Christina Bellardo joined the Firm in 2021. Ms. Bellardo brings extensive trial experience to the Firm. Prior to joining the Firm, Ms. Bellardo litigated complex criminal cases for almost a decade in Indiana for offenses including, but not limited to, sex crimes, murder, child abuse, and domestic violence. She has litigated over 2,000 cases including almost 100 trials.
Having grown up in the heart of Silicon Valley with family in the technology industry, Ms. Bellardo is a tech guru. She regularly combines her tech knowledge and the law. While prosecuting in Indiana, Ms. Bellardo designed and implemented a work-product-focused cloud-based case preparation solution for all attorneys and support staff, making the entire criminal division paperless. She designed and created an efficient electronic workflow process. This included developing and testing mechanisms for paperless prosecution for all cases from misdemeanor to murder.
In her California practice, Ms. Bellardo excels at technology-forward litigation skills, such as e-discovery software and compliance. Ms. Bellardo recently successfully litigated three trial court CEQA cases involving extensive Administrative Records, of which she oversaw the compilation. She successfully obtains Ex Parte and permanent orders such as Workplace Violence Restraining Orders, Inspection Warrant and Abatement Orders, etc.
Ms. Bellardo advises clients on most areas of public agency law including the Brown Act, CPRA, personnel matters, CEQA, ethical considerations in conjunction with AB 1234, and, of course, litigation matters. She regularly attends client public meetings providing legal advice both prior to and during the meetings. Ms. Bellardo’s experience makes her an asset when tasked with issuing advice and opinions especially on complex legal matters involving extensive research and analysis.