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.
Representative Matters
- 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.
Presentations & Publications
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