Kate is a dedicated attorney with a 28-year career, specializing in Plaintiff’s injury law and mass torts. Her extensive experience is a testament to her commitment to justice and her well-established expertise in navigating complex legal landscapes. With a remarkable ability to forge strong and trustworthy client relationships, she possesses a unique skill set that enables her to administer, prosecute and successfully resolve cases.
Originally from White Plains, New York, she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and English Literature in 1988 from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, where she was a Presidential Scholar. In 1994 she received her Juris Doctorate from South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas. Upon graduation, she joined the O’Quinn, Kerensky, McAninch & Laminack law firm as a member of the Mass Tort team in their vanguard litigation against the makers of breast implants.
In 1999, Kate joined the Williams Bailey Law Firm, representing workers injured in refinery explosions, including the Phillips Petroleum Houston Chemical Complex explosion in 2000 and the BP Texas City Refinery disaster in 2005, securing millions in damages for her clients. She also proudly represented members of several unions throughout Texas in labor arbitrations and worker’s compensation claims. Kate also represented clients against the manufacturers of Phen-Fen and Vioxx.
In addition to her advocacy, Kate’s commitment to justice led her to serve as an Administrative Law Judge from 2007-2012, presiding over hundreds of bench trials involving injured workers.
Kate is a former member of the Texas Bar College and was board certified in Workers’ Compensation Law from 2004-2012. Kate also served on the Texas Board of Legal Specialization Workers’ Compensation Certification Approval Committee.
In 2020, she brought her extensive experience to Hilliard Law, where she continues to represent clients nationwide in high-profile mass tort cases, reaffirming her dedication to seeking justice for those who have suffered serious injuries.
In her current role as Senior Mass Tort Attorney at Hilliard Law, Kate has been instrumental in managing complex dockets involving significant client numbers. Her expertise spans cases involving Zantac, Exactech, and ParaGard, skillfully overseeing a staggering 16,000 open files in the Zantac docket alone in 2020 and presently tending to 3,500 clients in MDL and state courts.