Christine E. Ellice

Christine Ellice’s practice focuses on complex commercial litigation and class action defense. Ms. Ellice’s clients are primarily in the consumer financial services, banking, and securities space, but she also represents individuals, established corporations, and growth-stage companies in partnership and LLC disputes, investor actions, and general business litigation. Ms. Ellice also has experience in the entertainment industry, having represented clients in film finance, copyright, defamation, and licensing litigation. 

Ms. Ellice is valued foremost as a skilled trial lawyer. Applying a balance of creativity, efficiency, and practicality in the courtroom, Ms. Ellice delivers results at all stages of litigation. She has tried multiple cases to verdict or judgment in court and arbitration, including a class action tried to jury verdict in the Northern District of California. 

Ms. Ellice is deeply committed to her pro bono work, having represented clients in asylum, human trafficking, and other immigration cases since her first year of practice. She serves as lead trial counsel for asylum cases contested by the Department of Homeland Security and supervises others in the firm engaged in similar work. Ms. Ellice is a five-time recipient of Stroock’s Public Service Project Award for commitment to and achievements in pro bono work. 

Additionally, Ms. Ellice sits on the firm’s DEI Council, serves as the Partner Liaison for the firm’s Attorneys of Color Affinity Group, chairs the Los Angeles Office Women’s Affinity Group, is a founding member of the firm’s Anti-Racist Ideas and Action Committee, sits on the Los Angeles Office Recruiting Committee, and spearheads many firm-wide initiatives on recruiting, mentoring, and training attorneys. 

Presently based in Los Angeles, Ms. Ellice began practicing law in Stroock’s New York office and is admitted to practice in state and federal courts there. Prior to beginning her legal career, Ms. Ellice worked as a media planner for an advertising agency in New York City where she managed national and regional media plans on behalf of a luxury car manufacturer. Ms. Ellice earned her undergraduate degree in business from McGill University and her juris doctorate from Emory University School of Law.

• Accounting and Auditor Liability Defense
• Asset Management
• Broker-Dealer Litigation
• Consumer Financial Services Defense
• Directors and Officers
• Financial Services Litigation, Regulation and Enforcement
• Litigation
• Privacy/California Consumer Privacy Act
• Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement Actions

• Represented HSBC Bank USA, N.A. in three companion state court cases involving allegations of violations of the California Invasion of Privacy Act. Tried one case to complete defense judgment for the bank following a two-week bench trial in San Diego Superior Court.
• Successfully opposed class certification on behalf of national retailer in putative class action alleging violations of the Song-Beverly Act.
• Represented two of three partners of a successful start-up in the health care space in a wide-ranging business dispute. 
• Represented a private equity fund in a confidential arbitration arising out of an M&A transaction.
• Represented underwriter defendants in two class action lawsuits in the Central District of California alleging violations of the Securities Act of 1933 in connection with public offerings of common stock in Chinese companies.
• Defended an investment management company and its principals in a FINRA arbitration regarding a stock purchase transaction on the Indonesian Stock Exchange.
• Defended a national bank in a film finance dispute against a foreign distributor’s RICO, fraud, breach of contract and other claims relating to the financing of over 20 independent films. The case was tried before a three-person arbitration panel over the course of seven weeks. In addition to a complete defense verdict for the bank and its officers, the bank was awarded in excess of $9 million in attorneys’ fees.
• Represented a well-known auction house in a dispute with an international art dealer over more than $16 million of artwork in New York state court. Successfully resolved the case and obtained complete dismissal of a counter-suit.
• Represented an international film distributor in a licensing and copyright dispute and obtained final resolution in favor of client based primarily on novel arguments under Section 204(a) of the Copyright Act.

• Super Lawyers, Rising Star

• Board Member, Courage California

• California
• New York
• U.S. District Court: Eastern District of New York
• U.S. District Court: Southern District of New York
• U.S. District Court: Central District of California
• U.S. District Court: Northern District of California
• U.S. District Court: Southern District of California
• U.S. District Court: Eastern District of California
• U.S. Court of Appeals: Ninth Circuit

J.D., Emory University School of Law, 2007

BCom., McGill University, 2002

Quoted in

• "Christine E Ellice as partner in Los Angeles," Daily Journal, December 27, 2021.