Mary Kate takes a service-first approach to representing clients in complex healthcare and railroad disputes in federal and state courts.
Well-known at the firm for her trial skills, Mary Kate is involved in every stage of commercial and healthcare litigation. She has been trying cases from the beginning of her career, with an unusual amount of both trial and oral argument experience for an attorney at her experience level. A graduate of the National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel (NARTC)’s trial college program, Mary Kate has built a strong reputation as a highly prepared litigator who knows case law backwards and forwards, who has a knack for anticipating opposing arguments and judges’ reactions, and who remains calm under great pressure.
Litigation is in Mary Kate’s blood: the daughter of a former City of St. Louis judge, she grew up with court proceedings as a frequent topic at the dinner table, and she is extensively familiar with the Missouri state court system and its rules. She often serves as local Missouri or St. Louis counsel on cases across the firm.
With a passion for the healthcare industry, Mary Kate devotes the majority of her practice to various healthcare clients. She also works regularly with railroads. She advises and defends clients in business-critical cases, including malpractice allegations, breach of contract litigation, wrongful death lawsuits and employment matters.
At the end of the day, Mary Kate would simply describe her role as helping people through difficult situations. She knows litigation is stressful and frightening, sometimes putting a client’s entire organization on the line, and her goal is to provide full support. Her approach always keeps service front and center: Mary Kate knows clients want different things and have different goals for litigation, and she seeks to develop strategic solutions that fit individual client needs.
The Hon. Kurt S. Odenwald, Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, 2016