Christa has a broad range of experience defending complex mass tort and business matters including class actions, false advertising and products liability claims. She also advises clients in the manufacturing and retail and consumer sectors on a wide array of marketing and regulatory issues. As their trusted advisor, she keeps abreast to industry trends and challenges and helps them to develop pro-active solutions.
Her corporate experience includes advising clients on product labeling, such as compliance with state and federal laws. She also helps develop public relation strategies and responds to inquiries from federal agencies, including the Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission and Consumer Product Safety Commission. For R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, R. J. Reynolds Vapor Company, American Snuff Company and others, she advises on the legal challenges related to tobacco products and electronic cigarettes.
Christa counsels clients on best practices for avoiding legal disputes. However when called upon, she has a depth of experience in all stages of case preparation and trial, including offensive and defensive discovery; briefing and motions practice; and evaluating, developing, and preparing fact and expert witnesses for deposition, trial, and appeal. She also has experience at mediation and arbitration.
Publications and Presentations
Publications
- Christa E. Burger, Alexander P. Rothschild, and Christopher A. Kreiner, Timing Is Everything: When Should You Depose the Adverse Party During Discovery? The Brief, Quarterly Publication of the American Bar Association's Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section, Vol. 44, No. 4 (Summer 2015).
- Bring Back Your Beat, The Advocate, published by the Young Lawyers Division of the North Carolina Bar Association, Vol. 32, No. 4 (Summer 2014).
- Co-author, Expanding Global Trademark Regulation, 10 Wake Forest Intell. Prop. L.J. 215 (2010).
- Are Publicity Rights Gone in a Flash?: Flickr, Creative Commons, and the Commercial Use of Personal Photographs, 8 Fla. St. Bus. Rev. 129 (2009).
Presentations
- Co-presenter, AHFA Regulatory Summit, “Compliance & Risk Management: Cost of Business or Competitive Advantage” (October 25, 2017)
- Co-presenter, AHFA Joint Regulatory Workshop, “Best Practices for Document Retrieval/Section 770.30 + Labeling” (January 19, 2017)
- Co-presenter, MDNC Fall CLE and Banquet, ““It’s All About Location, Location, Location: Remand and Removal in North Carolina” (October 20, 2016)
Civic and Professional Activities
- Defense Research Institute (Women in the Law; Young Lawyers)
- Co-Chair NCBA 4ALL Service Day Winston Salem Call Center (2013)
- Past President, Triad Gator Club (local affiliate of the University of Florida Alumni Association)
Honors and Awards
- Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America (BL Rankings), Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions - Defendants and Product Liability Litigation - Defendants, 2023 - Present
- Winston Under 40 Leadership Award (2016)
Experience
Any result the lawyer or law firm may have achieved on behalf of clients in other matters does not necessarily indicate similar results can be obtained for other clients.
- Center for Environmental Health vs. R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company (2016)
- In re: American Medical Systems, Inc., Pelvic Repair System Products Liability Litigation (2016)
- Harris v. R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company (2015)
- Campbell v. Philip Morris et al. (2013)
- Haldeman v. Philip Morris et al. (2013)
- Vertison v. American Snuff Company (2012)
- National arbitration regarding Master Settlement Agreement Non-Participating Manufacturer Escrow Statute enforcement (2012)
