Katie D. Bell

Katie Bell is skilled in representing businesses faced with single and multi-plaintiff claims involving catastrophic accidents, toxic torts, mass torts, class actions, and multi-district litigation (MDLs). She aggressively defends her clients in state and federal court disputes involving personal injury, product liability, environmental claims, and business and commercial issues and litigation. She brings a track record of favorable outcomes to high-value product liability, emergency and incident response, wetlands loss, business and contract, and municipal law litigation.

Katie’s goal is to develop defense strategies that succeed across the life cycle of the litigation claim. She focuses on the letter of law and facts – never short-term thinking or emotion. Katie thrives in the face of adversity and in dealing with even the most forceful opposing counsel. She consistently rises to the occasion by devising novel arguments that offer the best chance of realizing her client’s end-game objectives. She is known for her deliberate, practical, and effective defense strategies. Katie consistently provides smart, sensible guidance on legal and procedural issues and a complete understanding of combatting the relevant business and substantive legal challenges associated with difficult and/or protracted litigation.

Katie also understands how litigation, particularly mass and class actions, can result in an attack on her client’s reputation, brand quality, goodwill, and product identity across their specific industry and marketplace. Katie remains determined to bring early-on solutions to potentially high-stakes lawsuits. To make the plaintiffs' case less appealing from a risk and reward standpoint, Katie is also creative in identifying legal theory that removes or mitigates the value of the plaintiffs’ claim.

Notably, Katie practices at every level of trial advocacy, including opening and closing statements, cross-examination of witnesses, and summary judgment and evidentiary hearings – both pre-trial and during trial. She also prepares pre-trial mock jury presentations and has represented some of the firm’s largest clients in high-stakes trials and mediations. 

In addition, Katie is among the firm’s most effective e-discovery advisors. She guides clients through large-scale electronic discovery and advises on e-discovery compliance, electronically stored information (ESI), electronic information management, and retention and destruction policies and procedures.