Kate is a seasoned associate in the financial services litigation space, practicing in both state and federal courts nationwide. While Kate has experience with a variety of litigation matters, her practice is primarily focused on representing financial institutions in putative class actions involving consumer lending practices and Ponzi schemes. Additionally, Kate has managed and assisted with a range of complex commercial disputes, trust management and disputes arising from trust investment processes, class action settlements, and other financial fraud cases. Kate also has a strong commitment to pro bono practice and has assisted victims of domestic abuse, incarcerated individuals, and asylum seekers to overcome legal barriers to relief.
Since its inception, Kate has served as a co-editor of the McGuireWoods Ponzi Perspectives blog, tracking new litigation across the country involving Ponzi schemes and analyzing opinions and new developments in this area of the law.
During law school, Kate served as executive editor of the University of Pittsburgh Law Review, where she wrote the note, It’s the Circle of Strife: Combatting Backlash and Workplace Animus Towards Women After the #MeToo Movement, 82 U. Pitt. L. Rev. 207 (2021). Kate also served as an intern for the Honorable Nicholas J. Ranjan of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Experience
- Representation of multiple vehicle finance companies in putative class actions related to violation of UCC and consumer protection laws, including pre- and post-repossession notices, improper fees, and failure to disclose fees.
- Assisted with defense of financial institution in billion-dollar class action based on allegedly improper investment practices in trust accounts, successfully obtaining denial of class certification after evidentiary hearings on certification issues and Daubert motion practice.
- Participation on trial team involving multi-million-dollar claims and counterclaims in commercial dispute between financial institution and product vendor.
- Representation of multiple financial institutions sued by putative classes and court-appointed receiver for allegedly aiding and abetting Ponzi schemes involving real estate, unregistered securities, and personal injury settlements.
- Representation of financial institution which fell victim to massive check kiting scheme, including lawsuits against net-winner banks and merchant cash advance lenders.
- Representation of victims of domestic violence in protection from abuse matters.
- Representation of incarcerated individual in civil rights action, resulting in favorable settlement for the client.
- Representation of former Afghan military members, successfully obtaining asylum for the family.
- Pennsylvania
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
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University of Pittsburgh School of LawJD
magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, Dean’s List, Executive Editor, University of Pittsburgh Law Review
2020 -
Indiana University of PennsylvaniaBSMarketing – Honors Program, Minor, Applied Statistics
Eberly College of Business, summa cum laude
2017
- Author, Ponzi Perspectives: Notable Litigation – July 2024, Ponzi Perspectives, August 23, 2024
- Author, Ponzi Perspectives: Notable Litigation – March 2024, Ponzi Perspectives, April 22, 2024
- Author, Ponzi Perspectives: 2023 Year-End Roundup, Ponzi Perspectives, March 4, 2024
- Author, Second Circuit Strikes Down Attempted Bankruptcy Contempt Proceedings In Class Context, Class Action Countermeasures, August 16, 2023
- Author, Ponzi Perspectives: 2023 Midyear Roundup, Ponzi Perspectives, July 24, 2023
- Author, Ponzi Perspectives: 2021 Year-End Roundup, Ponzi Perspectives, December 7, 2021
- Author, Ponzi Schemes: A Growing Hazard in Film Financing, Ponzi Perspectives, September 3, 2021
- Co-author, "Ponzi Schemes: A Growing Hazard In Film Financing," Law360, September 2, 2021
- Author, "Resolving Class Actions Early With Bifurcated Discovery," Law360, August 31, 2021
- Author, Personal Jurisdiction – An Effective Defense As Illustrated by the Southern District of New York in Dismissing Ponzi Litigation, Ponzi Perspectives, April 22, 2021
- Author, Fifth Circuit Holds that Receiver Has Standing to Bring Derivative Claims on Behalf of Investors Harmed by Ponzi Scheme, Ponzi Perspectives, February 3, 2021
- Author, Note, It’s the Circle of Strife: Combatting Backlash and Workplace Animus Towards Women After the #MeToo Movement, 82 U. Pitt. L. Rev. 207, 2021
- Author, Second Circuit Rejects Ponzi Scheme-Related Facilitation Claims against Bank, Ponzi Perspectives, November 13, 2020