Cristina Yannucci

Partner

Cristina.Yannucci@lewisbrisbois.com

Cristina Yannucci is a partner in the New York office of Lewis Brisbois and a national co-chair of the Professional Liability Practice. Her practice focuses on complex, high-profile professional liability litigation, including claims against attorneys, accountants, appraisers, real estate agents and brokers, title companies, real estate managers, insurance agents and brokers, and directors and officers. She also represents public entities and their employees in high-exposure professional liability litigation. Cristina serves as National Coordinating Counsel for several major insurer clients and directs the assignment of hundreds of professional liability matters nationwide. Her litigation management and client service have made Cristina a leader at our firm.

Cristina handles professional liability litigation in state, federal, and appellate courts, and also matters arising in the context of adversary proceedings commenced in the bankruptcy courts. Recent and representative successes include:

  • Secured pre-answer summary dismissal against real estate broker in Supreme Court, New York County.

  • Obtained pre-answer summary dismissal of breach of fiduciary duty claims filed against an attorney trustee in Supreme Court, New York County.

  • Secured pre-answer summary dismissal of breach of fiduciary duty claim filed by condominium owner against individual principal of the condominium association’s management company in Supreme Court, Suffolk County.

  • Obtained pre-answer summary dismissal of legal malpractice/contribution claim brought against a law firm in the Federal District Court for Southern District of New York.

  • Secured pre-answer summary dismissal of negligence and breach of fiduciary duty claims filed by tenant/co-owners of property against management company in Supreme Court, New York County.

In addition to handling and supervising the defense of clients’ nationwide portfolios, Cristina has served in several leadership roles during her tenure with Lewis Brisbois. For many years, Cristina served as co-chair of the firm’s Executive Marketing Committee, which afforded her the opportunity to support the advancement of her colleagues, facilitate connections with clients, and contribute to the overall success of the firm. She currently serves as a National Co-Chair of the firm’s Professional Liability Practice and is a member of Lewis Brisbois’ Women’s Initiative. Through her work in these positions, Cristina proudly promotes the firm and its diverse culture to the legal industry and the business community alike, with a special focus on ensuring that women and lawyers from other historically underrepresented groups and backgrounds have the opportunity to connect with clients and contacts to further their professional advancement.

Primary Area(s) of Practice

  • Professional Liability

Additional Experience

Admissions

New York State Courts

(Appellate Division, Second Department)

United States District Court

Southern and Eastern Districts of New York

Associations

  • New York City Bar Association – Ethics Committee (2019-2022)
  • New York City Bar Association – Ethics Committee (2013-2017)
  • CLM

Professional Presentations

  • “Right, Wrong & Somewhere in Between: Identifying Ethical Dilemmas We Face,” Lewis Brisbois Client Presentation, April 2024
  • “Best Practices for Investigating Premises Liability Claims,” Lewis Brisbois Client Presentation, March 2024
  • “Best Practices to Avoid and Defend Legal Malpractice Claims,” Lewis Brisbois Client Presentation, February 2024
  • “Ethical Concerns that Keep Claims Professionals Awake at Night,” Lewis Brisbois Webinar Series, July 2023
  • “Ethics Game Show 2021: A Review of Ethical Issues,” Practising Law Institute (PLI), Faculty, Summer 2021
  • “The Ethics Game Show,” Practising Law Institute (PLI), Faculty, Fall 2020 
  • “The Future Is Here – Understanding the Basics of Ethics in a Digital Age,” Lewis Brisbois Webinar Series, December 2019 
  • “Investigation and Defense of a Real Estate E&O Claim,” Starr E&O Summit, September 2019 
  • “Professional Liability: Pragmatic Issues on Settlement Versus Trial for Legal Malpractice Cases,” CLM Professional Liability Conference, July 2019 
  • “The Ethics Game Show: A Review of Ethical Issues,” Practising Law Institute (PLI), Faculty, July 2019 
  • “I am Woman, Hear Me Roar: Gender Bias and the Legal Profession,” Argo Pro Lawyers’ Professional Liability Conference, May 2019 
  • “The Wheel of Ethics,” New York Women’s Bar Association, April 2019 
  • “Suits Against Attorneys: Mastering the Minefield,” Lewis Brisbois Webinar Series, June 2018 
  • “Ethics, Equity, Principles of Justice and Challenges to those Concepts in Our Modern Corporate,” Insurance and Legal Industries, Lewis Brisbois Webinar Series, November 2017 
  • “The Ethics Game Show: A Review of Ethical Issues,” Practising Law Institute (PLI), Faculty, Summer 2017 
  • “Mediation & Insurance: How Mediation Is Used by Insurance Professionals and Counsel to Resolve Insurance-Related Disputes,” Association for Conflict Resolution Greater New York Chapter, June 2017
  • “The Ethics Game Show: A Review of Ethical Issues,” Practising Law Institute (PLI), Faculty, Summer 2016 
  • “Client Intake: What You Need to Know,” New York State Bar Association: Law Practice Management Committee, Feb. 2015 

Education

Hofstra University School of Law

Juris Doctor, 1996

  • Hofstra Law Review, Articles Editor

Boston College

Bachelor of Arts, 1993