Katherine M. Katchen is the hiring partner for the firm's Philadelphia office and focuses her practice on complex class actions and other commercial litigation involving insurance, antitrust, health care, RICO, business torts, trade secrets, employment law, products liability and professional liability.

Ms. Katchen’s representations include defense of—

• a manufacturer of the building material oriented strand board in nationwide direct and indirect purchaser antitrust class actions alleging conspiracy to restrict supply and fix prices
• health insurers against an almost decade-long series of state and federal class actions by health care providers, professional medical societies, and subscribers alleging a variety of legal theories including RICO conspiracy, ERISA violations, fraud, contract and quasi-contract, tortious interference, and breach of state prompt pay and other statutes
• Medical Assistance (Medicaid) managed care health plans in a series of actions filed by numerous ambulance providers alleging improper reimbursement
• a leading Internet security company in a series of complex litigations arising from alleged breaches of various purchase agreements whereby the company acquired certain start-up internet security/consulting firms, including disputes related to earnout provisions in the agreements
• an insurance company in a series of class actions challenging the company’s business reorganization and the releases executed in connection therewith, and alleging claims of age discrimination, retaliation, violations of ERISA, breach of contract, and breach of fiduciary duty
• a major telecommunications company in a patent infringement matter involving alleged infringement of a patent relating to blocking fraudulent telephone calls
• a provider of payment processing services, and certain of its individual officers and directors, in an 11-day federal jury trial, which resulted in a complete defense verdict that was affirmed on appeal by the Third Circuit in all respects. The 30-count complaint alleged claims for mail, wire and bank fraud under RICO, as well as a host of other federal and state claims ranging from Title VII discrimination to breach of various employment and operating agreements.

Her recent presentations include—

• “Antitrust Compliance: Tips for In-House Counsel to Minimize Antitrust Risk” (Association of Corporate Counsel of America, Delaware Valley Chapter, May 2009)
• “Recent Trends in DOJ and SEC Actions Against In-House Counsel” (Association of Corporate Counsel of America, Delaware Valley Chapter, April 2009)
• "Personal Liability Risks Facing In-House Counsel” (Association of Corporate Counsel of America, Delaware Valley Chapter, April 2007; Pennsylvania Bar Institute’s 12^th Annual Business Lawyer’s Institute, Nov. 2006).

Ms. Katchen received her B.A. in communications in 1994 from Villanova University and her J.D. in 1997 from the University of Pittsburgh, where she was an editor of The Journal of Law and Commerce. She is a member of the Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Massachusetts bars and is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the 3^rd and 11^th Circuits.

In 2006 Ms. Katchen was selected as one of Pennsylvania Law Weekly’s "Lawyers on the Fast Track," a designation awarded to some 45 attorneys throughout Pennsylvania who are under the age of 40. She also was selected in 2005-2008 as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyers – Rising Star and was acknowledged by Law360 as a standout in the area of insurance in 2010, naming her to its list of “Rising Stars.”

Ms. Katchen is active in pro bono and charity work. She is a volunteer attorney and her office’s practice group leader for the Support Center for Child Advocates, the country’s oldest and largest pro bono legal and social services agency for children. She also is a member of the board of directors of the Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue.