Christine V. Sama

Christine Sama is a partner in the firm’s Complex Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice. Her practice is focused on complex commercial litigation, including defendant-side and plaintiff-side litigation, bet-the company litigation, technology litigation, founder and partnership disputes, real estate litigation, acquisition-related disputes, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, business fraud, class action litigation and securities matters.

Christine has broad experience representing companies and individuals in complicated and high-stakes business disputes in federal and state courts and major domestic and international arbitration forums.  Her clients include technology companies, technology start-ups, founders, financial services institutions, venture capital firms, private equity firms, businesses in the real estate sector, and life sciences companies.  Christine also frequently advises companies and individuals on the strategic resolution of business problems and managing and minimizing litigation risks. 

Christine’s broad experience also includes representation of companies and individuals in civil, criminal and internal corporate investigations.

Christine’s recent representations include:

• Founders and an officer in an automated warehousing business in litigation and arbitration involving breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and malpractice claims
• A technology marketing company in litigation involving the telephone consumer protection act and claims for breach of contract, breach of implied warranties, and negligence
• A national telecommunications company in a lawsuit against its former CEO for breaches of fiduciary duties, defamation, tortious interference, theft of trade secrets, and conversion
• Multiple technology companies in resolving breach of contract and other business tort disputes
• An institutional asset backed lender in litigations pending in New York state and federal courts regarding disputes over its interests in blue-chip fine art
• Multiple leading international financial institutions in antitrust class action litigation, including relating to alleging derivatives market and benchmark rate manipulation
• The managing partner of an investment bank in an arbitration covering disputes under the firm’s partnership agreement
• A leading international financial institution in several multi-billion dollar disputes alleging fraudulent inducement, misrepresentation, and breach of contract arising from residential mortgage-backed securitizations, resulting in favorable settlements
• A leading REIT in litigation related to disputes with its external manager
• A real estate investment firm in contract and land foreclosure disputes
• The former shareholders of a meal delivery service in connection with an earnout dispute concerning the company’s sale to a multinational food conglomerate
• One of the world’s largest international cash logistics companies in a multi-million dollar post-acquisition fraud dispute

Prior to practicing law, Christine worked for the New York Stock Exchange's Division of Enforcement, the National Association of Securities Dealers (“NASD”) and the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”). Christine also served as a Special Assistant District Attorney during a secondment to the Kings County District Attorney's Office, during which time she represented the state in jury trials, bench trials, and at evidentiary hearings.

In addition to her client matters, Christine has an active pro bono practice focused on supporting the business and legal needs of community early education providers through Goodwin’s Neighborhood Business Initiative, criminal innocence work and criminal record expungement and sealing.

Christine has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America Ones to Watch for her work in Commercial Litigation since 2021 and as a Business Litigation “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers since 2017.

• Co-author, ““Good Faith” in Shareholders’ Agreements: What Does it Mean?,” Goodwin Insight, December 1, 2022
• Co-author, “Reps & Warranties Claim Disputes in the Courts,” Goodwin Client Alert, March 17, 2022
• Co-author, “Delaware Law Allows Buyers to "Sandbag" Sellers,” Goodwin Client Alert, March 11, 2022
• Co-author, “Weighing Litigation Vs. Arbitration Amid Court Disruptions,” Law360, October 27, 2020
• Co-author, “What New Commercial Division Rules Mean For NY Litigants,” Law360, March 29, 2016