PRACTICE CHAIR
Christine A. Samsel

Christine A. Samsel

Shareholder

Background

Comprehensive coast-to-coast employment law attorney. Over three decades of experience. Proactively identifies issues and provides creative solutions to mitigate risk and promote business goals.

Christine Samsel advises employers—public and private companies, large and small, and celebrities and high-net-worth individuals—on virtually every aspect of employment law, from counseling on day-to-day issues and corporate transactions to managing high-level internal investigations and adversarial proceedings. Clients value her ability to assess risk and resolve issues efficiently, effectively and strategically. An asset at every stage of a company’s evolution, Christine handles the employment aspects of corporate transactions for companies and investors, including preparing companies for market, conducting due diligence, negotiating deal terms, creating definitive documents and assisting in transitions. She has handled a wide variety of litigation and federal, state and local administrative proceedings before agencies such as the EEOC, DOL, and Department of Homeland Security, among others.

Adept at balancing business goals and legal needs, Christine is at the forefront of emerging issues, guiding employers in areas such as AI, the Covid-19 pandemic and marijuana legalization to proactively mitigate risk and ensure compliance with continually changing laws. She works with government agencies to craft regulations that make employer rights and obligations clear. Christine also works closely with celebrity and high-net-worth individual clients on employment issues related to their businesses and households. 

Committed to sharing her knowledge, she frequently writes and speaks on employment law topics throughout the country.

Representative Matters

Transactional

  • Christine oversees the employment law aspects of corporate transactions, identifying potential liabilities and ensuring the seamless transfer of employees from company to company. She collaborates with boards of directors and top-level management to negotiate and draft purchase agreement provisions, high-level executive employment agreements, restrictive covenant agreements, severance agreements and related documents. Christine also is adept at assisting companies in preparing to go to market, identifying and remedying issues pre-transaction to maximize return.

Advice & Counsel

  • Looked to as a leading resource on employment issues, including emerging topics, Christine partners with clients to provide strategic, business savvy advice on virtually every aspect of employment law, including hiring, terminations, reductions in force, leaves of absence, legal compliance and the myriad other issues that companies face on a day-to-day basis. Christine regularly negotiates and drafts employment agreements, restrictive covenant agreements and policies, among other things. She frequently assists clients with internal and external audits and conducts in-house training on a variety of topics.

Insights & Publications

News

Credentials

Education

  • J.D., 1990, University of Virginia School of Law
  • B.A., 1986, Smith College

Admissions

  • California
  • Colorado
  • District of Columbia
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
  • U.S. District Court, Central District of California
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
  • U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
  • U.S. District Court, District of Columbia
  • U.S. District Court, District of Maryland
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Virginia
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
  • U.S. Supreme Court

Memberships

Faculty of Federal Advocates member (2015-present); Board member (November 2015-December 2021); President (January 2017-January 2018); Fellowship Program Committee (November 2015-January 2018); Membership Committee (November 2015-December 2021); New Lawyers Committee (November 2015-December 2021); CLE Program Committee (Co-Chair, January 2015-March 2021; member, April 2021-present); Trial Advocacy Committee (November 2015-January 2018); President Elect (May 2016-December 2016); Nominating Committee (Chair, May 2016-January 2018; member, January 2018-January 2019); 2017/2019 Forum Committees (Co-Chair; May 2016-December 2019); Annual Reception Committee (Chair; May 2016-January 2019); 2018, 2020 and 2022 Roundtable Committees (Chair/Co-Chair; January 2017-December 2021); Liaison Committee (May 2016-January 2019); History Project Committee (May 2016-January 2018); Treasury and Budget Committee (May 2016-January 2018); Newsletter Committee (January 2018-December 2021)

American Bar Association

California Bar Association

Colorado Bar Association

District of Columbia Bar Association

Los Angeles County Bar Association

Virginia Bar Association

Labor & Employment Section, District of Columbia Bar Association

Labor & Employment Section, Los Angeles County Bar Association

Labor & Employment Section, American Bar Association

Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

Community Involvement

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:

Vice President of the Board, Colorado Children’s Chorale and member of Executive Committee and Tuition Assistance Committee

Board Member, Rocky Mountain Children's Law Center and External Affairs Committee, and Chair of Events Committee and annual dinner (2013-2015)

Board Member and Co-Chair, Programs and Convention Committees, Colorado Women's Bar Association (2012-2014)

Recognition

AWARDS:

"Christine gives great practical advice in easy to understand terms. Her experience and depth and breadth of knowledge is incredible." "Christine is an exceptional partner. She possesses an amazing command of the changing legal landscape, while also understanding the needs of the business.” – Chambers USA, 2024

"Christine explains legal matters in clear terms and works very quickly to address delicate, complex and time-sensitive matters." "Christine is always responsive regardless of the hour of the day." "She shows dedication and endless hard work."  – Chambers USA, 2023

"She understands the risk we are willing to absorb as a company and works to navigate issues accordingly." – Chambers USA, 2021

Best Lawyers in America, 2024-2025

5280 Top Lawyers, 2017-2024

Chambers USA, 2016-2024

Colorado Super Lawyers, 2021-2024

Top Rated Lawyer in Labor & Employment, American Lawyer Media and Martindale-Hubbell™, (2013-present)

AV® Preeminent™, Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating (2002-present)

Certified California Appellate Law Specialist (2002-2007)

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