As the Managing Partner of Hanson Bridgett LLP, Kristina Lawson is responsible for all aspects of the firm's strategy and management. She is the first woman to lead the firm in its 65+ year history. Known in the legal industry and beyond as a progressive and collaborative leader, the San Francisco Business Times named her one of the Bay Area’s Most Admired CEOs in 2024. Previously, Kristina was named to the San Francisco Business Times’ 2023 and 2024 Power 100 lists of the Bay Area’s most influential business leaders, and recognized as one of the Bay Area's Most Influential Women in Business.

In addition to her role at the firm, Kristina serves as the Chair of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the Bay Area Council, an organization of 300+ influential employers committed to working with public and community leaders to keep the Bay Area the most innovative, globally competitive, inclusive, and sustainable region in the world. Kristina is a former Mayor of the City of Walnut Creek, a city of approximately 65,000 residents located east of San Francisco in the greater Bay Area region. In 2015, Kristina was appointed by California Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. to serve on the Medical Board of California, and was reappointed to the Board in 2022 by Governor Gavin Newsom. She currently serves as the Medical Board's President, and previously served in the role from 2020-2023. Kristina was recently appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to serve on California's Health Workforce Education and Training Council.

Kristina counsels clients in complex California entitlement, land use, environmental/natural resources and municipal matters. She is a respected statewide authority on California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) compliance and strategy, and is an active participant in statewide CEQA modernization efforts. A sought-after and trusted strategic advisor, Kristina often advises clients on public policy, land use ballot measure strategy, and government relations strategy.