Associate
Email: kchic@mdjalaw.com
Direct: (213) 225-6009
vCard
Education
- Loyola Law School, J.D., 2014
- University of California, San Diego, B.A., 2006; Semester abroad in Peking University, Beijing, China
Professional Experience
Kristen L. Chic is a client-focused litigator whose practice centers on complex real estate and commercial litigation in federal and state courts. She has successfully represented and counseled her clients in a variety of matters, including bankruptcy, estate planning, probate litigation, and real property disputes representing title and escrow officers, brokers, buyers, sellers, property owners, tenants, and contractors. She also drafts, negotiates, and litigates commercial leasing contracts. Her breadth of knowledge across many fields enables Ms. Chic to tailor her litigation strategy to meet the needs of her clients; with a multi-disciplined approach that affords efficient results to those she counsels.
Significant Representations
- Successfully represented large California municipality in quiet title action, obtaining stipulated judgment on all causes of action in favor of client, and quieting title to large multi-million-dollar reserve; litigation occurring in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles.
- Represented one of largest worldwide retailers in designated complex litigation under the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (i.e., Proposition 65) over acrylamide levels in snacking foods, resulting in settlement with $0 liability and dismissal for retailer; litigation occurring in the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda.
- Defended nationally recognized title and escrow company in multi-party negligence action by depositor resulting in extremely favorable low-dollar settlement for client; litigation occurring in the Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino.
- Represented owner of large multi-million-dollar commercial property in quiet title action involving protracted history of multi-party parcel swaps, grants of easements, and future option rights, resulting in favorable settlement; litigation occurring in the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda.
- Successfully obtained swift and favorable settlement for seller of real property in claims by buyer of breach of contract and fraudulent concealment in sale of horse property, all prior to buyer filing action in Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles.
- Effectively defended trustee of multi-generational family trust against quiet title, breach of fiduciary duty, and partnership claims involving $17-million-dollar commercial property in civil and probate actions in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, successfully demurring to multiple iterations of the complaint and obtaining expungement of notice of lis pendens, ultimately resulting in favorable settlement.
- Obtained Court of Appeal’s per curiam judgment on unlawful detainer appeal in the Superior Court of California, County of Riverside; thereafter leveraging victory to successfully settle underlying quiet title and resulting trust litigation between parties.
- Successfully defended bankruptcy debtor against two successive motions for relief from stay in United States Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California; ultimately obtaining tentative award of sanctions against landlord and quickly leveraging victory to negotiate favorable sale of home and dismissal of unlawful detainer action in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles.
- Successfully obtained $300,000 proceeds for non-named beneficiaries under life insurance policy and settled interpleader action in the United States District Court, Central District of California.
- Successfully represented contractor against claims filed by homeowner with the Contractors State Licensing Board; thereafter negotiating a favorable $0 and no-work settlement with full release of all claims for contractor, prior to arbitration hearing in Los Angeles County.
Other Professional Activities
- Member, State Bar of California
- Member, California Law Association, Real Property Law Section
- Member, Los Angeles County Bar Association
- Member, California Women Lawyers
- Attorney Volunteer Scorer, Constitutional Rights Foundation Mock Trial Program
Prior Professional Experience
- Donahoe & Young LLP, Valencia, California (2014-2017)