Kristian M. Cross

Kristian Cross is an associate with Collins & Lacy practicing in workers' compensation, employment law and retail/hospitality/entertainment law. In addition to her position on the South Carolina Bar Workers’ Compensation Committee, Kristian serves on the executive board of Sexual Trauma Services of the Midlands. Kristian received her Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina, where she served as the Secretary of the Student Bar Association, as well as the Academic Assistance Program Property Tutor. During law school, she also served as a law clerk for Collins & Lacy and another local firm.  Prior to joining Collins & Lacy in 2010, Kristian worked as an attorney for a Columbia-based firm practicing in the areas of business, commercial and insurance litigation.

Read our newsletters for the latest information and updates on legal issues related to the practice of Workers' Compensation, Employment and Insurance law in South Carolina. 

Practice Focus/ Trial Experience

• Workers' Compensation: representing clients in every stage of the Workers’ Compensation process, including discovery, hearings, appeals and mediation.
• Employment Law: representing employers from all types of industries in litigation and alternative dispute resolution.  Also working with employers on the preparation of documents to address ways to minimize employment risk and litigation, including, but not limited to, policy manuals, handbooks and contracts.
• Retail / Hospitality / Entertainment: representing the leading national and regional companies in the hotel, food service, entertainment and retail industries, focusing on the protection of their brands, assets and patrons’ good will.

 Professional, Civic and Community Involvement

• South Carolina Bar Association
  • Workers' Compensation Section
•  Richland County Bar Association  
• South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys' Association
  • Workers' Compensation Committee
• Defense Research Institute
• International Society of Primerus Law Firms
• Sexual Trauma Services of the Midlands
• 2011 Executive Committee
• 2011 Board of Directors
• South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Educational Association
• Contemporaries of the Columbia Art Museum 
• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Papers, Presentations and Publications

• "Workers' Compensation Issues in Doscher's Case," South Carolina Retail/Hospitality Law Blog, June 2012
• "Court of Appeals Finds Employer/Carrier Entitled to Partial Reimbursement from the Second Injury Fund," South Carolina Workers' Compensation Law Blog, June 2012
• "SCWCC Accepts Administrative Guidelines for Interpreters/Translators," South Carolina Workers' Compensation Law Blog, March 2012 
• "Workers' Compensation Settlements and MSAs," South Carolina Workers' Compensation Law Blog, August 2011
• Common Mistakes to Avoid Once a Claim Occurs, South Carolina National Safety Council Seminar, "Keeping Your Business Safe: Securing Your Bottom Line by Avoiding Litigation," August 2011
• Dorothy, You're Not in Law School Anymore, South Carolina Young Lawyer Magazine, February 2011, Contributing Editor 
• 2010 Tort Law Desk Reference - A Fifty State Compendium, Contributing Editor
• 2009 Tort Law Desk Reference - A Fifty State Compendium, Contributing Editor

Speaking Engagements

• Collins & Lacy to Host Presentation for Association of Corporate Counsel, June 14, 2013
• Free Seminar Series: How to Avoid the Pitfalls of Litigation: Tips to Keep Your Company out of Court, July 29, 2010