Krista L. Lenart

Member


When original equipment manufacturers and other consumer goods producers confront complex consumer class actions that threaten their reputations and their bottom lines, they want Krista Lenart on their team. An accomplished litigator, Kris complements her courtroom skills with business sense to implement effective and efficient defense strategies in a wide range of high-stakes class actions and other matters.

Kris has a well-earned reputation for success in defending clients against consumer class actions, including multidistrict litigation and appellate matters, as well as in product liability and other matters. Representing clients in the automotive, medical device, pharmaceutical, and household product and service industries, among other sectors, Kris immerses herself in the details of every case to understand the issues and how they intersect with a client's overall business interests. She takes a methodical and practical approach, fiercely committed to winning but equally cognizant that negotiated resolutions sometimes are better suited to accomplishing client goals.

The cases Kris handles often involve complicated technical and mechanical concepts. Her ability to distill these complexities into clear, understandable presentations makes her particularly well-suited for her work. This talent, combined with her acumen for crafting persuasive oral and written arguments that resonate with judges and juries, makes Kris a formidable advocate.

In addition to her class action work, Kris has extensive experience in probate litigation, land use litigation, commercial litigation, and education law matters.

I've found that logical arguments that make sense for those who may not have either technical knowledge or particular interest in the subject matter of a case are much more persuasive than bombast and rhetorical fireworks.
    • University of Michigan, J.D., cum laude
    • Bowling Green State University, B.Mus., summa cum laude
    • Bowling Green State University, B.A., summa cum laude
  • Bar Admissions

    • Supreme Court of the United States, 2019
    • Michigan, 1999
  • Court Admissions

    • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 2023
    • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 1999
    • U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan, 2001
    • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri, 2020
    • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, 2020
    • U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit, 2004
    • U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit, 2004
    • U.S. Court of Appeals, 8th Circuit, 2012
    • U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit, 2012
    • Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for Appellate Practice, 2024

    • Recognized by The Legal 500 United States as a Key Lawyer for Automotive Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action, 2022-2023; Automotive Litigation, 2022; Transport: Rail and Road – Litigation, 2019, 2021

    • Board of Directors of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Ann Arbor, Member
    • Washtenaw County Bar Association
    • State Bar of Michigan
    • State of Michigan Attorney Discipline Board, Hearing Panelist
    • Ypsilanti Symphony Orchestra, Member

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