Blank Rome added Christina Manfredi McKinley to its Pittsburgh office as a partner in the business litigation group and member of the energy industry team. An experienced trial lawyer, McKinley focuses her practice on complex commercial and appellate litigation, representing clients from various industries, including energy, environment, chemicals, manufacturing and retail. McKinley joins Blank Rome from Babst, Calland, Clements and Zomnir, where she served as co-chair of the firm’s litigation group.
“We are thrilled to welcome Christina to our team,” Grant S. Palmer, chair and managing partner of Blank Rome, said. “Christina is a highly respected litigator with notable first-chair trial experience, particularly in complex environmental disputes. Clients rely on Christina for comprehensive legal and business counsel, as well as her strategic and pragmatic advice when faced with bet-the-company litigation. Her proven success before trial and appellate courts, deep knowledge of the energy and environmental industries and commitment to providing exceptional client service will greatly benefit our clients.”
As a litigator who focuses on complex commercial matters, McKinley’s litigation practice encompasses all phases of litigation, from early alternative dispute resolution through post-trial motions. She has concentrated experience in complex purchase agreements and commercial contracts disputes, environmental statutes, protection of competitive interests (e.g., Lanham Act, unfair competition, tortious interference, trade secret protection, restrictive covenants), technology disputes (e.g., software services and license agreements) and corporate governance.
McKinley has tried numerous cases to verdict, including, in the past year alone, three cases involving complex environmental statutes — the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act and the Clean Water Act.
“We are eager to have Christina join our team,” Jayme L. Butcher, partner and co-chair of the business litigation group, said. “Christina’s experience will be an excellent addition to our robust appellate practice, particularly in the Pittsburgh office, which includes Timothy K. Lewis, former United States Court of Appeals Judge for the Third Circuit, and partner Yvonne Saadi, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania who served in the Appellate Division. Her arrival significantly strengthens our capabilities and enhances the exceptional litigation services we provide to our clients.”
McKinley’s appellate litigation experience includes practicing before the United States Supreme Court at every stage of the process, including the briefing and preparation of two merits cases that were argued before the court. She has briefed and prepared cases for argument before the United States Courts of Appeals for the Second, Third, Sixth and District of Columbia Circuits, and she has argued numerous cases before the Pennsylvania intermediate appellate courts. Her appellate practice spans a range of substantive fields, including energy policy, intellectual property, immigration, tax, bankruptcy and criminal law. In addition, her appellate practice frequently involves challenges to regulatory action and agency decision-making via petitions for review, complex statutory construction issues and the intersection of regulation and policy.
“I initially was drawn to Blank Rome because of its national platform, which is a great fit for my practice and clients,” McKinley said. “The firm’s strategic growth in the Pittsburgh market and focus on expanding its capabilities to better serve clients in the energy, environmental and chemical fields aligns seamlessly with my own practice goals. Most invigorating, though, is Blank Rome’s alignment on the core values that I also hold dear: collegiality, collaboration, diversity and inclusion, community involvement and civic responsibility and engagement. I am excited to join such a dynamic and forward-thinking firm.”
McKinley also maintains an active pro bono practice and often represents indigent defendants. She has worked to improve the legal profession and her community through her advocacy for civil rights in areas such as voting, marriage equality, education, immigration, prisoner litigation and veterans’ benefits. Outside of her practice, McKinley serves on the Local Rules Advisory Committee for the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, as the co-chair of the Civil Rules subcommittee. She also serves on the PA Chamber of Business and Industry’s Legal Policy Council. In 2024, McKinley was elected to the Pittsburgh Board of Trustees of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Eastern Great Lakes Region.
McKinley earned her J.D., summa cum laude, from The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law, where she served as a production editor on the board of the Law Review, and she earned her B.A., summa cum laude, from Duquesne University.
