Cris Armenta clerked for United States District Judge Robert J. Kelleher in the United States District Court (Central District of California). She was formerly a Senior Litigation Associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.

Real Estate Litigation
Cris Armenta's broad real estate experience encompasses in all areas of real estate litigation, including complex commercial landlord/tenant issues, brokerage disputes, purchase and sale disputes, disclosure issues, and construction defects. She has represented national banks, retailers, brokers, developers, tenants, landlords, and homeowners.

Cris has established herself as a leader in the rehabilitation of slum housing, pioneering a novel action in which she successfully transformed a major downtown apartment building into habitable and safe housing consisting of both low-income and market rate units.   She consults regularly with Bet Tzedek Legal Services as a resource on real estate litigation, landlord/tenant issues and the rehabilitation of slum housing through receivership actions.

Professional Liability
Cris Armenta has represented law firms, corporate directors and officers, real estate firms, and brokers in professional negligence and breach of fiduciary duty claims. She recently negotiated and obtained a dismissal, for no consideration, for a director and officer of an international real estate and travel services company in an action in which several of the other officers were criminally indicted and the subject of intense public scrutiny.

Arts and Entertainment
Cris Armenta's clients include visual artists, computer programmers, animators, writers and other entertainment and media talent. Her representative cases include one involving several fine art painters suing a commercial distributor accused of forging and illegally copying those artists’ works and a second involving a photographer whose protected images were exploited through the internet by a well-known celebrity.     She has represented major studios and retailers in defending litigation and in assessing the risks in connection with various entertainment properties.

Unfair Business Practices and Competition, Class Actions
Cris Armenta has extensive experience in class and representative actions filed under California's Unfair Competition Act and the federal Lanham Act, both as trial counsel and in advising clients on potential claims and defenses.   Corporate clients regularly consult with Cris regarding the risks posed by class actions and California's unfair competition actions.

Languages and Affiliations
Cris   Armenta has advised major commercial clients on general business and intellectual property issues throughout Latin America utilizing her fluency in Spanish and knowledge of cultural issues affecting international trade.

Cris has received Bet Tzedek Legal Services' Elyse Klein Volunteer Attorney of the Year Award, has been commended by the California State Assembly and received the Board of Governors Award from Loyola Law School in 2002 for her public service. She is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, the Mexican-American Bar Association, and has taken an active role in State Bar Committees as a member of the Diversity Committee and the Federal Courts Committee. Cris   sits on the Board of Directors for the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California and for the Century City Bar Association.

Education
University of California at Berkeley, B.A., Rhetoric, 1989
Loyola Law School, J.D., 1994, Order of the Coif, and Managing Editor, Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review