Biography
Crystal counsels clients through all stages of litigation, including trial and appeal. Her practice spans a number of different industries, including the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, technology, financial services, media, and consumer products sectors. She also has experience representing clients in congressional investigations spanning both chambers of Congress.
Some of Crystal’s recent experience includes*:
- Representing a large tech company in several appeals regarding the scope and interpretation of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act
- Representing multiple individuals in the financial services industry facing breach of fiduciary duty and related civil claims in federal district courts
- Representing a global consumer goods company in international arbitration over claims that it breached a product manufacturing and distribution contract
- Representing a leading consumer products company in complex, multi-defendant litigation seeking to impose public nuisance liability for marine plastic pollution
- Representing a multinational telecommunications company in an investigation by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations into Team Telecom reform, including preparing company representatives for an interview with committee staff
- Representing a company under investigation by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce for its marketing practices and interactions with the FDA, including preparing the company’s founders and Chief Administrative Officer to testify in a high-profile hearing before the committee
- Representing a global e-commerce company under investigation by the New York Attorney General’s office over its COVID-19-related policies and practices
- Representing victims of terrorism enforcing a multibillion-dollar judgment against foreign sovereigns
Crystal also maintains an active pro bono practice, where she partners with organizations such as the Veterans Consortium and the Innocence Project.
Before joining Weil, Crystal worked at another global law firm and served as a law clerk to the Honorable Amit P. Mehta of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and to the Honorable Timothy B. Dyk of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Prior to her legal career, Crystal had a distinguished career with the Department of Defense. She served for more than a decade in the United States Army, including five years as an active duty Military Intelligence Officer, rising to the rank of Major. While on active duty, Crystal trained and prepared a 16-Soldier platoon for combat deployment and managed all Human Intelligence Operations in her Brigade’s Area of Responsibility during a 14-month deployment to Iraq. Crystal received numerous awards for her military service, including the Bronze Star Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, and the Parachutist Badge.
After leaving active duty, Crystal worked for BAE Systems as a Senior All-Source Intelligence Analyst supporting the Defense Intelligence Agency. In that role, Crystal wrote assessments and delivered briefings on political-military issues in Afghanistan to advise senior defense officials, including the President, the National Security Staff, the Secretary of Defense, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. While at the Pentagon, Crystal authored several articles for the President’s Daily Brief and was named BAE Systems Global Analysis and Operations’ 2013 Employee of the Year.
Crystal received her J.D., magna cum laude and Order of the Coif, from the Georgetown University Law Center, where she attended the evening program while working full-time. During law school, Crystal was a Notes Editor on the Georgetown Law Journal, a member of the appellate advocacy team, and a Legal Research and Writing Law Fellow. She also served as a law clerk on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Crystal received her B.A. from Tulane University, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa and was named a Distinguished Military Graduate.
* includes matters handled prior to joining Weil