Press Release

January 30, 2020 (San Francisco, CA) – Hanson Bridgett LLP, a leading California law firm advising clients statewide, is pleased to announce that Kristina Lawson has been elected to serve as the firm’s next managing partner. Lawson will take the reins from longtime Managing Partner Andrew Giacomini following a transition period, becoming the first woman to lead the firm in its more than 60-year history.

Lawson joined Hanson Bridgett’s Real Estate + Environment Section in 2017 from a national law firm and quickly established herself as a forward-thinking leader with a keen understanding of Hanson Bridgett’s culture, clientele and vision for the future. She has deep leadership and management expertise honed through her tenure as a City Councilmember and Mayor of San Francisco suburb Walnut Creek from 2010-2014, as well as through various current and past board positions including the Research Advisory Board for the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment at Berkeley Law and the Medical Board of California. Lawson previously led Hanson Bridgett's Real Estate + Environment Section.

“I joined Hanson Bridgett because I wanted to be part of a firm that consistently took a bold and innovative approach to the practice of law and empowered all of its attorneys regardless of gender, race, ethnicity or sexual orientation with the tools needed to build successful careers while also living full lives outside of the office. These are qualities I found attractive as both an attorney and a mother,” said Lawson. “Hanson Bridgett is a rare law firm that truly ‘walks the walk’ and I couldn’t be more excited to help it continue to prosper into the next decade. Andrew has worked tirelessly to help make the firm what it is today and I look forward to working closely with him in the months ahead.”

Hanson Bridgett is frequently recognized for its diverse workforce. In 2019 the firm was named one of the best nationwide for female and minority attorneys by Law360, received similar accolades from The American Lawyer and National Law Journal, and ranked on Working Mother’s “Best Law Firms for Women” list. Forty percent of partners and forty-six percent of all attorneys at Hanson Bridgett are women.

Giacomini became Managing Partner in 2002. Under his leadership the 179-attorney firm expanded to 3 new cities and became recognized as one of the top firms in California. He attributes the Firm's success to its persistent and inclusive focus on supporting its people. "Our client service model is predicated on having talented, engaged and balanced people who relentlessly focus on helping their clients succeed," said Giacomini. This is exemplified by Hanson Bridgett's recently launched “Dynamic Workforce Initiative,” which encourages team members to work remotely and provides the technological tools to make this possible, increased flexibility for parents returning to the firm after the birth of children, and less time commuting to and from work.

“Serving as managing partner of Hanson Bridgett has been an honor and a dream job for me. I’m immensely proud of who we are, what we stand for and where we are headed, and all of that is a direct result of the hard work, character and commitment of everyone who works here,” said Giacomini, who will return to his practice at the firm full-time after stepping down. “It's easy to step back from leading the firm knowing that Kristina will be leading us forward, along with a very talented group of partners and administrative leaders who will help her as they have helped me. I have complete confidence in her ability to successfully lead the firm into the future.”