Cristina Nutzman has focused her legal practice on labor and employment law. She currently serves as Senior Vice President, Associate General Counsel at Curaleaf, a leading international provider of cannabis products.
She started her in-house career at Caterpillar, Inc. in Peoria, Illinois and thereafter moved to California to work for Thermo Fisher Scientific. She returned to the Chicago area and joined United Airlines’ legal team. Prior to her in-house career, Cristina worked at SmithAmundsen as an associate advising small to mid-size employers on traditional labor matters such as union avoidance, union election campaigns, compliance with the National Labor Relations Act as well as compliance with employment laws. Cristina started her legal career with the National Labor Relations Board, Region 13 as a Labor/Management Relations Investigator and, after obtaining her law license, as a Trial Attorney.
Cristina had dedicated her legal career to serving the Latino community through charitable and pro bono work. She has provided pro bono services and used her language fluency to serve Spanish-speaking clients and others through Chicago Volunteer Legal Services, National Immigrant Justice Center, Equip for Equality, Center for Disability and Elder Law, Cabrini Green Legal Aid Expungement Help Desk, Prairie State Legal Services and the National Immigrant Justice Center. Cristina is Chair of the Hispanic Lawyers Scholarship Fund of Illinois (HLSF), having served on the HLSF Board for over 14 years holding various positions including Vice-Chair, Secretary and Trustee. Through her collaborative leadership as Chair and Vice-Chair, she helped HLSF achieve record-level fundraising with dedicated law firm and corporate sponsors.
Cristina has been a member of Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois (HLAI) since she was a law student. She was a Board Member from 2007-2009 and Co-Chair of HLAI’s JD Mentors Program Committee from 2003 to 2009. She also served as a Board Member and Treasurer of HLAI Charities from 2008 to 2010. Cristina further served on the HLAI and HLAI Charities Annual Day of the Dead Ball Fundraiser Committee from 2006-2008 and as the Event Chair in 2008. The events funded Bar Prep scholarships for law students. Cristina is a 2017 Fellow of the Leadership Counsel on Legal Diversity.
Cristina earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Loyola University Chicago, a Master of Science in Human Resources from Loyola University Chicago, and a Juris Doctor from Chicago Kent College of Law. Cristina lives in the Chicagoland area with her husband and two children.