Kathie focuses her practice in the areas of commercial litigation, ERISA litigation, white-collar criminal defense, internal investigations, government investigations, and enforcement matters.

Kathie prosecutes withdrawal liability litigation against employers and on behalf of multi-employer pension plans. She is also defending a multi-employer pension plan in a putative class action alleging violations of ERISA. These litigations have included:

• Dispositive motion practice
• Opposition to class certification
• Numerous discovery disputes including motions to compel
• Extensive deposition practice
• Oversight of significant document review and production

Kathie regularly advises clients on a wide variety of issues including litigation and trial matters, internal investigations, civil and criminal enforcement matters (including under the False Claims Act), and federal anti-money laundering and asset forfeiture. She has represented domestic and foreign corporate clients, as well as non-profit organizations. Kathie also has experience in employment discrimination, civil rights, and First Amendment lawsuits and has conducted dozens of arbitrations, evidentiary hearings, and trials.

Kathie served as a Judicial Law Clerk for the Honorable Nora Barry Fischer, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

• Represented foreign bank in civil forfeiture proceeding brought under the USA Patriot Act.
• Represented educational institution in litigation against the United States to recover administratively forfeited property.
• In civil forfeiture action relating to an option backdating scheme, recovered nearly $50 million which were ultimately returned to the victim.
• Litigated First Amendment lawsuit against local municipality on behalf of pro bono clients.
• Obtained defense verdicts in numerous employment discrimination and civil rights actions on behalf of municipal and federal governments and their employees.
• Supervised federal prosecutors investigating and litigating seizures of stolen and looted art and cultural property.
• Litigated and supervised federal prosecutors handling seizures under the Bank Secrecy Act and money laundering statutes.
• Conducted internal investigations for non-profit and for corporate entities involving employee misconduct.
• Advised U.S. company whose foreign subsidiary had violated U.S. export control laws.
• Represented the United States in civil and criminal proceedings to recover in excess of $100 million traceable to corporate and securities fraud scheme.

Speaking

• "Picking the Fruits of Crime: Introduction to Federal Asset Forfeiture," Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, Pittsburgh Chapter, February 2019
• "Anti-Money Laundering: Practice Guide on Managing Challenges and Compliance," May 2016
• "Cybercrime: 2015 and Beyond," Institute of Management Accountants - Pittsburgh Chapter, February 2016
• "FinCEN Enforcement Trends," Financial Intelligence & Information Sharing Group Winter Symposium, December 2015
• "The False Claims Act in Construction Cases," Panelist at CLE hosted by the New York City Bar Association, June 2015

Publications

• "Knoedler Litigation Update - No RICO remedy available to Non-U.S. Plaintiff," Art & Cultural Heritage Newsletter, Spring 2019, American Bar Association Section of International Law
• "Nowhere to Turn for Victims of post-1945 Theft of Art (Williams v.National Gallery of Art) Art & Cultural Heritage Newsletter, Fall 2018, American Bar Association Section of International Law
• "International Legal Developments in Review: Art & Cultural Heritage," Contributor in 2012, 2015, and 2018, The international Lawyer, a publication of the American Bar Association Section of International Law
• "Protect Your Business from the Black Market Peso Exchange," November 2014, Corporate Counsel