Katherine I. Heise
Counsel
kheise@akingump.com
Areas of Focus
- Labor & Employment
- Wage & Hour/Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Litigation & Counseling
- Class Actions
- Workplace Safety/OSHA Litigation & Counseling
- Employment Discrimination/EEOC Advocacy
- Workplace Investigations, Civil Rights Audits & DEI Practices Advice
- Pro Bono
- Sports
Biography
- Focuses on class and complex labor & employment litigation.
- Provides employment counseling on a range of labor & employment issues.
Kate represents employers in a wide range of labor and employment matters, with a focus on class and collective actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and counterpart state wage and hour laws. Kate has defended clients on claims related to employee classifications, day rates, joint employment, “off-the-clock” work, among other wage and hour issues. Kate also represents companies in a range of other employment issues including:
- High-stakes contract and labor disputes;
- Workplace safety issues and investigations brought by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA); and
- Allegations of discrimination, harassment, and other employee misconduct.
Representative Work
- Represents a beverage manufacturer in a wage and hour lawsuit alleging off-the-clock work.
- Represents a large insurance company in lawsuits involving claims by independent contractor agents.
- Representing a university in a high-profile wage and hour lawsuit under the Fair Labor Standards Act and state statutes alleging that college athletes should be recognized as employees and that the NCAA is a joint employer.
- Represented an energy services company in a wage and hour arbitration involving claims for breach of a noncompete agreement, tortious interference with the noncompete agreement, and misappropriation of trade secrets.
EducationJ.D., The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law, magna cum laude
B.A., University of Maryland, College Park
J.D., The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law, magna cum laude
B.A., University of Maryland, College Park
Bar AdmissionsDistrict of Columbia
District of Columbia
Recognitions
- The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law, Michael F. Curtin Pro Bono Award, 2019.
