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Christine B. Hawes

Senior Counsel
Senior Counsel
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Areas of Focus

Overview

Christine B. Hawes is a senior counsel in Crowell & Moring's Labor and Employment Group. Christine's practice focuses on litigation of individual and class actions arising in all areas of labor and employment law, including:

  • Wage-and-hour laws, including the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Service Contract Act, and state and local laws
  • Title VII and state anti-discrimination laws 
  • Americans with Disabilities Act 
  • Family and Medical Leave Act and related state statutes 
  • Federal and state whistleblower statutes, including the False Claims Act 
  • Alleged wrongful termination 
  • Non-competition agreements and other employee contracts 
  • Misappropriation of trade secrets claims 

Christine also provides counseling to clients on a wide variety of employment issues, including personnel policies, non-competition/non-solicitation agreements, employee discipline, contract disputes, and alleged retaliation under the False Claims Act, Title VII, the FLSA, and state whistleblower statutes. Christine frequently advises clients on and conducts internal investigations that frequently address employment, ethics, and compliance issues.  Additionally, Christine assists clients with affirmative action compliance, preparing affirmative action plans, analyzing compensation practices, and providing counseling in connection with Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs audits. 

While in law school, Christine was a managing editor for the Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment and Technology Law and director of membership for the Vanderbilt Legal Aid Society.

Career & Education

    • Boston College, B.A., cum Laude, History and Political Science, 2008
    • Vanderbilt University Law School, J.D., Certificate of Specialization, Law and Business, 2011
    • Boston College, B.A., cum Laude, History and Political Science, 2008
    • Vanderbilt University Law School, J.D., Certificate of Specialization, Law and Business, 2011

    • District of Columbia
    • Maryland
    • District of Columbia
    • Maryland

Christine's Insights

Client Alert | 3 min read | 11.21.25

A Sign of What’s to Come? Court Dismisses FCA Retaliation Complaint Based on Alleged Discriminatory Use of Federal Funding

On November 7, 2025, in Thornton v. National Academy of Sciences, No. 25-cv-2155, 2025 WL 3123732 (D.D.C. Nov. 7, 2025), the District Court for the District of Columbia dismissed a False Claims Act (FCA) retaliation complaint on the basis that the plaintiff’s allegations that he was fired after blowing the whistle on purported illegally discriminatory use of federal funding was not sufficient to support his FCA claim. This case appears to be one of the first filed, and subsequently dismissed, following Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s announcement of the creation of the Civil Rights Fraud Initiative on May 19, 2025, which “strongly encourages” private individuals to file lawsuits under the FCA relating to purportedly discriminatory and illegal use of federal funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in violation of Executive Order 14173, Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity (Jan. 21, 2025). In this case, the court dismissed the FCA retaliation claim and rejected the argument that an organization could violate the FCA merely by “engaging in discriminatory conduct while conducting a federally funded study.” The analysis in Thornton could be a sign of how forthcoming arguments of retaliation based on reporting allegedly fraudulent DEI activity will be analyzed in the future....

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Representative Matters

  • Won six-day JAMS arbitration hearing, defeating former defense contractor employee’s claims of gender discrimination, hostile work environment, and retaliation in their entirety
  • Secured summary judgment of former university employee's 35+ race, gender, and age discrimination and retaliation claims in the Eastern District of Virginia
  • Obtained voluntary dismissal, without settlement, of $25 million complaint alleging misappropriation of trade secrets and breach of contract against small government contractor and its two employees in the District of Maryland
  • Represented a telecommunications company in litigation and satisfactory settlement of hundreds of individual wage and hour claims nationwide
  • Attained summary judgment in the Eastern District of New York, defeating Fair Labor Standards Act and New York Labor Law class action/collective action challenging the independent contractor status of transportation services providers
  • Represented a major automotive parts manufacturer in litigation against former employee in Ohio state court for misappropriation of the company's trade secrets
  • Obtained summary judgment in JAMS arbitration, dismissing plaintiff's claims of discrimination based on national origin and military status against a multinational defense technology company
  • Drafted position statements and successfully received dismissal of charges filed with the EEOC, DOJ, and state-agencies related to allegations of discrimination based on race, national origin, citizenship status, gender, religious beliefs, and retaliation

Christine's Insights

Client Alert | 3 min read | 11.21.25

A Sign of What’s to Come? Court Dismisses FCA Retaliation Complaint Based on Alleged Discriminatory Use of Federal Funding

On November 7, 2025, in Thornton v. National Academy of Sciences, No. 25-cv-2155, 2025 WL 3123732 (D.D.C. Nov. 7, 2025), the District Court for the District of Columbia dismissed a False Claims Act (FCA) retaliation complaint on the basis that the plaintiff’s allegations that he was fired after blowing the whistle on purported illegally discriminatory use of federal funding was not sufficient to support his FCA claim. This case appears to be one of the first filed, and subsequently dismissed, following Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s announcement of the creation of the Civil Rights Fraud Initiative on May 19, 2025, which “strongly encourages” private individuals to file lawsuits under the FCA relating to purportedly discriminatory and illegal use of federal funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in violation of Executive Order 14173, Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity (Jan. 21, 2025). In this case, the court dismissed the FCA retaliation claim and rejected the argument that an organization could violate the FCA merely by “engaging in discriminatory conduct while conducting a federally funded study.” The analysis in Thornton could be a sign of how forthcoming arguments of retaliation based on reporting allegedly fraudulent DEI activity will be analyzed in the future....

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Insights

Client Alert | 3 min read | 11.21.25

A Sign of What’s to Come? Court Dismisses FCA Retaliation Complaint Based on Alleged Discriminatory Use of Federal Funding

Client Alert | 3 min read | 01.24.25

Executive Order Underpinning SCA Contractors’ Right of First Refusal Rescinded By Trump Administration

Firm News | 9 min read | 01.02.25

Crowell & Moring Elects 12 New Partners, Promotes Four to Senior Counsel and 25 to Counsel

Webinar | 07.25.24

Compliance, and Self-Disclosures, and Whistleblowers, "Oh My!"—The Latest on DOJ's Policy Updates and What We Can Learn From Recent Corporate Resolutions

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Practices

Industries

Christine's Insights

Client Alert | 3 min read | 11.21.25

A Sign of What’s to Come? Court Dismisses FCA Retaliation Complaint Based on Alleged Discriminatory Use of Federal Funding

On November 7, 2025, in Thornton v. National Academy of Sciences, No. 25-cv-2155, 2025 WL 3123732 (D.D.C. Nov. 7, 2025), the District Court for the District of Columbia dismissed a False Claims Act (FCA) retaliation complaint on the basis that the plaintiff’s allegations that he was fired after blowing the whistle on purported illegally discriminatory use of federal funding was not sufficient to support his FCA claim. This case appears to be one of the first filed, and subsequently dismissed, following Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s announcement of the creation of the Civil Rights Fraud Initiative on May 19, 2025, which “strongly encourages” private individuals to file lawsuits under the FCA relating to purportedly discriminatory and illegal use of federal funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in violation of Executive Order 14173, Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity (Jan. 21, 2025). In this case, the court dismissed the FCA retaliation claim and rejected the argument that an organization could violate the FCA merely by “engaging in discriminatory conduct while conducting a federally funded study.” The analysis in Thornton could be a sign of how forthcoming arguments of retaliation based on reporting allegedly fraudulent DEI activity will be analyzed in the future....

View All Insights