Kate concentrates her practice on complex commercial cases, class actions, securities litigation, and corporate internal audits and government investigations.
She has litigated high-stakes cases in state and federal courts throughout the United States, prevailing in disputes involving contracts, employment disputes, securities matters, patents, and business torts of all types.
Kate focuses on protecting her clients’ privacy and their most important and valuable assets: their trade secrets, sensitive data and reputations. Swift and effective, she conducts internal investigations into potential claims, helping Fortune 500 companies and businesses large and small to identify and mitigate potential exposure. She advocates for her clients with reporters and investigators and, when appropriate, litigates cases in courts nationwide.
Among Kate’s many achievements was playing an integral role in securing a major recovery for a family-owned food company in a defamation lawsuit against ABC News. She also won summary judgment for an industry-leading energy company in a $500 million trade secret misappropriation case after years of fact and expert discovery.
One of Kate’s strengths is her obsession with technology and media. Chronically online, she stays current on issues related to emerging technology, especially AI risks, benefits and trends. With an eye toward the future, she advises clients on best practices for preserving their online reputation, addressing their digital privacy concerns, and managing uncertainly as laws and regulations evolve.
*Matter completed prior to joining Benesch.
Notable Representative Experience:
- Represented a leading beef producer in a defamation and disparagement action against ABC. Recognized by the media as the largest defamation action in U.S. history. Secured a confidential, nine-figure settlement following four weeks of trial.
- Represented a class of deaf and hard-of-hearing inmates in a class action against the Illinois Department of Corrections seeking to protect the inmates’ constitutional and statutory rights.*
- Represented a family-owned food company in a $5.7 billion defamation lawsuit against a major television news network.
- 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.
- Successfully argued a motion in federal court on behalf of a multinational computer technology company, resulting in the effective termination of a consumer class action against that company.*
- 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.
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.
- Persuaded a major news network to refrain from publishing a politically driven and defamatory long-form broadcast report about her client, a well-known philanthropist, and his grantmaking network.
- 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.
- 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 a leading beef producer in a defamation and disparagement action against ABC. Recognized by the media as the largest defamation action in U.S. history. Secured a confidential, nine-figure settlement following four weeks of trial.
- 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.
