Crystal focuses her practice on class action defense, with an emphasis on consumer fraud, data privacy, marketing, accessibility, technology and compliance issues. These claims often involve the alleged improper breach or disclosure or use of private information and related data. Crystal has extensive experience successfully defending against class action claims brought under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, state data breach laws, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II, III and state accessibility law compliance and public accommodations, Unfair Competition Laws, False Advertising Laws, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Hobby Protection Act and Auto-Renewal Law in both state and federal courts.
She has defended corporate clients against class actions at all stages of litigation, including through class certification, preliminary, and final approval of settlements. She has a track record for early and efficient dispute resolution and saving costs associated with discovery through early informal negotiations, mediation and class action settlements. Crystal is also a member of the firm's Sports & Entertainment Practice.
Prior to joining Mintz, Crystal worked as an associate at a global firm, and clerked for the Honorable Frederick J. Martone in the US District Court for the District of Arizona. Before pursuing her legal education, Crystal was a junior consultant at the World Bank, a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute fellow, and Editor in Chief at Human Rights Law Review and staff editor of A Jailhouse Lawyer’s Manual.
Experience
- Successfully defended companies in numerous industries against putative class actions alleging website inaccessibility and violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
- Negotiated a successful settlement on behalf of JB Line, a cosmetics retailer, in a class action alleging violations of New York false advertising laws in connection with a beauty product.
- Successfully settled a class action alleging violation of the TCPA against Popeye’s, a fast-food restaurant chain. At the outset we filed and won a motion to stay the case pending the Supreme Court’s decision in Spokeo. After the stay was lifted we informed plaintiff’s counsel of our intent to file a motion to dismiss for lack of standing and they made a settlement demand.
- Represented 24 Hour Fitness in a TCPA class action matter in CA. Matter was resolved quickly and efficiently via favorable settlement agreement.
- Represented Western Union in a class action for unfair business practices. Successfully settled on an individual basis on the eve of filing a motion to dismiss without any discovery.
- Obtained an early dismissal before an answer or motion practice in various class actions, including:
- Coerver v. Webimax., Southern District of Texas
- Makaron v. World Wide Vacations, Central District of California
- Obtained multiple favorable settlements in class actions involving statutory violations for the TCPA and the recording of telephone calls
- Counseled corporate clients to ensure compliance with telemarketing laws
viewpoints
Telephone and Texting Compliance News — March 2024
March 27, 2024 | Article | By Russell Fox, Jonathan P. Garvin, Crystal Lopez, Esteban Morales
Read about the FCC’s recent initiatives to strengthen international and domestic partnerships against illegal robocalls, the FTC amending the telemarketing sales rule to add a recordkeeping requirement, the FCC’s compliance dates for new texting rules, and recent district court decisions such as Woodard v. Health Insurance Alliance and Forteza v. Affordable Auto Shield, which confirm courts nationally continue to scrutinize and dismiss complaints that fail to support plaintiffs' TCPA claims.
Telephone and Texting Compliance News: Litigation Update — Courts Continue to Scrutinize Pleadings in TCPA Cases
March 27, 2024 | Article | By Crystal Lopez, Esteban Morales
Read about recent district court decisions such as Woodard v. Health Insurance Alliance and Forteza v. Affordable Auto Shield, which confirm courts nationally continue to scrutinize and dismiss complaints that fail to support plaintiffs' TCPA claims.
Telephone and Texting Compliance News — July 2023
July 26, 2023 | Article | By Russell Fox, Jonathan P. Garvin, Joshua Briones, Crystal Lopez
In this month’s Telephone and Texting Compliance News, we cover FCC deadlines for new voice service provider requirements, pending federal legislation that would give the FCC the authority to initiate litigation to enforce TCPA violations, the FCC’s participation in a federal and state multiagency initiative to combat scam calls, and a Ninth Circuit decision, which held that a phone line subscriber has standing to bring a TCPA case even though she wasn’t the recipient of the text message at issue.
Telephone and Texting Compliance News: Litigation Update — Ninth Circuit Decision Appears to Expand TCPA Standing Rules, But Can Be Read Narrowly
July 26, 2023 | Article | By Joshua Briones, Crystal Lopez
Read about a Ninth Circuit decision holding that the subscriber to a phone line has standing to sue for TCPA violations, even if the subscriber was not the recipient of the text messages at issue and was not using the phone when the text messages were received.
Telephone and Texting Compliance News: Litigation Update — ATDS Definition Potentially in Flux: New Petition to the Ninth Circuit Urges En Banc Review of Borden ATDS Decision
February 28, 2023 | Article | By Joshua Briones, Crystal Lopez
Read about a petition to the Ninth Circuit requesting an en banc review of Borden v. E-Financial, LLC, which held that dialing numbers from a pre-existing list, even if the pre-existing list is sorted randomly or sequentially, would not qualify as dialing with an ATDS.
Telephone and Texting Compliance News — February 2023
February 28, 2023 | Article | By Russell Fox, Jonathan P. Garvin, Joshua Briones, Crystal Lopez
In this month’s Telephone and Texting Compliance News, we report on the FCC’s cease-and-desist letter against repeat robocaller OneEye LLC, a bill reintroduced in the US House that would increase robocalling penalties, and Twilio’s move to block mortgage scam robocallers from accessing its platform, plus a petition to the Ninth Circuit requesting an en banc review of a case on the definition of an ATDS, Borden v. E-Financial, LLC.
Monthly TCPA Digest — September 2022
September 30, 2022 | Article | By Russell Fox, Jonathan P. Garvin, Joshua Briones, Crystal Lopez
Our TCPA newsletter covers the FCC’s selection of the USTelecom-led Industry Traceback Group to continue as the registered traceback consortium, an updated MOU aimed at combatting unwanted robocalls signed by the FCC and the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications, and a Florida federal district court ruling on the Florida Telephone Solicitation Act.
TCPA Litigation Update — Good News for Defendants Facing Claims Under Florida’s Mini-TCPA
September 30, 2022 | Article | By Joshua Briones, Crystal Lopez
In Davis v. Coast Dental, a federal district court in Florida held that receipt of an unsolicited marketing call is not enough, standing alone, to state a Florida Telephone Solicitation Act claim.
Monthly TCPA Digest — April 2022
April 25, 2022 | Article | By Russell Fox, Joshua Briones, Jonathan P. Garvin, Crystal Lopez
Our TCPA newsletter discusses the FCC’s growing partnerships with states to combat robocalls, the latest cease-and-desist letters, FCC clarifications regarding the RND, and the Eighth Circuit’s ruling in Beal v. Outfield Brew House.
TCPA Litigation Update — Eighth Circuit Finds System That Sends Texts to Stored Numbers Is Not an ATDS
April 25, 2022 | Article | By Joshua Briones, Crystal Lopez
The Eighth Circuit’s Beal v. Outfield Brew House ruling rejected plaintiffs’ misreading of the Supreme Court’s 2021 Facebook decision and should help bolster TCPA defendants’ arguments nationwide.
News & Press
The Best Lawyers in America 2025 Recognizes 184 Mintz Attorneys across 56 Practice Areas
August 15, 2024
187 Mintz attorneys have been recognized by Best Lawyers® in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. Notably, three Mintz attorneys received 2025 “Lawyer of the Year” awards, and 64 firm attorneys were included in the 2025 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.
3 Key Class Action Trends To Use As Guidance In 2024
January 16, 2024
Los Angeles Managing Member Joshua Briones and Associates Crystal Lopez and Grecia Rivas co-authored an article published in Law360 analyzing three key class action trends to expect in 2024.
Mintz is pleased to announce that 120 firm attorneys have been recognized as leaders by Best Lawyers® in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©.
Los Angeles Managing Member Joshua Briones, and Associates Sofia Nuño and Crystal Lopez co-authored an articled published by Corporate Counsel detailing specific class action cases to watch for in the upcoming year.
Privacy and Website Cases Drive Consumer Class Action Surge
January 24, 2023
Mintz Los Angeles Managing Member Joshua Briones, with Associates Sofia Nuño and Crystal Lopez, co-authored a Corporate Counsel article forecasting consumer class action trends to watch in 2023. They discussed the rise in new cases filed last year and the upswing in data privacy and website accessibility actions.
Best Lawyers® recognized 108 firm attorneys in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. Notably, two Mintz attorneys – Poonam Patidar and Scott M. Stanton – received 2023 “Lawyer of the Year” awards, and 28 firm attorneys were included in the inaugural edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.
2021 Trends in Bet-the-Company Class Actions
January 5, 2022
Five Mintz Attorneys Named 2020 BTI Client Service All-Stars
December 11, 2020
Legal Uncertainty Surrounding the Term ‘Natural’
July 13, 2020
2019 Trends in Bet the Company Class Actions
November 13, 2019
Yelp Escapes Privacy Suit Over Recording Sales Calls
April 19, 2018
The Dos and Don’ts Of Minimizing Risk For TCPA Liability
July 14, 2017
False Labeling Suits Get Hung Up On Faulty Damages Models
December 30, 2016
Challenging No-Injury Class Actions In State Court
August 30, 2016
Websites’ automatic-renewal policies can lead to trouble
March 11, 2016
Class Actions at the High Court
January 26, 2016
Events & Speaking
Mintz’s Annual Developing Trends in Bet-the-Company Class Actions 2021 Edition
Mintz Webinar
Los Angeles
Avoid False Advertising Scandals that Damage Your Brand
ACC Southern California In-House Counsel Conference - January 31, 2019
Hollywood, CA
Trailblazers - 21st Century Women Leaders
Shutters Hotel 1 Pico Bl.vd., Grand Salon Santa Monica, CA 90405
Recognition & Awards
Best Lawyers of America Ones to Watch - Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants (2021-2025)
Best Lawyers in America "Ones to Watch": Commercial Litigation (2024-2025)
Southern California Super Lawyers Rising Star: Class Action (2018-2020)
BTI Consulting Group Client Service All-Star (2020)
Southern California Super Lawyers Top Women Attorneys Rising Star: Class Action (2019)
Recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal as one of the Leaders in Law - Attorney Nominees (2017)