On the litigation side, Kate represents employers facing various employment-related lawsuits, such as discrimination, harassment, and wage and hour claims. She also counsels employers on resolving challenging workplace issues and complying with relevant workplace laws. She collaborates with them to craft policies, draft contracts, and respond to employee relations issues, all with an eye to mitigate risk and keep their operations running smoothly. Kate also provides workplace trainings on a variety of topics.
Kate understands that businesses come in all shapes and sizes. Examples of her clients are a local family business with fewer than 20 employees, a retail chain with stores in multiple states, and a 24-hour manufacturing facility with dozens of on-site workers. Kate enjoys learning the operations behind-the-scenes of her clients’ businesses as she develops long-term and trusted relationships with them as an advisor. She knows that every business is different, and that having a legal resource who not only knows the law, but understands each client’s business, can be a tremendous asset. Ultimately, she recognizes that employers want to focus on running and growing their businesses, not their legal woes. Kate proactively helps clients so that they can do just that.
In addition to her management-side practice, Kate also regularly represents individuals in the negotiation of employment contracts and severance packages, and advises individuals seeking guidance on their rights and obligations related to restrictive covenants (e.g., non-competition, non-solicitation, non-disclosure agreements). Early in her legal career, Kate primarily represented plaintiffs in motor vehicle, general liability, workers’ compensation, product liability, nursing home negligence, and medical malpractice claims. Her experience representing clients on both sides of the “v” has given her a valuable perspective in her practice.
Throughout her career, Kate has represented clients in various Massachusetts trial courts (including District, Superior, and Probate and Family) and the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. She has also represented clients at various administrative agencies, including the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA), the Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA), as well as multiple Massachusetts professional licensure boards.
Kate is a proud graduate of Wellesley College and Suffolk University Law School. Outside of her legal practice, she keeps busy with her husband and two children, spends as much time as she can with her family and friends, and tries to squeeze in a game of pick up softball every once in a while.
