Kristine McAlister Brown

• Lead counsel in data breach MDLs across many industries including telecommunications (involving more than 75 million individuals); retail (involving more than 40 million individuals); quick service restaurant (involving more than 18 million individuals); health care (involving more than 10 million individuals); and physician practice management (involving more than 2.5 million individuals).
• Obtained complete dismissal of a nationwide data breach class action arising in the hospitality industry. The Ninth Circuit affirmed, resulting in a complete victory.
• Defeated class certification in federal courts across the country in high-profile privacy class actions alleging cyberspying using undisclosed software capabilities.
• Obtained dismissal of a putative nationwide class action against an online retailer based on alleged security vulnerabilities on its website.
• Obtained a complete defense award in commercial arbitration arising out of a failed telecommunications joint venture.
• Obtained complete defense awards in multiple commercial arbitrations alleging fraud and breach of contract in business-to-business dealings.

Kristy McAlister Brown is a partner in the Litigation & Trial Practice Group and leads the Privacy & Cybersecurity Litigation Team. Kristy takes a strategic approach to complex commercial litigation and has a strong track record of defeating class certification, developing strategic litigation strategies, and delivering excellent results. With clear and creative advice, Kristy is a nationally known, go-to litigator in high-stakes litigation matters at both the trial and appellate level.

Kristy has particularly deep experience in class actions and government investigations involving cybersecurity and privacy. She has defended class actions and multidistrict litigation arising out of some of the biggest data breaches in history and is nationally recognized as a leader in this space. She is also an experienced privacy litigator, defending and guiding clients in numerous industries in high-profile, high-stakes privacy class actions arising under the full panoply of state and federal privacy laws.

Kristy is also a first-chair trial lawyer who is often called on by clients to try sophisticated business-to-business disputes where hundreds of millions of dollars are at stake. Kristy’s recognitions include The Best Lawyers in America^®, Chambers USA, and BTI Client Service All Stars.

Kristy serves as chair of the firm’s Partners’ Committee.

Bar Admissions

• Florida
• Texas
• Georgia

Education

• Vanderbilt University (J.D., 1993)
• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (B.S., 1990)

Memberships