Overview
Christine D. Calareso is a Partner and Senior Vice President of Business Development at CMBG3 Law. She is licensed to practice in California.
A seasoned litigator and negotiator with 20 years of experience, Christine’s practice focuses on complex litigation and litigation management related to general liability, abuse and harassment, toxic tort, and environmental issues. She also provides strategic consulting on environmental, social and governance “ESG” solutions and government relations. She also serves as national counsel for clients related to talc, benzene, and asbestos litigation, and counsels companies on environmental regulatory compliance to avoid future litigation, including on Proposition 65-related labelling issues.
As the lead negotiator for all of the Firm’s California matters, she navigates the complex and often fraught relationship between clients, corporate counsel, carriers, opposing counsel, and the court to secure highly innovative and favorable resolutions and results for her clients. She is often called upon to parachute into high stakes matters around the country to negotiate resolutions.
As an industry leader, Christine is frequently called upon to speak at conferences (including at DRI, CLM, EECMA, ABA, and Perrin) as well as present in-house to clients and insurance carriers. She also serves as a mentor to younger associates in the Firm.
Outside of the office, Christine dedicates her time along with her three sisters to the Calareso Sisters Christmas Project, which researches and highlights a charitable organization at the holidays for awareness, advocacy, and support. Since the Project’s inception, over $100,000 has been raised for organizations addressing domestic and interpersonal violence, criminal justice reform, human trafficking, social justice, refugees, children orphaned by AIDS, childhood cancer research, and mental health. Christine is also active in her church and enjoys being a football and baseball mom to her teenage boys.
Accreditations
Education
- American University, Washington College of Law, J.D., 2002
- Wake Forest University, B.A. English, 1999
Admissions
- California
- USDC-CA (Southern District)
- USDC-CA (Central District)
Honors
- Super Lawyer Rising Star, 2009 – Present
- Named to Top 25 Lawyers in Orange County list
- Named to Top 50 Women Lawyers in Southern California list
- Rated “AV-Preeminent” by Martindale-Hubbell
- Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
In the Media
Speaking Engagements
- "Talc Trends, Verdicts & Litigation Themes”, DRI Asbestos Medicine Conference; Nov. 2018
- "WARNING: THIS SUBJECT CONTAINS A DISCUSSION OF CHEMICALS KNOWN TO CAUSE CANCER. PROPOSITION 65 AND LABELING LAWS: WHO ACTUALLY BENEFITS IN THE AGE OF OVER-WARNING?", EECMA Conference; April 2018
- "Take Home 101", DRI Asbestos Medicine Seminar; Nov. 2017
- "Homeward Bound: The Rise of Household Exposure Claims in Asbestos Litigation", EECMA Conference; April 2017
- "Trends and Issues Regarding Talc Litigation", CLM Southwest Conference – Environmental; Nov. 2016
- "Food, Drug, and GMO-related Claims", American Bar Association, 25th Annual Spring CLE, Trends in Toxic Torts and Environmental Law: Today, Tomorrow and Beyond; April 2016
- "The Next Wave of Litigation: TALC", EECMA Conference; April 2016
- "Golden Times in the Golden State: An Update on the California Litigation", Perrin Conference, Cutting-Edge Issues In Asbestos Litigation; March 2016
- "High-Volume Jurisdictions - Verdicts and Appellate Rulings", DRI Asbestos Medicine Seminar; Nov. 2012
Publications
