The New Blueprint for Wealth Law: MSK's Strategic Hire of Christina Lewis

LOS ANGELES, CA – July 20, 2026

In a move that speaks volumes about the evolving landscape of legal services for the affluent, Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP (MSK) has announced the addition of Christina Lewis as a partner in its Los Angeles Trusts & Estates practice. While lateral partner moves are a constant in the legal industry, this particular hire represents a calculated and strategic response to a growing market imperative: the need for seamlessly integrated legal counsel that bridges personal wealth preservation with corporate strategy.

Lewis arrives at the century-old firm with a distinctive and increasingly sought-after combination of skills. She is not simply an estate planner or a corporate attorney; she is both. Her practice marries sophisticated trust and estate administration with hands-on business transactional experience, a duality that is becoming essential for high-net-worth business owners.

MSK Chairman Yakub Hazzard underscored the strategic value of this skillset. "Christina is a standout trusts and estates attorney whose ability to combine multilayered estate planning knowledge with real business transactional experience makes her a tremendous asset to our clients and to this firm," Hazzard stated. "Her arrival reflects our continued commitment to thoughtful, deliberate growth at MSK."

For her part, Lewis recognized the synergy between her practice and the firm's platform. "So many of my clients are business owners whose personal and professional lives are deeply intertwined," Lewis said. "I'm excited to join a firm whose platform lets me serve both sides of that equation, helping clients protect what they've built while planning thoughtfully for what comes next."

A Deliberate Strategy in a Shifting Market

Lewis’s arrival is not an isolated event but the latest move in a deliberate expansion strategy by MSK. In recent months, the firm has also welcomed Labor & Employment partner Carlos Torrejon and Entertainment Transactions partner Amy Stein Simonds in its New York office. This pattern of targeted lateral hires demonstrates a firmwide initiative to deepen its bench in high-value, specialized practice areas. By bringing Lewis into its Los Angeles stronghold, MSK is making a significant investment in a practice that directly complements its established prowess in corporate and business transactions.

The Los Angeles market for trusts and estates is notoriously competitive, populated by specialized boutiques and large, full-service firms with deeply entrenched practices. However, the demand for counsel that can navigate both a shareholder agreement and a generation-skipping trust is outpacing the supply of lawyers qualified to do so. For entrepreneurs and founders, the business is often their single largest asset and the primary engine of their family's wealth. Traditional estate planning that treats the business as just another line item on a balance sheet is no longer sufficient. These clients require a holistic approach that considers business succession, exit strategies, and asset protection from corporate liabilities in concert with personal tax and inheritance goals.

MSK's strategic enhancement of its T&E practice with a partner like Lewis positions the firm to capture this specific, high-value segment of the market. It allows the firm to offer a more comprehensive service offering, creating a powerful value proposition for business owners who might otherwise need to engage separate law firms for their corporate and personal legal needs, risking misaligned strategies and inefficient communication.

The Dual-Threat Lawyer: Bridging Personal Wealth and Corporate Futures

The unique power of Christina Lewis's practice lies in her diverse professional background. Before joining MSK, she was Of Counsel at Parker, Milliken, Clark, O'Hara & Samuelian, and her career has spanned roles at a large national firm, a boutique practice, and her own solo firm. Critically, she has also served as outside general counsel, giving her firsthand insight into the day-to-day operational and strategic challenges that business owners face. This is not just theoretical knowledge; it is practical experience in handling asset and share purchases, joint ventures, and licensing arrangements.

This dual fluency allows her to address the fundamental challenge for entrepreneurs: their business and personal finances are inextricably linked. A decision about a corporate restructuring can have profound implications for an estate plan, just as a change in family dynamics can necessitate a rethinking of a company's ownership structure. Lewis is equipped to operate at this intersection, ensuring that a client's business succession plan aligns perfectly with their wealth transfer objectives, minimizing tax burdens and preventing future family disputes.

Her expertise is particularly relevant in areas like asset protection, where business owners are uniquely vulnerable to litigation that can threaten both corporate and personal wealth. By structuring trusts and business entities in a coordinated fashion, she can build a more robust shield against potential creditors and legal challenges. Adding another layer to her capabilities, Lewis is fluent in Mandarin Chinese, a skill that provides a significant advantage in the diverse economic landscape of Southern California, opening doors to a vital and growing community of international entrepreneurs and investors.

More Than a Hire: A Reflection of Firm Culture and Industry Trends

Beyond market strategy, the successful recruitment of a partner with Lewis's specialized profile also reflects broader trends in the legal talent market. The competition for top-tier lateral partners is fierce, and firms are increasingly recognizing that culture and support systems are just as important as compensation in attracting the best talent.

MSK's recent recognition with the 2025 Corporate Culture & Wellbeing Award from The American Lawyer is a testament to this understanding. The award highlighted the firm's investment in its people through innovative wellness and mental health initiatives. Such a commitment creates an environment where high-performing attorneys can thrive and build their practices for the long term. For a partner making a significant career move, the promise of a supportive, forward-thinking platform can be a powerful differentiator.

This move is emblematic of a modern legal ecosystem where the most successful firms are not just collections of individual lawyers, but integrated systems designed to solve complex, multi-faceted client problems. By bringing in a partner who personifies this integrated approach, MSK is not only enhancing its service capabilities but also reinforcing a culture that values collaboration and holistic problem-solving. This strategic acquisition of talent is a clear signal that the firm understands where the market is headed and is positioning itself to lead the way.

The integration of sophisticated personal wealth planning with intricate business law is no longer a niche specialty but is rapidly becoming the new standard of care for advising the nation's wealth creators. By adding a practitioner who embodies this fusion, MSK is not just expanding its Trusts & Estates team; it is building a blueprint for the future of high-net-worth legal services.