McDonald Hopkins welcomes Litigation Associate Kate Montgomery

McDonald Hopkins is proud to welcome Kate Montgomery as an Associate in the firm’s Litigation Department. Kate brings a diverse legal background spanning criminal defense, healthcare and more.

Kate said McDonald Hopkins was her destination firm because of its reputation as a leader in business advisory and advocacy law.

“As a Cleveland native, I’ve always known McDonald Hopkins to be an integral player in the Cleveland legal market and beyond. It’s packed with attorneys who truly know their practices and support their clients. Additionally, one of my law school professors was a former Member at McDonald Hopkins, and throughout the course, he provided us with exceptional hands-on experience and real-life antidotes that have stuck with me to this day. Since then, I knew McDonald Hopkins fostered a culture and legal practice style I aspired to be part of,” she said.

Kate’s experience includes representing clients in criminal proceedings at a criminal defense law firm, developing litigation materials at a personal injury law firm, and analyzing healthcare compliance issues while clerking at University Hospitals’ Office of In-House Counsel. She has also clerked with the City of North Olmsted Law Department and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio. Even beyond her legal practice, Kate worked at LexisNexis as a Large Law Research Consultant, where she trained law firms and academic institutions on advanced legal research tools.

Kate’s diverse background assists in her litigation skills.

“My criminal law background has rendered me exceptionally in-tune with the human aspect of the law. Beyond every contentious case is a client simply fighting for something they believe in. It is crucial for me to actively listen to clients to understand their expectations, needs, thoughts and feelings about their situation. This helps me better partner with my clients to advocate for them,” she said.

Jim Stief, co-president of McDonald Hopkins, said, “Kate’s dedication to her client’s success align perfectly with the culture of collaboration and client focus at McDonald Hopkins. We are excited to have her on board and look forward to the valuable insights and energy she will bring to not only the Litigation Department, but the firm as a whole.”

Kate earned her J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, where she served as an Editor for Health Matrix: Journal of Law-Medicine. She has a B.A. from the University of Toledo in Law and Social Thought. She is based out of McDonald Hopkins’ Cleveland office.