About me

Address: New York: One Bryant Park, Bank of America Tower, New York, NY 10036-6745

Areas of Focus: Disputes & Investigations; Investment Funds Litigation; Securities Enforcement & Litigation; Complex Commercial Litigation; White Collar Defense & Government Investigations; Hedge Funds; Shareholder Activism; Fiduciary Litigation

Biography:
Kate is a partner in Akin’s investment funds litigation practice. She is a go-to litigator and counselor, regularly advising investment funds and their portfolio companies on matters of regulatory compliance, fiduciary duty, and corporate governance issues. She has significant experience successfully guiding clients through contentious litigation, including shareholder derivative claims, federal securities actions and mergers & acquisitions litigation.
Kate also represents investment fund clients in a variety of regulatory and criminal investigations involving state and federal government authorities. She has experience conducting internal investigations, engaging with regulators, and counseling clients in a variety of regulatory and corporate governance matters, including those involving U.S. securities laws, trading issues, compliance procedures and fiduciary obligations.
Prior to joining Akin, Kate served as a law clerk to the Honorable Martin Glenn of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. She received her J.D. in 2013 from New York University School of Law, where she was elected to the Order of the Barristers, served as the chair of the Orison S. Marden moot court competition, and received the Norman Ostrow Memorial Moot Court Award. She received her B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she graduated summa cum laude and was elected Phi Beta Kappa.

Representative Work:
- Secured a rare complete defense verdict for Armistice Capital in a high‑profile, three‑week securities class action jury trial in the Northern District of California, defeating claims of securities fraud and insider trading based on alleged pump‑and‑dump activity involving COVID‑19 vaccine company Vaxart. The victory earned recognition from The American Lawyer as a “Litigator of the Week” runner‑up and from Law360 as a “Legal Lion.”
- Obtained a complete defense verdict for a hedge fund client after a three-day civil jury trial related to Exchange Act Section 16(b) short swing profit rule.
- Representing investment fund client and its principal in derivative action in Delaware stemming from alleged breaches of fiduciary duty and insider trading.
- Representing investment fund client and its principal in federal securities actions involving alleged “short-swing” profits in violation of Section 16(b) of Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
- Represented investment fund client and its principals in derivative action in Delaware stemming from alleged breaches of fiduciary duty as conflicted controlling stockholder in connection with merger transaction.
- Represented a co-founder of a leading bitcoin derivatives exchange in a criminal case brought by the Southern District of New York (SDNY) alleging willful violations of the Bank Secrecy Act, as well as parallel CFTC civil enforcement arising from failure to register with the Commission.
- Represented a leading broker-dealer regarding best execution obligations for fixed income transactions.

Credentials:
Education: J.D., New York University School of Law, 2013; B.A., University of California, Los Angeles, 2010 (summa cum laude)
Bar Admissions: New York, 2014
Court Admissions: U.S.C.A., 2nd Circuit, 2024; U.S.C.A., 10th Circuit, 2025; U.S.D.C., Eastern District of New York, 2017; U.S.D.C., Southern District of New York, 2017; U.S.D.C., District of Colorado, 2020
Clerkships: {"clerkship": {"template_keyword": "clerkship", "status": "active", "name": "U.S.B.C., Southern District of New York", "parent_id": null, "id": 1013205, "frontend_active": true, "display_order": null, "globaldata_ancestor_fk": [1000003], "content_subsite_fk": 1, "open_graph": {}}}

Recognitions:
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Affiliations:
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Insights:
- Second Circuit Upholds the Validity of Contractual ‘Blockers’ and Holds They Are Not a ‘Scheme to Evade’ Reporting Requirements (July 15, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/second-circuit-upholds-the-validity-of-contractual-blockers-and-holds-they-are-not-a-scheme-to-evade-reporting-requirements
- Akin Landmark Appellate Victory in US Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit Earns AmLaw Litigator of the Week Shout Out (July 10, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/awards-and-accolades/akin-landmark-appellate-victory-in-us-court-of-appeals-2nd-circuit-earns-amlaw-litigator-of-the-week-shout-out
- Akin Team Recognized as Law360 ‘Legal Lions’ for Securities Class Action Jury Trial Victory  (May 5, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/awards-and-accolades/akin-team-recognized-as-law360-legal-lions-for-securities-class-action-jury-trial-victory
- Akin Team Named an AmLaw Litigator of the Week Runner-Up for Securities Class Action Jury Trial Victory  (May 4, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/awards-and-accolades/akin-team-named-an-amlaw-litigator-of-the-week-runner-up-for-securities-class-action-jury-trial-victory
- Delaware Supreme Court Affirms Dismissal of Premature Challenges to Advance Notice Bylaws  (May 1, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/delaware-supreme-court-affirms-dismissal-of-premature-challenges-to-advance-notice-bylaws
- Akin Secures Significant Victory for Armistice Capital in Securities Class Action Jury Trial  (April 30. 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/press-releases/akin-secures-significant-victory-for-armistice-capital-in-securities-class-action-jury-trial
- Delaware Supreme Court Upholds SB 21, Confirming Statutory Safe Harbors for Controller Transactions (March 2, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/delaware-supreme-court-upholds-sb-21-confirming-statutory-safe-harbors-for-controller-transactions
- Akin Attorneys Co‑Author Law360 Article on Key Implications of Delaware Supreme Court Moelis Decision  (February 27, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/media-mentions/akin-attorneys-coauthor-law360-article-on-key-implications-of-delaware-supreme-court-moelis-decision
- Key Issues for Companies and Activist Investors Heading into the 2026 Proxy Season (February 19, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/articles/key-issues-for-companies-and-activist-investors-heading-into-the-2026-proxy-season
- Delaware Supreme Court Reverses Court of Chancery in Moelis Stockholder-Agreement Dispute (January 23, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/delaware-supreme-court-reverses-court-of-chancery-in-moelis-stockholder-agreement-dispute
- Delaware Supreme Court Reverses the Remedy Applied by the Court of Chancery in In re Tesla, Inc. Derivative Litigation (December 23, 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/delaware-supreme-court-reverses-the-remedy-applied-by-the-court-of-chancery-in-in-re-tesla-inc-derivative-litigation
- Delaware Supreme Court Affirms Chancery Court’s Dismissal in Trade Desk Derivative Suit (November 11, 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/delaware-supreme-court-affirms-chancery-courts-dismissal-in-trade-desk-derivative-suit