Christina Guerola Sarchio
Partner | Washington, D.C.
Christina Guerola Sarchio

Christina Guerola Sarchio focuses her practice on general commercial litigation, class actions and white-collar defense, with significant experience in the consumer products, financial, oil and gas, pharmaceutical, technology and sports industries. A former prosecutor and an experienced trial lawyer, Ms. Sarchio has successfully tried cases in federal and state courts throughout the country. She also regularly appears before a number of agencies and regulators, including the DOJ, FDA, SEC and various U.S. Attorney offices.

Ms. Sarchio has been recognized as a leading and innovative lawyer by a number of publications, including Forbes Top 200 Lawyers in its inaugural 2024 listing, Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers for 2019- 2024, The Legal 500 U.S. for 2017-2024, and among the Top 250 Women in Litigation by Benchmark Litigation, where she is also listed as a D.C. litigation star. The Financial Times commended Ms. Sarchio for Innovation in Dispute Resolution in 2022. Ms. Sarchio was named to Diversity MBA’s Top 100 Under 50 Executive and Emerging Leaders list, selected as a 2018 Woman Worth Watching by The Diversity Journal, and received MCCA’s 2017 Rainmaker Award. Her class action jury win in 2016 was named a Top 10 Defense Verdict by The Daily Journal. Ms. Sarchio has also received a number of community service awards, including the HNBA Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year, George Washington Law School’s Belva Lockwood Award, HBA-DC Hugh Johnson Award, and named by Hispanic Business Magazine to its Top 20 Elite Women and 100 Most Influentials lists. Ms. Sarchio was voted in as the Hispanic National Bar Association’s President-Elect for 2023-24.

Ms. Sarchio’s management experience at Dechert also includes overseeing Talent and she is the immediate past chair of the Global Women’s Initiative. Prior to joining Dechert, Ms. Sarchio was a member of the Board of Directors at another international law firm. Her previous experience includes serving as prosecutor with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.

Ms. Sarchio has also served as an Arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association since 2011.

Business Advice and Litigation

  • Walmart in securing dismissal of alleged violations of DC’s consumer protection statute (DC 2020).
  • ExxonMobil in securing dismissal of a consumer protection complaint filed by the Washington, D.C. Attorney General (DC 2018); prevailing in an antitrust suit filed in Puerto Rico (Diaz Aviation Corp v. Esso et al, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4651, D Pr 2011); and winning at trial in five consolidated cases brought by more than 100 dealers to enjoin sale and divestiture of gas station business in Puerto Rico (Santiago-Sepulveda v. Esso, 582 F.Supp. 2d 154, D Pr 2008).
  • JP Morgan Chase in several consumer lawsuits in federal court and arbitration (2018-2023).
  • Transformco on commercial real estate dispute (2023-present).
  • Quest Diagnostics in advising on litigation risk in its $123M acquisition of Pack Health (2022).
  • Diamonds Direct USA in advising on litigation risks in its $490M acquisition of Signet Jewelers (2021).
  • Ooma in several consumer lawsuits resulting in dismissal or successfully enforcement of its contractual arbitration provisions (2016-18).

Class Actions

  • Haleon in a class action alleging deceptive labeling of Robitussin products and succeeded in dismissing certain claims on preemption (CDCA 2023-present).
  • GSK in two class action lawsuits for alleged false advertising of its natural line of Chapstick products (NDCA, SDNY 2022-present).
  • State Farm in breach of contract for allegedly failing to extend coverage for COVID-19 related business losses on behalf of a Virginia class (EDVA 2021-present).
  • JP Morgan Chase in Telephone Consumer Protection Act litigation and secured sanction award of $250,000 (SDNY 2020).
  • Apple in securing summary judgment alleging violations of more than 30 state consumer protection statutes (ND Cal 2020).
  • Rent A Center in securing partial summary judgment and favorably resolving California class claims alleging violations consumer protection statutes and usury laws (ND Cal 2019).
  • Life360 in securing a dismissal with prejudice of a TCPA class action lawsuit (ND Cal 2016).
  • Boiron in a defense verdict in a false advertising and consumer fraud class action against leading homeopathic drug manufacturer after one week trial before a jury (CD Cal 2016); winning appeal of nationwide class action settlement over objector's claim of collusion and overbroad release (Gallucci v. Gonzales et al, No.12-57081, 9th Cir 2015); defeating motion to certify class (CD Cal 2014); securing Rule 68 judgment against class action representative and dismissal of complaint (ND Ill 2013); precedent-setting summary judgment victory precluding ability of consumer class to seek injunctive relief, cited in more than 50 decisions (Delarosa v. Boiron, Inc., 275 F.R.D. 582, CD Cal 2011).
  • Whole Foods in securing the dismissal of a nationwide class action lawsuit alleging false advertising of its homeopathic products (SD Fl 2015).
  • Early resolution of various class action demands, including for TCPA, UCL, CLRA, and other state and federal claims.

Sports

  • National Basketball Players Association in litigation advising on legal and business matters, arbitrations and in the searches for an Executive Director (2013-present).
  • Professional Women’s Fast Pitch Softball Association in advising on creating an association and corporate governance issues (2024-present).
  • National Hockey League Player’s Association providing advice and counsel on internal matters (2022).
  • Washington Football Team in litigation in federal court in Virginia and Maryland and an NFL arbitration regarding disputes with the minority shareholders (2020-21).
  • Thomson Reuters Foundation in leading a cross-national team of athletes and lawyers and drafting a White Paper discussing the application of labor laws to women professional athletes in Spain compared to other countries (2020).
  • Women's National Basketball Players Association on legal and business strategy (2014-19).
  • Joe Theismann in dismissing a class action lawsuit against Mr. Theismann alleging false advertising of his celebrity endorsement of OTC supplement (EDCA 2013), affirmed on appeal (9th 2016).
  • Serving as Independent Arbitrator for NCAA.
  • Serving on Law 360's Sports Editorial Advisory Board (2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22).

White Collar

  • Advising cryptocurrency company on international criminal investigation (2023-present).
  • Providing compliance advice and training to multinational produce company (2022-present).
  • Tuskegee University in internal investigation regarding alleged financial irregularities, coordinated with law enforcement, recommended revised policies, practices and procedures (2020-present).
  • Assisting Roc Nation’s social justice division, Team Roc, in pro bono investigation of law enforcement discrimination and misconduct in Kansas City, Kansas (2021-present).
  • Microsoft in response to U.S. Department of Justice subpoenas in the government’s antitrust lawsuit against Google (2021).
  • Represented former officer of U.S. subsidiary and Mexican national in FCPA investigation.
  • Represented a financial institution in an SEC enforcement action, which SEC declined.
  • Conducted an internal investigation of cybercrime, referred matter for federal prosecution.
  • Negotiated a resolution with the FDA resulting in no enforcement action brought against a university hospital for using non FDA-approved medical devices.
  • Represented a foreign company and its U.S. subsidiary in several international antitrust price-fixing investigations and negotiated plea agreements with DOJ.
  • Defended company against liability for insider trading by company officer.
  • Advised Allen Stanford in SEC and DOJ actions and argued at his detention hearing (US v. Stanford, EDVA (Richmond) 2009).
  • Lead trial counsel in an “infomercial fraud” case for an individual facing conspiracy, mail and wire fraud charges and won dismissal after four-week jury trial (US v. Woolf/ Gengler, 2009 US Dist. Lexis 98857, EDVA 2009).

Includes matters handled at Dechert or prior to joining the firm.

  • High Stakes and Red Flags: The Growing Intersection between Compliance and Dispute Resolution, HNBA Conference (Sept. 8, 2022)
  • Are Law Firms Really On Board? What Firms Are Doing To Advance And Support Women Of Color, WBA's Women of Color Taskforce Panel (Apr. 28, 2022)
  • Internal Investigations 101, Financial Poise Webinars (Nov. 11, 2021)
  • Virtual Happy Hour: Attorneys Share Strategies for Taking Remote Depositions, Webinar (Apr. 2, 2020)
  • Internal Investigations 101, Financial Poise Webinars (Feb. 14, 2019)
  • TCPA Litigation: Defense Strategies, The Knowledge Group Webcast (Jan. 17, 2018)
  • The Global Impact of Sports and the Role Lawyers Play, HNBA Corporate Conference (April 2017)
  • Don't Say That! Defending High Profile Cases and Managing the Media, HNBA Convention (Sept. 2016) 
  • Is It Rougher on the Field or in the Courtroom?, Lawyers for Civil Justice (Dec. 3, 2015)
  • Homeopathic Medicine & Advertising: An FTC Workshop, Panelist (Sept. 21, 2015)
  • The Trial of Lysistrata, Shakespeare Theatre Company Bard Association (Nov. 24, 2014)
  • Class Action Strategies, Bridgeport Litigation & Management Conference (Apr. 11, 2014)

 

Services
    • Cornell University, B.A., 1991
    • The George Washington University Law School, J.D., 1995
    • District of Columbia
    • New Jersey
    • New York
    • Virginia
    • Supreme Court of the United States
    • United States District Court for the District of Columbia
    • United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
    • United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
    • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
    • United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
    • United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
    • English
    • Spanish
    • Law360 Trials Editorial Board Member (2024)
    • Hispanic National Bar Association: President-Elect (2023-present); Vice President Divisions, Sections & Committees (2022-23), Vice President External Affairs (2020-22, 2007-08), Chief Compliance Officer (2018-19)
    • Hispanic Bar Association of D.C.: President (2006); Board Member (2002-06)
    • Military Spouse JD Network
    • Women’s White Collar Defense Association