Skip to content
Contact Me
biopic copy_1

About Christina L. Martini

For nearly 25 years, Christina L. Martini has been a practicing intellectual property attorney in BigLaw. Tina is a partner at McDermott Will & Emery, and she focuses her practice on domestic and international trademark and copyright law, as well as domain name, Internet, social media, advertising, unfair competition and entertainment law.

She has extensive experience in counseling, prosecution, enforcement, due diligence and licensing matters, and in assisting clients in protecting their intellectual property rights through litigation and other means, including the courts and uniform dispute resolution procedures.

Tina regularly advises clients in the areas of brand development and management, and she develops, manages, maintains and enforces large intellectual property portfolios. She works closely with clients from the beginning stages of product development and provides strategic advice in searching and filing for brand names domestically and internationally. She creates global filing strategies to maximize clients' protection of their valuable brands in a streamlined, cost-effective way, and manages the global registration, maintenance, enforcement, licensing and disposition of those rights. Tina also advises clients regarding domain name, social media and on-line advertising strategy and enforcement. She creates and implements intellectual property policies and process plans which are specifically tailored to meet clients' legal and business needs. In addition, she has extensive experience in negotiating and drafting a wide variety of agreements which address various intellectual property rights. She has also been instrumental in numerous litigation successes in federal and state courts, and in domain name proceedings before various administrative organizations such as the World Intellectual Property Organization.

Tina's experience reaches across a wide variety of business sectors, including food, food service, beverage, housewares, apparel, energy, agriculture, consulting, restaurant, franchising, advertising, real estate and financial services. One of her many areas of focus is in the pharmaceutical/life sciences sector, which is known for its unique, high-stakes challenges in the development and protection of brands.

Tina served as on-loan intellectual property counsel for both Kraft Foods, Inc. and Searle/Monsanto for approximately one year. During both secondments, she gained invaluable insight and experience regarding the legal and business responsibilities of in-house counsel.

Prior to joining McDermott Will & Emery in July 2018, Tina was a partner and a senior leader at an AmLaw 100 global firm where she practiced for nearly 25 years. She held a number of key leadership roles, including serving as the firm’s National Hiring Partner-Associate Recruiting, sitting on the firm’s Executive and Policy Committees, serving as chair of the Chicago Intellectual Property Practice and serving on its Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee, among other roles.

 

Recognitions

Tina has received numerous accolades during her professional career. In 2017, Crain's Chicago Business named Tina as one of Chicago's Most Influential Minority Lawyers. The inaugural list honors 45 of Chicago's leading diverse attorneys for their profound impact on the Chicagoland community and the legal profession. Tina was specifically recognized for her outstanding professional accomplishments, strong leadership and tireless commitment to improving opportunities for women and diverse lawyers.

In 2017, Tina was named to the inaugural list of Acritas Stars, which is a source of highly recommended lawyers that is a result of a survey of more than 3,000 senior in-house counsel globally. Four core attributes that were repeatedly expressed as distinguishing features for Acritas Stars lawyers include: being experts in their field; responsive; pragmatic; adept at building rapport with clients; approachable; and business-minded.

In 2017, Tina was one of four recipients of the Anti-Defamation League's (ADL) Women of Achievement Award. Presented each year by the Greater Chicago/ Upper Midwest Regional Chapter of the ADL, the award recognizes women who are outstanding in their respective fields and embody the spirit and philosophy of ADL through efforts to improve communication and understanding among Chicago's diverse, racial, religious and ethnic communities. Past recipients include Valerie Jarrett, senior adviser to former President Barack Obama; Lynn Martin, former US Secretary of Labor; Andrea Zopp, former CEO and president of the Chicago Urban League; and many other general counsel and executives of Fortune 100 companies and leading professional services firms. Click here to view the press release and click here to read Tina's acceptance speech.

For many years, Tina has been rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell, based on peer and client reviews and surveys. In addition, she has been selected as one of America's leading intellectual property lawyers by Chambers & Partners, a respected English research firm. Chambers & Partners has stated that Tina "focuses on international trademark and copyright law, with a respected track record relating to the internet and entertainment law." Clients have praised her in Chambers USA for her background in industrial engineering, which gives her the "extraordinary ability to produce appropriate analysis for any situation and offer outstanding solutions to the client's varied and complex legal needs." She "provides excellent client service," is "a joy to work with," is "skilled, intelligent and business-savvy," has "tremendous enthusiasm, passion, diligence and attention to detail," and "ensures that she is providing what a client needs." Clients have also said: "She is exceptional. Serious, strategic and highly intelligent. She is sensitive to our business needs and very commercially minded." The directory has further noted that she "assesses risk not just from a textbook legal perspective, but also in a way that can be communicated to business leaders." She is also recognized for her "strategic vision," being "very good at giving advice from a 10,000 foot macro level." Clients also say Tina has "excellent client service skills and is devoted to ensuring that all needs and objectives are satisfied," and she has been praised for her "exceptional sense of responsibility to her clients." "One source said: 'If I had a trademark prosecution issue I would hire her in a second.'" She has also been repeatedly recommended by The Legal 500 United States.

From 2011 to 2018, Tina has been named in World Trademark Review 1000, a guide to the world's leading trademark practitioners. The publication notes that she plays a significant role in developing and implementing brand strategies for clients in both global and local markets, and in protecting clients' trademark rights in the event of infringement. In 2018, it states that "she has been pulling the strings in a number of sophisticated enforcement and pre-litigation mandates," and she has "an exceptional mind and sense for portfolio management and can juggle huge workloads – her strategic thinking distinguishes her from others. A juggernaut in the trademark market, [she] is thoughtful, intelligent, client-oriented and an inspiration." WTR has also stated that she "shine[s] across a range of mandates. Martini's science background serves her well on pharmaceutical and food briefs - as does her familiarity with food and drug regulations. Having been seconded to Fortune 100 companies, Monsanto and Kraft, she can put herself in her client's shoes and anticipate their aims, whether she is thinking through the next steps of portfolio development or launching a complaint against a competitor. She is a great practitioner whose reputation precedes her." Clients and peers "profess themselves proud to collaborate with her" and state that "[h]er trademark and copyright practice is all the more impressive given her in-depth knowledge of domain name, Internet, social media, advertising and competition matters." Tina is also described as "strong, respected and well-known" and "dependably quick, logical and thoughtful." WTR also comments that "[she] continues to make a great impression. She compliments her excellent service and deep legal knowledge with invaluable insight gained through her past in-house experience." World Trademark Review further notes that she is "highly skilled and articulate. She is a trademark expert in all areas, and her quality of work is of an exceedingly high level. In addition, the erudite practitioner is great on a personal level- she is both trustworthy and easy-going." She is an "outstanding lawyer" and "highly effective brand strategist," who "delivers unparalleled assistance. Her strategic skill is second to none."

In 2014, Managing Intellectual Property, a leading global news and analysis publication, included Tina in its list of "IP Stars - Top 250 Women in IP." Practitioners are chosen as "the best of the best in their field" following extensive client case research and over 1,000 peer interviews and surveys conducted by the publication's editorial team.

Tina is one of only 165 lawyers named to the 2010 BTI Client Service All-Star Team for Law Firms, which recognizes lawyers who "top the charts in client service excellence" and "have packaged proactive outreach, counseling and a healthy dose of practicality with their deep understanding of their clients' business." Lawyers appear on the list only if they are named by clients in an unprompted manner through BTI's research. The rankings are driven solely by feedback received directly from corporate counsel from large and Fortune 1000 companies.

In 2013, Tina was named a Fellow of The American Bar Foundation, which is an organization dedicated to advancing justice through research on the law, its processes and its impact on society. Tina has also been designated an Illinois Super Lawyer, as the result of research projects conducted jointly by Law & Politics and Chicago magazines. She is the recipient of Lawyer Monthly magazine's "Women in Law 2016 Award," and has also been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America, Chicago's Best Lawyers, Chicago Tribune's Best Lawyers in Illinois, Euromoney's Trade Mark Expert Guide, Guide to the World's Leading Trademark Law Practitioners and Guide to the World's Leading Women in Business Law, Corporate LiveWire's Best in Trademark Law Services and M&A Awards, Legal Leader's Chicago's Top Rated Lawyers and by American Registry in its list of America's Most Honored Professionals and Top Attorneys in Illinois.

In 2013, the Law Bulletin Publishing Company named Tina as one of only 17 lawyers to receive the "Women in Law: Women Making an Impact" award. As the Law Bulletin notes, clients and colleagues say Tina "is one of the best lawyers" they have worked with, and that she "is clearly dedicated to her client's best interests." They also say that she is "extremely bright," does a "fabulous job for her clients" and has "extraordinary energy, enthusiasm and insight."

In 2013, the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin featured Tina in the profile "A Seat at the Table," where she discussed her various leadership roles and career while she was at DLA Piper.

In 2013, Chicago Lawyer magazine featured Tina in its "Checking in on the 'Next Generation of Law Firm Leaders.'" This article was a follow up to the magazine's 2009 cover story about Tina as one of a small group of "leaders of the future" who "go above and beyond practicing law because they care about what their firm looks like today and will look like in the future." In the 2013 update, Tina reflects on the developments in her career over the past several years, along with the changes in the industry and how previous predictions about the future of law compare to how things are today.

In 2010, the Law Bulletin Publishing Company, publisher of Chicago Daily Law Bulletin and Chicago Lawyer magazine, named Tina one of "40 Illinois Attorneys under Forty to Watch." As the Law Bulletin notes, clients, colleagues and peers consider her an "extremely talented," "outstanding" and "profoundly committed" professional who "has very sharp analytical skills, great intuition and ability to work in the gray areas" and "has a very practical wisdom, something you might expect to see in someone who has practiced law for over 30 years."

 

Other Accomplishments

Tina is committed to making a positive difference in the careers and lives of others. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Better Government Association and the University of Illinois Campus Alumni Advisory Board. She has also served as a board member of the Chicago Committee – Advancing Minority Attorneys/Transforming the Legal Profession and is on the Executive Board of Directors and Co-Founder of Hispanic Majority, an organization committed to supporting the next generation of Latino leadership. She is a member of the Chicago Committee on Women's Initiatives in Law. Her extensive pro bono work has included co-chairing the International Trademark Association's Saul Lefkowitz Moot Court Competition for the Midwest region.


Events

  • Chair, DLA Piper Global Women's Leadership Summit (September 29-30, 2014)


Civic & Charitable

  • Better Government Association, Board of Directors (2012 – 2017)
  • Chicago Committee – Advancing Minority Attorneys/Transforming the Legal Profession, Board of Directors (2008 – 2015)
  • Hispanic Majority, Co-Founder and Executive Board of Directors
  • University of Illinois Campus Alumni Advisory Board (2011 – 2017)
  • Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago, Board of Managers (2008 – 2010)
  • Member, Chicago Committee on Women's Initiatives in Law
  • Co-chair, Saul Lefkowitz Trademark Moot Court Competition Planning Committee, Midwest Region (2005 – 2007)
  • Member, Saul Lefkowitz Trademark Moot Court Competition Planning Committee, Midwest Region (2002 – 2017)
  • Mentor, Leadership Council on Legal Diversity
  • Alumni Advisor, Northwestern University School of Law Alumni Advisor Program


Prior Experience

Prior to joining McDermott Will & Emery in July 2018, Tina had been with DLA Piper (and its legacy firms Piper Rudnick and Rudnick & Wolfe) since she graduated law school. She graduated from Northwestern University School of Law in 1994, where she was Notes & Comments Editor for the Northwestern Journal of International Law and Business. During law school, Tina was a legal intern in the Office of the General Counsel at Baxter Healthcare Corporation. Prior to law school, Tina graduated with highest distinction from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a Bachelors of Science degree in Industrial Engineering. She completed her degree in three years and graduated with University Honors as a James Scholar. During engineering school, Tina worked at Motorola, Inc. as an engineering intern specializing in manufacturing and optimization. She also served as a research assistant for the Industrial Engineering Department at the University of Illinois at Chicago.


Education

  • Harvard Business School DLA Piper/Harvard Leadership Program 2010
  • J.D., Northwestern University School of Law 1994 Notes and Comments Editor, Northwestern Journal of International Law and Business (1993 – 1994) Author, "Medical Waste Regulation in the US: A Dire Need for Recognition and Reform," Northwestern Journal of International Law and Business (1993)
  • B.S.I.E., University of Illinois at Chicago 1991 with highest honors


Courts

  • United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois


Memberships

  • The American Bar Foundation
  • American Bar Association
  • Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois
  • Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago
  • Chicago Committee – Advancing Minority Attorneys/Transforming the Legal Profession
  • Chicago Bar Association
  • Illinois State Bar Association
  • International Trademark Association

 

Insights

Tina is a speaker, author and columnist, and she frequently shares her thought leadership with respect to current issues and trends impacting both the legal and business landscapes. Premiering in April 2010, the Chicago Lawyer is featuring Tina and her column, "Inside Out," which compares and contrasts private practice and in-house counsel perspectives on these issues. These columns can be found on YouTube and at www.chicagolawyermagazine.com. Click here to view the complete archive of Tina's Chicago Lawyer columns. Beginning in January 2012, the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin is featuring Tina's column "Paradigm Shift," which focuses on different facets of the practice of law which have been impacted by the seismic changes in the profession over the past several years, and the business context which drives both the legal profession and professional service organizations as a whole. Click here to view the complete archive of Tina's Chicago Daily Law Bulletin columns.

 

Publications & Thought Leadership

 

Publications

Paradigm Shift Reprint Archive

Inside Out Reprint Archive

Under Pressure
16 JAN 2018
When pressure’s pressing down on you

Learning firsthand how to fight bigotry and discrimination
15 JUN 2017
Tina's latest "Paradigm Shift" column shares an excerpt from her Anti-Defamation League's Women of Achievement Award speech.

Life's lessons and experiences have a way of shaping who we are
29 MAR 2017
Tina's latest "Paradigm Shift" column is on the importance of focusing on what really matters, enjoying life's journey and not just focusing on the destination and truly treasuring those people and experiences that have shaped and meant the most to us and not letting them get lost or forgotten along the way.

Women lawyers leveraging social networks: presenting your best self
16 SEP 2016
Ms. JD blog

Feeling lash of discrimination before diversity was a popular word
15 SEP 2016

Ten tips for law firms on making the most of a summer associate program
18 JUL 2016

Ten tips for summer associates: how to make the most of your time
11 JUL 2016

Defining success in the law - 8 JUL 2016
Ms. JD blog

Start thinking of yourself more as a business owner than an attorney
21 JAN 2016

Ten tips for generating a life sciences brand name
19 NOV 2015
The proliferation of brands, combined with the PR and financial consequences of a potential rebrand in the event of infringement, has made selecting a trademark trickier than ever. Christina Martini and Virginia Wolk Marino report.

The magic of professional gravitas
15 NOV 2015
Ms. JD blog

How to define value in legal services
29 OCT 2015

Innovation in the law
18 OCT 2015
Ms. JD blog

The power of the elevator speech
29 SEP 2015
Ms. JD blog

Generating life sciences brand names: 5 key tips
25 AUG 2015
A high-stakes process

Moneyball provides lessons in good recruitment, management
23 AUG 2015
Ms. JD blog

A call to action for both young, veteran lawyers
20 AUG 2015

What a new lawyer should know
17 AUG 2015
Ms. JD blog

Finding and keeping legal talent
13 AUG 2015
Ms. JD blog

Decoding myths and perceptions of introverts for extroverts
18 JUN 2015

Building relationships with clients: a DLA Piper partner's tips
5 JUN 2015
Bloomberg BNA

Professional development tips from a DLA Piper partner
27 MAY 2015
Bloomberg BNA

Cultivating big law diversity
16 MAR 2015
Bloomberg BNA

The importance of humility in practicing law
16 APR 2014

The benefits and challenges of one of advertising's most valuable assets - the slogan
5 MAR 2014

Developing Business
7 NOV 2013

Calculated risks help in reaching goals
9 JAN 2013
Chicago Daily Law Bulletin

Giving the Gift of Service to Another Can Provide a Lasting Impact
19 DEC 2012

Passion makes attorneys more effective
13 DEC 2012

Knowing how to change course
10 Dec 2012

Executive coaching for attorneys drives self-improvement, success
2 Oct 2012

Emotional intelligence, diversity lead to success in business world
4 Sep 2012

Lawyers Can Maximize Return on Business Development Investment
23 Aug 2012

Lawyers thrive by developing business
10 Jul 2012

Tips explore how to maximize effectiveness with clients
7 Jun 2012

Emotional intelligence may impact a lawyer's client service
10 May 2012

Mentors, mentees find emotional intelligence critical to relationships
10 Apr 2012

Innovation must become a necessary part of a lawyer's job
7 Mar 2012
Chicago Daily Law Bulletin

Emotional intelligence helps define success in a different way
6 Feb 2012
Chicago Daily Law Bulletin

Lawyers must focus on their new year's resolutions
10 Jan 2012
Chicago Daily Law Bulletin

Emotional intelligence and diversity: empowering success
12 Sep 2011

Why differences bridge differences
1 Jul 2011

Cultivating professional success through mentoring
28 Jun 2011

Emotional intelligence: driving success in today's business environment
22 Mar 2011

Seeing the life of a lawyer from different sides
2 Apr 2010
Christina Martini describes what life if like as a partner in an international legal practice.

Rescuecom v. Google: changing the future of keyword advertising?
11 Sep 2009

"What is the Difference Between the Right Legal Answer and the Right Business Decision," Chicago Lawyer, May 2018

 

Events

  • Presenter, "Mindfulness for the Woman Lawyer," Association of Corporate Counsel Webcast (November 29, 2017)
  • Presenter, "Branding and Sector Strategy in Practice," DLA Piper Marbury Institute – Level 3 Associate Academy (November 14, 2017)
  • Moderator, "Our Brand is Crisis: Legal Education at the Crossroads," Thomson Reuters Legal Executive Institute – The Future of Law Schools (November 2, 2017)
  • Presenter, "Advanced Business Development Strategies," Chicago Bar Association's Leadership Institute (September 14, 2017)
  • Presenter, "Branding Strategies and Utilizing Marketing Resources," DLA Piper Marbury Institute – Level 2 Associate Academy (September 12, 2017)
  • Presenter, "Ethics of Diversity and the Economics of Inclusion," Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession (March 29, 2017)
  • Presenter, "International Trademarks, using Paris Convention, TRIPS and Madrid Protocol," Federal Circuit Bar Association webinar (March 29, 2017)
  • Presenter, "Advanced Business Development and Networking Skills," Chicago Bar Association's Leadership Institute (September 15, 2016)
  • Speaker, "Beyond Experience - The Game Changers," Thomson Reuters Legal Executive Institute – 23rd Annual Marketing Partner Forum Conference (January 20, 2016)
  • Presenter, "Making Your Own Way: Finding a Path to a Fulfilling Legal Career," Northwestern Alumni Fireside Chat Event Series (November 18, 2015)
  • Speaker, "Women's Transformative Leadership: Empowerment by Improving Participation and Representation," Thomson Reuters Legal Executive Institute – Women's Transformative Leadership conference (September 10, 2015)
  • Speaker, "Copyright, Trademarks, or Litigation? The Promises and Pitfalls of Intellectual Property Rights for Writers," ThrillerFest, Chicago (July 9-10, 2015)
  • Chair, DLA Piper Global Women's Leadership Summit (September 29-30, 2014)
  • Panelist, "Building Your Own Success," Coalition of Women's Initiatives in the Law, Fourth Annual Leadership Forum (October 28, 2013)
  • "General Counsel Boot Camp – Intellectual Property," Corporate Counsel Women of Color, Eighth Annual Career Strategies Conference, Chicago (October 10, 2012)
  • Presenter, "The Law Firm as a Business Model," Northwestern University School of Law (April 9, 2012)
  • Presenter, "Finding Success in the Law," Posse Foundation, Chicago (March 22, 2012)

 

News

29 DLA Piper lawyers in 11 countries ranked among The World's Leading Trademark Professionals (14 FEB 2018)

WTR 1000: The World's Leading Trademark Professionals 2018 has named 29 DLA Piper lawyers from nine countries to its list of top trademark professionals.

Crain's Chicago Business names Christina Martini of DLA Piper among the city's most influential minority lawyers (11 DEC 2017)

DLA Piper is pleased to announce that Christina Martini, chair of the firm's Chicago Intellectual Property practice and national hiring partner for associate recruiting, has been recognized as one of Chicago's most influential minority lawyers by Crain's Chicago Business.

Christina Martini receives ADL Women of Achievement Award (28 APR 2017)

DLA Piper is pleased to announce that Christina Martini, a partner in the firm's Chicago office, is one of four recipients of the 2017 Anti-Defamation League's (ADL) Women of Achievement Award.

26 DLA Piper lawyers ranked among The World's Leading Trademark Professionals (17 MAR 2017)

WTR 1000: The World's Leading Trademark Professionals 2017 has named 26 DLA Piper lawyers from nine countries to its list of top trademark professionals.

 

Media Mentions

Tina is a speaker, author and columnist, and she frequently shares her thought leadership with respect to current issues and trends impacting both the legal and business landscapes. Premiering in April 2010, the Chicago Lawyer is featuring Tina and her column, "Inside Out," which compares and contrasts private practice and in-house counsel perspectives on these issues. These columns can be found on YouTube and at www.chicagolawyermagazine.com. Beginning in January 2012, the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin has featured Tina's column "Paradigm Shift," which focuses on different facets of the practice of law which have been impacted by the seismic changes in the profession over the past several years, and the business context which drives both the legal profession and professional service organizations as a whole.

Tina is a multimedia journalist, legal commentator and podcast host contributing to many media outlets, including Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters, WGN Plus Radio, Huffington Post, Fast Company, Corporate Counsel magazine, Law360, National Law Journal, Inside Counsel magazine, Little PINK Book, Chicago Lawyer magazine, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin and World Trademark Review. Tina frequently speaks on myriad topics, including business of law issues and trends impacting both the legal and business landscapes.

Since January 2018, Tina is the host and producer of the legal podcast "Paradigm Shift," which explores the intersection of business and law and the business context which drives both the legal profession and business landscape. "Paradigm Shift" appears weekly on the renowned network C-Suite Radio.

Since June 2017, Tina is the co-host of WGN Radio's show "Legal Face-Off," which is one of the nation's premier legal programs. Tina and her co-host, preeminent workers' compensation attorney Rich Lenkov, debate politics, current events, entertainment and sports from a legal perspective.

Scroll To Top