Bethany Kristovich

Bethany W. Kristovich is a litigation partner in the Los Angeles office of Munger, Tolles & Olson. Ms. Kristovich’s practice is focused on complex civil litigation, with a particular emphasis in high-stakes trials, class actions and contract disputes, including in the consumer protection area. Ms. Kristovich is co-chair of the firm’s class action practice group.

Since joining Munger Tolles, Ms. Kristovich has had a counsel-table role at 11 trials or arbitrations, two of which were class action trials.

Trials:

• Occidental Chemical Corporation in litigation arising out of the Bayou Corne sinkhole in Assumption Parish, Louisiana.
• Philip Morris USA in obtaining a favorable verdict in a false advertising trial in which plaintiffs, a class of nearly 200,000 smokers, received an award of $5 million – far less than the $1.5 billion in damages originally sought.
• Philip Morris USA in the successful defense of a three-month California consumer class action trial relating to the marketing of “light” cigarettes. Plaintiffs recovered nothing on their claims, and the judgment was affirmed on appeal. This victory was recognized by the Daily Journal as a Top Defense Verdict of 2013.
• A confidential bet-the-company arbitration between an independent television station and a major distributor. After arbitration, the arbitrator ruled entirely in Ms. Kristovich’s client’s favor.

Class Actions:

• A major retailer in the defense and settlement of several unfair competition and false advertising class actions after early briefing.
• A major product manufacturer in obtaining a favorable settlement in a putative unfair competition class action.

Contract Disputes:

• A major gaming company in successfully resolving contract disputes following a cross-border equity acquisition.
• A major construction company in favorably settling litigation with a developer after vigorous discovery.
• An independent television channel in obtaining a favorable settlement in a dispute with a distributor after arbitration had commenced.
• An independent channel as plaintiff in a carriage dispute with a service provider in a JAMS arbitration. At the conclusion, the arbitrator found entirely in favor of the firm’s client.

Professional Liability:

• A major national law firm in a lawsuit alleging violations of the California False Claims Act.
• A law firm in obtaining a favorable settlement on the eve of trial in a legal malpractice action arising from the firm’s representation of a Delaware corporation after extensive litigation and briefing.
• A law firm in obtaining affirmance in the California Court of Appeal of the lower court’s dismissal of malpractice claims on statute of limitations grounds.

Ms. Kristovich is a prolific speaker and author who has addressed a range of legal issues at such events as Digital Hollywood and conferences hosted by the ABA and Ms. JD.

Ms. Kristovich is an active member of the community. In 2017, she was appointed as a member of the professional development committee of the American Bar Association Section of Litigation. She serves on the board of the California Women’s Law Center, and she is a previous member of the advisory board of the Western Center on Law and Poverty. As a former debater, she volunteers for the Los Angeles Metropolitan Debate League, an organization that encourages high school students in urban schools to participate in debate.

Before joining the firm, Ms. Kristovich served as law clerk to the Honorable Edward Rafeedie in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Ms. Kristovich received her J.D. from the USC Gould School of Law, where she was elected to the Order of the Coif and served as an articles editor for the Southern California Law Review.

Education :

• USC Gould School of Law (J.D., 2005) Order of the Coif; Southern California Law Review, 2003-2004; articles editor, Southern California Law Review, 2004-2005
• Pomona College (B.A., 2000)

Bar Admissions : California