. In this role, she is helping to shape national initiatives that focus on securing full and equal participation of women in the ABA, the profession and the justice system. “We are creating tools and programming that help lawyers not to just survive, but to also thrive. It is about empowerment, not just representation. There is a program called Men in the Mix that focuses on how men can be active participants in making the profession more inclusive. We need everyone at the table for real change to happen.”
The Engineer’s Mind Behind the Legal Strategy
In addition to being a lawyer, Christina is also an engineer and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering. She credits this background with shaping how she has approached both her law degree as well as practicing law.
“Engineering taught me how to break problems into pieces and to analyze them systematically, and to find solutions that are grounded in reason, math and logic,” she says. “In many ways, law is the same, just with words, rather than numbers.”
This analytical training has served Christina well in her practice, including in high stakes matters. She explains, “When a client has a complex issue, I look at it from multiple angles. I map out potential outcomes, examine contingencies, quantify risks, and create options that fit client objectives. While I work within a legal rubric, my mindset is born of my background in engineering.”
Legal Insight Across Industries
Christina’s decades-long career includes a robust client list of multinational companies, startups, and everything in between, across countless business sectors, some being among the most heavily regulated and dynamic industries globally. From pharmaceutical companies to accounting firms, food brands to restaurant chains, she adapts her expertise to the specific needs of each business.
“The core principles of intellectual property are consistent, but every industry has its own context,” she says. “For instance, a life sciences company has to think about a regulatory framework beyond just the principles of intellectual property law, and these regulations govern their ability to do business. The same is true for professional services organizations such as accounting firms, which likewise have their own regulatory requirements within which they must operate, and which impacts the advice we give across other disciplines such as intellectual property.”
Christina thrives in that complexity. Whether handling domestic or multijurisdictional matters within and outside of intellectual property, she successfully leads many cross office and cross jurisdictional client service teams to deliver consistent results for her clients.
Having new challenges and issues to address is what makes her work both challenging and rewarding. “Every client is different. That is what makes the work exciting. You are constantly learning and adapting.”
Beyond the Legal Brief
In addition to her global practice, Christina is also an advocate and change agent in the national legal and business communities. She has two podcasts, “Legal Face-Off” on WGN Radio, as well as her own self-produced business of law podcast, “Paradigm Shift,” where she explores numerous topics at the intersection of business and law.
In addition, since April 2010, she has co-written with her husband David Susler a standing column for Chicago Lawyer magazine named “Inside Out”, where she and David offer perspectives on various business of law topics from both the in-house and private practice perspectives. The couple just released their first book, titled “Change Yourself: Part of the Paradigm Shift series,” which provides fulsome, thought-provoking discussions about cutting-edge, mission-critical business of law topics, and their second book, “Change Your Business,” is set for release in the coming weeks.
Christina sums it up as follows: “I believe in sharing knowledge and creating space for conversations that move the profession forward.”
The Importance of Leaving a Legacy
When asked what she hopes for her legacy, Christina reflects on the importance of her impact on others. “I want to be someone who helped clients through difficult moments, who mentored lawyers, who worked to make the profession better than I found it.”
That legacy is already well underway. Through her legal work, mentorship, and leadership, Christina is shaping the future of the legal industry.
