Cathy is the managing partner of the firm’s Washington, D.C. office and is co-leader of firm’s Complex Litigation team. Cathy is a veteran trial lawyer who defends companies that face complex disputes with other businesses and the United States or state governments. She is known for her strengths-based leadership of teams that deliver definitive client solutions.
A partner in Womble’s Business Litigation Group, Cathy represents companies and organizations in disputes involving commercial contracts, constitutional claims, corporate governance challenges, fraud and missappropriation of assets, fiduciary duty claims, consumer protection, class action claims and high stakes employee relations matters. Cathy has represented a broad range of clients in both prosecution and defense of civil litigation matters, including government contractors, financial services companies, professional services firms, telecommunications companies, emerging tech companies, residential and commercial real estate developers, software developers, manufacturers, media companies, hospitality companies, and receivers and bankruptcy trustees in civil litigation.
Cathy also counsels clients under investigation by regulatory authorities or law enforcement agencies and defends clients charged with white collar crimes. These matters have included defense of companies and executives accused of RICO, FCA, money laundering, gambling, and fraud offenses. She also helps clients respond to subpoenas, civil investigative demands, forfeitures, seizures and whistleblower claims, and conduct internal investigations.
Cathy’s diverse experience includes successful bench and jury trials, mediations and arbitrations, obtaining and defending against emergency injunctive relief, appellate practice and proficiency in complex e-discovery.
Cathy previously led the firm’s women’s leadership program, Women of Womble (WOW).
Representative Experience
Any result the lawyer or law firm may have achieved on behalf of clients in other matters does not necessarily indicate similar results can be obtained for other clients.
- Achieved dismissal of claims against sovereign government and its highest-ranking leaders in federal lawsuit alleging First and Fourteenth Amendment constitutional violations arising out of Covid-19 safety declarations.
- Successfully defended government contractor in Department of Defense Office of Inspector General investigation and related employee whistleblower litigation.
- Represented former CEO of publicly traded company and a board member accused of breaching fiduciary duties; achieved full dismissal of employee lawsuit against the executives.
- Represented the former general counsel of a professional sports team in litigation related to an investigation of alleged workplace misconduct issues.
- Successfully defended a national homebuilder against a $28 million damages claim arising out of delayed completion of a real estate development project, achieving dismissal of all damages claims on summary judgment.
- Served as lead trial counsel for global manufacturer of appliance products in breach of contract, breach of warranty, and Uniform Commercial Code violation action against a supplier, resulting in a $1.5 million jury verdict in favor of the client.
- Represented bankruptcy trustee in adversary proceeding asserting fraud, civil RICO and related claims against debtors and their family members for their roles in a scheme to operate businesses that mirrored the corporate debtor and facilitated unreported income to individual debtors; achieved beneficial settlement.
- Achieved a judgment in excess of $4 million on behalf of a victim of a Ponzi scheme in civil RICO and fraud action.
- Successfully defended an international airport retail and concession developer against breach of lease, discrimination, and fraud claims brought by a food service franchise tenant whose business failed. Following dismissal of all but one claim on motions to dismiss and for summary judgment, Cathy first chaired the jury trial on a remaining fraud claim, achieving a full defense verdict
- Served on the Plaintiffs’ Committee for multidistrict litigation arising out of the April 3, 1996 crash of a U.S. Air Force CT-43 carrying U.S. Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown and a delegation of government officials; represented survivors of six victims through discovery, summary judgment, mediation and settlements, with final settlement achieved shortly after jury selection.
- Represented corporate executive in False Claims Act investigation prompted by whistleblower.
- Represented U.S. professional services firm executive in New York Department of Financial Services investigation of foreign bank.
- Defended software developer and its executives charged with gambling, money laundering and RICO related offenses arising out of gaming software licensing agreements.
- Defended software developer in civil forfeiture action brought by the Massachusetts Attorney General, achieving AG’s voluntary dismissal of claims and return of all funds seized.
- Represented overseas employees of European auto manufacturer in global emissions fraud investigation.
- Defended high net worth individuals in civil protective order actions.
- Represented professional athletes in administrative and criminal investigations.
- Represented federal agents involved in firearm discharge incidences.
Thought Leadership
Presentations
- Co-Presenter with Victoria Bruno and Kathleen Gallagher, Class Action Lawsuits and Impacts to the Industry, UMCA Annual Meeting, October 20, 2022
- Co-Presenter with G. David Carter, Litigation Funding in the COVID-19 Era, April 29, 2020
- Co-Presenter at ACC Annual Meeting “Burdens and Benefits of Domestic Discovery in International Proceedings” September 27, 2018
- Moderator of WIPL Panel “Building a Successful Women’s Initiative,” October 12, 2017
- Co-Presenter at ACC Annual Meeting “Compliance for the Small Law Department,” 2016
- Speaker at ACC Annual Meeting “Essentials of a Successful Compliance Program,” 2015
Publications
- Co-author, “The Upswing Is in Lawsuits,” Legal Times, Volume 30, No. 10, March 5, 2007
- “Parent-Child Immunity and Motor Vehicle Torts: Defending the Minority View,” Maryland Law Review, Volume 57, No. 3, 1998
Professional Activities
- District of Columbia Bar
- Virginia State Bar Association
Honors and Awards
- Lawdragon's 500 Leading Litigators in America in Business Litigation, Investigations, White Collar, 2026-Present
- Selected to the Washington, D.C. Rising Stars list by Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters) in Business Litigation, Employment Litigation, Real Estate, 2013
