Christina Sharma

Partner
Christina Sharma is brilliant at client management; realistic with sound judgment. You know exactly where you stand.
LEGAL 500, 2024
About

Christina has over 20 years of experience in advising on complex cross border, offshore and domestic High Court litigation and international arbitration. Christina also has experience in the Appeal Courts and advises on all forms of major commercial, corporate and technology disputes, often with an international element. She is results driven and is known for her commercial and procedural strategy to ensure the best possible outcome for clients, either through dispute resolution, or the court/arbitral process.

Christina acts for major corporates, private equity houses, technology companies, pension funds, financial institutions, government departments, entrepreneurs and high-net worth individuals, with a broad range of experience across technology, manufacturing, sport, real estate and consumer goods. Her cases involve disputes relating to contractual interpretation, M&A disputes (warranties, indemnities and earn-outs), Companies Act matters, shareholder, partnership and JV disputes, and often involve serious issues of fraud and the need for urgent interim injunctive relief.

Christina also co-leads the UK Technology Disputes team, having advised both suppliers and customers on disputes arising across a range of technology related issues, including software, cloud and hosting services, IT consultancy, AI, IT implementation and transformation and IT infrastructure. Her advice to clients in this sector covers the full lifecycle of a contractual commercial relationship and involves risk prevention advice in relation to contract management issues, change controls and variations; as well as acting on major disputes relating to the design, development and implementation of IT solutions and the termination of IT supply contracts.

Christina is a committed advocate for DE&I and is proud to lead DLA Piper’s UK Leadership Alliance for Women (LAW), as well as being a member of DLA Piper’s International LAW Committee. She is also DLA Piper’s Gender Pillar Head for the General Counsel for Diversity & Inclusion and co-leads our global Women in Sport initiative and our Women in Tech initiative.

Professional QualificationsSolicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales

EXPERIENCE

  • Acting successfully for Northern & Shell Plc's OK! magazine in the House of Lords case against Hello! over the publication of the wedding photos of Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones. 
  • Acting successfully for Liverpool Football Club in its defence of the Commercial Court contractual interpretation case brought by Winklink Marketing Ltd in respect of an alleged unpaid commission payment.
  • Acting for Viktor Kozeny (Pirate of Prague) in a multi-million-dollar breach of contract and fraud dispute in the English Commercial Court and overseeing related and satellite litigation across various jurisdictions in relation to civil and criminal matters (including money laundering, breaches of the FCPA, confiscation orders and extradition proceedings).
  • Acting for Lonrho Plc in an international shareholder and corporate M&A dispute involving parallel unfair prejudice and breach of warranty proceedings in the British Virgin Islands and South Africa.  Advising on enforcement outside of the jurisdiction.  
  • Acting for EASI Global in cross border proceedings brought in the UK and Australia by HungryPanda for alleged breach of contract and warranty following its acquisition of the EASI Global’s fast-food business.
  • Acting for the Reply Group in proceedings brought in the Technology & Construction Court against Iceland Foods in relation to an IT contract.
Education
  • University of Liverpool, Law, LLB (Hons), 2000
  • College of Law, Chester, 2001

Prior Experience

  • 2008 - to date, DLA Piper UK LLP
  • 2001 - 2008, Training Contract and Associate at a London based international law firm
  • Christina was seconded to Northern & Shell Plc in 2003 and acted on its various publications, including: The Express, OK! Magazine and The Daily Star.

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