Kate concentrates her practice on high-stakes commercial litigation, including class actions, securities disputes, and corporate internal audits and government investigations. She is a trusted advisor to Fortune 500 companies, mid-sized businesses, and family-owned enterprises, helping them navigate their most complex and sensitive legal challenges.
Kate has successfully litigated cases in state and federal courts across the United States, achieving favorable outcomes in matters involving contracts, employment, securities, patents, and business disputes. Her practice is focused on protecting her clients’ most valuable assets—their trade secrets, sensitive data, and reputations. Known for her strategic and decisive approach, Kate conducts internal investigations to identify and mitigate potential exposure, advocates for her clients with reporters and investigators, and, when necessary, litigates aggressively to protect their interests. Clients praise her strategic approach to litigation as being responsible for multiple favorable settlements. Clients also appreciate her years of experience litigating First Amendment issues. She uses that experience to advise clients and their PR counsel in dealing with the national media in crisis situations.
Among her notable achievements, Kate played a pivotal role in securing a nine-figure recovery for a family-owned food company in a defamation lawsuit against ABC News, recognized as the largest defamation action in U.S. history. She also obtained summary judgment for an industry-leading energy company in a $500 million trade secret misappropriation case, following years of complex discovery.
Chronically online, Kate’s deep understanding of technology and media sets her apart. She is highly attuned to emerging issues in artificial intelligence, digital privacy, and online reputation management. With a forward-looking perspective, she advises clients on navigating the evolving regulatory landscape, preserving their digital reputations, and addressing AI-related risks and opportunities.
*Matter completed prior to joining Benesch.
Notable Representative Experience:
- Secured a nine-figure settlement for a leading beef producer in a defamation and disparagement action against ABC News, widely recognized as the largest defamation action in U.S. history.*
- Successfully defended a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company against a defamation claim brought by a former employee, winning a critical motion on the eve of trial that was later upheld by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
- Represented a global investment and advisory financial services firm in a high-profile investigation by Bloomberg News, preventing the publication of false and damaging statements about the client through strategic engagement with reporters, editors, and legal counsel.
- Represented a multinational computer technology company in a consumer class action, successfully arguing a motion in federal court that resulted in the effective termination of the case.*
- Advocated for a class of deaf and hard-of-hearing inmates in a class action against the Illinois Department of Corrections, protecting their constitutional and statutory rights.*
Representative Experience
- Advised a leading technology manufacturer regarding response to product recall.
- On the eve of trial, succeeded on a “Hail Mary” motion to throw out a defamation claim against a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company brought by a former employee. The trial court’s decision was later upheld by the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
- Represented a Fortune 500 insurance company in a variety of complex litigation and internal matters.*
- Represented a global investment and advisory financial services firm in connection with a negative investigation about the company and its subsidiaries being led by a team of reporters at Bloomberg News. Within a week, provided pages of material contradicting the “findings” of the investigative reporter, held an in-person meeting with the reporters, their editors and Bloomberg’s counsel, and prevented the publication of negative statements and outright falsehoods about the client.
- Represented a leading beef producer in a breach of contract and breach of fiduciary dispute brought by an employee. Secured a beneficial settlement after winning a hotly contested discovery and spoliation motion.
- Represented and obtained a favorable settlement for a global technology company in an arbitration with one of its customers, a consumer product company, over an unsuccessful software integration.
- Representing a major food delivery technology platform in disputes and arbitrations with merchants, consumers, contractors and partners.
- Represented a “Real Housewife of Beverly Hills” in her defamation lawsuit against an anonymous blogger. Obtained a favorable settlement that resulted in all harmful publications about her being removed from the defendant’s website.
- Represented a biofuel industry leader regarding a false and defamatory article published by a major media organization and secured full retraction of the article within two weeks of publication.
- Represented a family-owned food company in a $5.7 billion defamation lawsuit against a major television news network.
