Awards & Recognition
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Top 10 Bench Awards in California (2023)
— Recognized for securing the second-highest bench verdict in California that year -
National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association (NHCAA) SIRIS Award (2023)
— Investigation of the Year for exposing multi-million-dollar healthcare fraud involving COVID-19 testing -
FTC Janet D. Steiger Award & Multiple Director’s Awards
— Honored by the Federal Trade Commission for exceptional legal contributions totaling more than $578 million in judgments and settlements -
California Attorney General’s Award for Excellence
— Selected for outstanding contributions to public service, consumer litigation -
California Lawyers’ Association’s Consumer and Unfair Competition Law Award (2024)
– Honored for obtaining a $280 million judgment in a student loan case litigated jointly with the CFBP, the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, and the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office while she was an Assistant City Attorney Overseeing the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Consumer Protection Unit
Selected Publications
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Courts Are Increasingly Wary of Feel-Good Green Marketing Claims – Daily Journal (2023)
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Combatting COVID Through Consumer Protection: A Multi-Jurisdictional Approach – Competition Journal (2022)
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Homeless Families in America: Casualties of Declining Support for the War on Poverty – Southern California Law Review (1997)
Speaking Highlights
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Panelist, Beverly Hills Bar Association: Compliance-Based Resolutions
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Moderator, California Lawyers Association Judge’s Panel on Complex Litigation
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Presenter, AARP Town Hall on Data Breaches
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Speaker, Global Anti-Scam Network on COVID Scams
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Featured Speaker, FTC Common Ground Conferences
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Cybersecurity Workshops with FBI and SBA
- UCL event judge’s panel
- Beverly Hills Bar Association
Christina Tusan was one of the award-winning team of government litigators from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, North Carolina Attorney General’s Office, and Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, who were honored with the Inaugural Consumer and Unfair Competition Law Award for their trailblazing work prosecuting fraudulent student loan refinance companies in CFPB, et al. v. Consumer Advocacy Center Inc., et al., No. 8:2019cv01998 (CD. Cal. 2021). This team secured over $95 million in restitution for 87,000+ consumers and a landmark $243 million judgment—a huge victory for consumers.
Christina Tusan
Founding Partner, Tusan Law, P.C.
Consumer Protection | Privacy | Whistleblower Advocacy
Christina Tusan is a nationally recognized trial attorney and the founding partner of Tusan Law, P.C., where she has devoted her career to protecting consumers, whistleblowers, and vulnerable communities from fraud, deception, and abuse. With more than 27 years of experience litigating complex consumer protection, privacy, and unfair competition cases, Christina has secured over $1 billion in judgments and settlements on behalf of the public.
Before founding Tusan Law, Christina served with distinction in high-level public enforcement roles at the Federal Trade Commission, the California Attorney General’s Office, and the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office. In those roles, she investigated and prosecuted major cases involving deceptive advertising, unfair business practices, unlawful data sharing, greenwashing, and privacy violations across a wide range of industries. Her work not only helped individuals recover losses, but also led to broad, systemic reforms and stronger consumer protections.
What sets Christina apart is not just her extraordinary track record—it’s her fierce, personal commitment to justice. “I always joke that I look around and say, ‘Someone should do something about that,’” she says. “And when no one replies, I realize—I am the someone.” That sense of responsibility has fueled decades of high-impact legal work, from supervising undercover investigations to testifying before lawmakers to help pass new laws.
Christina’s work has earned her numerous accolades, including the FTC’s Janet D. Steiger Award, the California Attorney General’s Award for Excellence, and recognition for securing one of the Top 10 Bench Verdicts in California in 2023.
Her high-profile casework includes:
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Shutting down a fraudulent moving company that held customers’ belongings hostage, leading to felony charges and new legislation protecting consumers. Read more
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Stopping mortgage scams targeting struggling homeowners. Read more
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Co-leading a massive student loan fraud case against Premier Student Loan Center, winning $280 million in relief, including $95 million for California consumers. Read more
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Leading the FTC’s $100 million settlement with DeVry University, the largest for-profit college settlement at the time. Read more
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Securing a $478 million judgment in a major “get rich quick” scheme enforcement. Read more
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Initiating and resolving a case over lead-tainted prenatal vitamins, resulting in safer formulas and $1.75 million in restitution. Read more
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Leading enforcement during COVID-19, including shutting down companies offering fake cures and prosecuting a major lab for allegedly falsifying test results—resulting in a $22 million settlement. Read more
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Freezing assets in cases involving CalPERS fraud, home theft scams, and adverse possession schemes targeting seniors and vulnerable individuals.
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Leading privacy litigation against TaxAct over improper data sharing with Meta and Google, and currently serving as co-lead counsel in a federal case against BetterHelp. Read more
In addition to her litigation work, Christina is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) and a recognized thought leader on emerging issues in data privacy, cybersecurity, and advertising regulation. She regularly speaks at legal conferences, leads trainings for prosecutors, and publishes on cutting-edge legal issues.
Christina earned her B.A. in Political Science from Stanford University, where she received the Firestone Medal for Excellence in Undergraduate Research, and her J.D. from USC Law School, where she served on the Law Review and won the Warren Ferguson Social Justice Writing Award.
She serves on the California Lawyers Antitrust and Unfair Competition Executive Committee, is active in privacy and cybersecurity associations, and currently works with Los Angeles County Counsel as outside legal counsel on price gouging issues related to wildfire recovery. She is also representing both fire victims and whistleblowers in ongoing legal matters.
Whether she’s standing up to corporate giants, leading legislative change, or guiding individuals through moments of crisis, Christina Tusan brings unmatched legal expertise, compassion, and resolve. At Tusan Law, she continues to fight every day to make life better for consumers—and safer for all of us.
Areas of Focus
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Consumer Class Actions – Pursuing justice for those harmed by corporate misconduct, privacy violations, and unfair business practices
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Employment & Wage Litigation – Fighting for workers’ rights in wage theft, misclassification, and off-the-clock labor cases
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Privacy & Data Breach Cases – Representing victims of unauthorized data sharing and corporate security failures
Notable Legal Experience
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Smith Washington v. TaxAct, Inc. (N.D. Cal.) – Represented consumers in privacy class action against online tax service; final settlement approved, appeal pending
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CompuCredit Corp. v. Greenwood, 132 S. Ct. 665 (2012) – Contributed to precedent-setting Supreme Court consumer arbitration case
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Multiple wage & hour class actions on behalf of workers in oil fields, refineries, and hospitals
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Class litigation involving confidential medical information breaches at major healthcare providers
Professional Affiliations & Admissions
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State Bar of California
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Washington State Bar Association
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U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
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U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Central, Eastern, and Southern Districts of California
Adrian Barnes
Partner | Class Action & Employment Law Specialist
Consumer Class Actions | Employment Law | Data Privacy
Adrian Barnes is a seasoned litigator and partner at Tusan Law, P.C., where he leads the firm’s efforts in class action litigation, employee rights, and consumer privacy enforcement. With more than 15 years of experience advocating for workers, consumers, and union members, Adrian has built a reputation for taking on complex, high-stakes cases — and winning them.
Adrian has successfully prosecuted major wage and hour class actions, fought for employees in industries ranging from healthcare to oil refining, and held financial institutions accountable for data privacy breaches and deceptive practices. His background as a former financial analyst at a leading investment firm gives him the analytical edge to tackle legally and numerically complex cases with precision.
Prior to joining Tusan Law, Adrian worked for HammondLaw, P.C., where he helped lead major privacy class actions, including litigation against top-tier tax and healthcare companies for unauthorized data disclosures. His recent work includes securing a favorable settlement in Smith-Washington v. TaxAct, Inc. (N.D. Cal.), a class action involving the unlawful sharing of private tax information with third parties.
Earlier in his career, Adrian served as a union-side labor attorney, representing workers before the National Labor Relations Board and other administrative bodies. He litigated multi-million-dollar class actions on behalf of union workers in challenging environments such as offshore oil rigs, refineries, and hospitals. He also contributed to landmark litigation before the U.S. Supreme Court in CompuCredit Corp. v. Greenwood, a case involving consumer arbitration rights.
Adrian earned his J.D. from Columbia Law School, where he was a James Kent Scholar, served on the Columbia Law Review editorial board, and was awarded the Emil Schlesinger Prize for excellence in labor law. He also holds a B.A. in Rhetoric from UC Berkeley and a Master’s in English Literature from University College London.
He is admitted to the Ninth Circuit and the federal District Courts for all districts of California. He is a member of both the California and Washington State Bar Associations.