Kristine McAlister Brown

Kristy McAlister Brown leads Alston & Bird’s Privacy & Cybersecurity Litigation Team. Her practice centers on complex privacy and cybersecurity disputes, including class actions and multidistrict litigation arising from major data breaches. She also has experience with government investigations involving cybersecurity and privacy. Kristy represents and advises clients across industries in high-profile, high-exposure matters under a range of state and federal privacy laws.

Kristy has successfully defended class actions and multidistrict litigation arising from some of the largest data breaches in history. Her broader litigation experience includes defeating class certification, developing litigation strategies and helping clients reach favorable resolutions. She handles high-stakes matters at both the trial and appellate levels.

Beyond privacy and cybersecurity litigation, Kristy serves as first-chair trial counsel in complex business-to-business disputes, including trials and arbitrations involving hundreds of millions of dollars in exposure. She is a former chair of the firm’s Partners’ Committee and has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA and BTI Client Service All Stars.

• Lead counsel in data breach MDLs across many industries including telecommunications (involving more than 75 million individuals); retail (involving more than 40 million individuals); quick service restaurant (involving more than 18 million individuals); health care (involving more than 10 million individuals); and physician practice management (involving more than 2.5 million individuals).
• Obtained complete dismissal of a nationwide data breach class action arising in the hospitality industry. The Ninth Circuit affirmed, resulting in a complete victory.
• Defeated class certification in federal courts across the country in high-profile privacy class actions alleging cyberspying using undisclosed software capabilities.
• Obtained dismissal of a putative nationwide class action against an online retailer based on alleged security vulnerabilities on its website.
• Obtained a complete defense award in commercial arbitration arising out of a failed telecommunications joint venture.
• Obtained complete defense awards in multiple commercial arbitrations alleging fraud and breach of contract in business-to-business dealings.

•  Vanderbilt University (J.D., 1993)
• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (B.S., 1990)

•  Florida
• Texas
• Georgia

• The Best Lawyers in America^® – Commercial Litigation, Communications Law, Privacy and Data Security Law, Technology Law (2017–2027)
• The Best Lawyers in America^® Lawyer of the Year – Privacy and Data Security Law (2022); Communications Law (2024)
• Chambers USA – Litigation: Privacy & Data Security (Georgia)
• BTI Client Service All Star (2014, 2020)
• BTI Client Service MVP (2022)

• Judicial clerk, United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, 1993-1994