Katie is a fierce competitor who gets results. She advocates for her clients with the same focus, drive, and dogged determination that helped her win three NCAA swimming championships before moving on to set seven world records in masters swimming. She has deep experience in all types of insurance disputes, including working on behalf of insurance companies for over five years. During that time, Katie learned firsthand how carriers analyze claims and what makes them tick. This unique perspective from both sides of insurance coverage practice gives her an invaluable edge in counseling her policyholder clients.
Katie has a particular knack for achieving successful outcomes for her clients early in litigation through targeted pretrial practice. Her strategic approach to coverage disputes and her keen ability to simplify complex issues make her a powerful advocate for policyholders. Her passion for research and writing is especially useful for coverage litigation and policy reviews. As a current business owner, Katie understands the challenges businesses face on a daily basis and uses that insight to anticipate her clients’ needs.
Katie lives and works between Dallas and Vail, Colorado, where she draws energy and inspiration from mountain living. She spends her winters skiing and snowshoeing and her summers hiking, swimming and cycling.
Education
J.D., Texas Tech University School of Law, 2005, cum laude
- Executive Managing Editor, Texas Tech Law Review, 2004 to 2005
B.A., Southern Methodist University, Economics & Public Relations, 1999, cum laude
Court Admissions
Licensed in California
Licensed in Colorado
Licensed in Texas
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth and Ninth Circuits
U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Representative Experience
- Drafted successful summary judgment for a multinational vessel owner and obtained a judgment and award of attorneys’ fees against same maritime plaintiffs
- Assisted with successful judgment notwithstanding the verdict of defendant attorney in a million-dollar legal malpractice lawsuit
- Represented multinational vessel owner in multimillion-dollar maritime MDL litigation involving over 25,000 lawsuits
- Served as counsel for multinational vessel owners in Jones Act and Longshore personal injury cases
- Served as trial counsel for an international oil company and a chemical distribution company in maritime, toxic tort, and products liability cases
- Served as coordinating counsel for a high-risk automobile insurance company, including handling of insurance bad faith matters and policy review
- Defended premises owners and other product manufacturers in product liability cases
- Defended professionals in a variety of malpractice lawsuits, including medical and legal malpractice
Awards and Recognition
- Recognized as a California Rising Star (2012 to 2016) by Super Lawyers as published by Thomson Reuters; Super Lawyers is a rating service of oustanding attorneys who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement
- Recognized as a Texas Rising Star (2011 to 2012) by Super Lawyers as published by Thomson Reuters
Professional and Community Involvement
State Bar of Texas
State Bar of California
Maritime Law Association, 2013 to present
DRI, 2011 to 2016
FINA Masters Swimming, 7-Time World Record Holder
Off Piste Aquatics, Head Coach-Owner, 2016 to present
United States Masters Swimming, Level 3 Coach, 2015 to present
North Texas Masters Swimming Committee, Former Chair, 2007 to 2008
U.S. National Swimming Team, Member, 2000 to 2001
Publications and Presentations
- June 2019, “ALI Restatement :: The Law of Liability Insurance,” co-authored article and presentation for the State Bar of Texas, Advanced Insurance Law Course 2019, San Antonio, Texas
- January 2019, “Budding Considerations :: Cannabis-Related Insurance Issues,” co-authored article for Coverage, published by the Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee of the American Bar Association’s Section of Litigation
- January 2009, “Contractual Risk Transfer in Construction Contracts,” presentation for Cooper & Scully Annual Construction Seminar, Dallas, Texas
- April 2009, “‘Additional Insured’ Status and Rights: What are the Obligations of the Insurer to the Additional Insured?,” presentation for the 16th Annual Insurance Symposium, Dallas, Texas
- Spring 2008, “Insurance Decisions of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit,” article for Texas Tech Law Review [40 TEX. TECH L. REV. 666]
- May 2008, “‘Integral Part’ Test: An Accepted Substitute for the Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage ‘Actual Physical Contact’ Requirement? Not in Texas,” presentation for the International Risk Management Institute, Dallas, Texas
- March 2008, “What You ‘Auto’ Know About Texas Auto and General Liability Policies,” presentation for the Cooper & Scully 15th Annual Insurance Symposium, Dallas, Texas
- March 2007, “Let’s Make a Deal: Insurance Appraisal, The Who, What, When, Where, and How,” presentation for the Cooper & Scully 14th Annual Insurance Symposium, Dallas, Texas
- January 2007, “Dealing with Multiple Owners: Condominium Construction Defect Litigation,” presentation for the Cooper & Scully 2nd Annual Construction Symposium, Dallas, Texas
- March 2006, “Prompt Payment of Claims, The Unanswered Question: Should Article 21.55 Apply to the Duty to Defend,” presentation for the Cooper & Scully 13th Annual Bad Faith Seminar, Dallas, Texas
- December 2005, “Algorithm for Construction of Insurance Policies,” article for presentation to the State Bar of Texas 10th Annual Insurance Law Institute, Austin, Texas
- Winter 2004, “Should College Football’s Currency Read ‘In BCS We Trust’ Or Is it Just Monopoly Money? Antitrust Implications of the Bowl Championship Series," article for Texas Tech Law Review [37 TEX. TECH L. REV. 167]
Employment
Before joining Amy Stewart Law, Katie was a partner in the California law firm Lautmann & Glenn LLP, where she represented clients in all aspects of state and federal litigation. She previously practiced with Armstrong & Associates, LLP, another California firm where she handled maritime litigation cases on behalf of vessel owners, and Dallas-based Cooper & Scully, P.C., where she handled a variety of insurance litigation on behalf of insurance carriers.