Full Name
Kristina Lawson
Job Title
Managing Partner
Company
Hanson Bridgett
Speaker Bio
Kristina Lawson serves as the Managing Partner and Chair of the firm’s Management Committee at Hanson Bridgett. As the firm’s chief executive, she oversees all aspects of the firm’s strategic direction and management. She is the first female Managing Partner in Hanson Bridgett’s 65+ year history. In addition to leading 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.
Renowned in the legal industry and beyond as a progressive and collaborative leader, Kristina was recognized in the San Francisco Business Times’ 2023 and 2024 Power 100 lists of the Bay Area’s Most Influential Business Leaders. She is a former Mayor of the City of Walnut Creek, a city of approximately 65,000 residents in the greater Bay Area. In 2015, Kristina was appointed by California Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. to serve on the Medical Board of California, and was reappointed in 2022 by Governor Gavin Newsom, serving as the Medical Board’s President from 2020-2023.
Kristina is a specialist 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, actively contributing to statewide CEQA modernization efforts. She is a frequent author of complex California land use ballot initiatives/referenda. As a trusted strategic advisor, Kristina often advises clients on public policy, land use ballot measure strategy, and government relations strategy.
At Hanson Bridgett, Kristina is committed to leading by example and building on the firm’s strong California foundation. She continues to advance the firm’s values-driven programs, fostering an inclusive culture of engagement and collaboration, and doubling down on DEI initiatives.
Renowned in the legal industry and beyond as a progressive and collaborative leader, Kristina was recognized in the San Francisco Business Times’ 2023 and 2024 Power 100 lists of the Bay Area’s Most Influential Business Leaders. She is a former Mayor of the City of Walnut Creek, a city of approximately 65,000 residents in the greater Bay Area. In 2015, Kristina was appointed by California Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. to serve on the Medical Board of California, and was reappointed in 2022 by Governor Gavin Newsom, serving as the Medical Board’s President from 2020-2023.
Kristina is a specialist 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, actively contributing to statewide CEQA modernization efforts. She is a frequent author of complex California land use ballot initiatives/referenda. As a trusted strategic advisor, Kristina often advises clients on public policy, land use ballot measure strategy, and government relations strategy.
At Hanson Bridgett, Kristina is committed to leading by example and building on the firm’s strong California foundation. She continues to advance the firm’s values-driven programs, fostering an inclusive culture of engagement and collaboration, and doubling down on DEI initiatives.
Speaking At
