The Team Law Office of Cristi Michelon Vasquez Santa Barbara Attorney

Our Team

Cristi Michelon Vasquez, Attorney at Law

Cristi Michelon Vasquez Santa Barbara Attorney

Cristi specializes in the areas of business, real estate, landlord-tenant, trust litigation, probate, conservatorships and general civil litigation.

Known for her strong client service skills, the clarity of her advice and her straightforward legal approach, Cristi guides her clients so they can easily understand and work through the legal process.

Cristi is a former president of Santa Barbara Women Lawyers, former vice president of the Santa Barbara Women Lawyers Foundation, former affiliate governor to the Board of California Women Lawyers, and former board member of the Santa Barbara County Bar Association. She is a past president and former board member of the Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center.

Cristi received her law degree from Santa Barbara College of Law in 2001 and was admitted to practice law in the state of California. She also was admitted to practice before the United States District Court, the U.S. Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of the United States.

During law school, Cristi worked as an intern for Santa Barbara County Counsel, Small Claims. After law school, she worked at a general civil litigation practice handling civil transactions and disputes. She continued her career with a firm handling business, real estate and trust disputes before starting her own firm.

Cristi is a member of the State Bar of California, the Santa Barbara County Bar Association, Santa Barbara Women Lawyers and California Women Lawyers.

Risa Marie Gaddis, Certified Paralegal

Risa Marie Gaddis, Certified Paralegal

Risa brings a genuine commitment to service, case management and communication to her work. She has developed a reputation for her unique ability to guide clients through what can at times seem like an overwhelming legal process.

With an extensive background as a civil litigation trial paralegal, Risa brings more than 30 years of law office experience to bear, having assisted at trial in many complex business litigation cases and prepared numerous actions for trial during her career, in a variety of venues, including state and federal courts.

Risa was awarded her Certificate in Legal Assistantship (Paralegal) from UCSB in 1996. She is former president of the Santa Barbara Paralegal Association, former vice president of the Santa Barbara Paralegal Association, former newsletter editor of the Santa Barbara Paralegal Association, and former liaison to the California Alliance of Paralegal Associations.

Testimonials

“Cristi brings dedication, compassion and a tremendous amount of knowledge to her practice. She is an excellent communicator and an articulate advocate who provides straightforward guidance with an outgoing demeanor. She is competent, approachable and efficient and is always a pleasure to work with.”

“I have had the pleasure of working with Cristi on the Santa Barbara Women Lawyers board of directors and other endeavors. Cristi is a strong, smart straight shooter who always brought 100 percent and a good sense of humor to every project we worked on together. Every team should be fortunate enough to have a member like Cristi on it.”

“I was being sued for a lot of money, and I was totally unsure about the process. Cristi made me feel reassured about my options as well as the process. She is very knowledgeable of legal strategy and of various tactical methods that were essential to achieve a favorable outcome for my case. I highly recommend Cristi. She knows her stuff.”

“Cristi is very knowledgeable, and she shows genuine concern and compassion. For us, this was especially important since the principle client was 94 years old. She has a gift in being able to explain complex matters in a way we can both understand. Cristi has become an invaluable asset to us as we face a variety of issues and concerns. I can't recommend her enough to anyone needing an attorney in all of her areas of expertise.”