Katherine’s practice encompasses a wide range of international trade matters, including Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) reviews, export controls, economic sanctions, national security and litigation strategy in international investment and arbitration, as well as the new Securing the Information and Communications Technology and Services (ICTS) supply chain and Outbound Investment Security Program regulations advice.

With extensive experience advising on CFIUS issues, Katherine represents clients pursuing inbound & outbound strategic investments and transactions worldwide. This includes providing advice on CFIUS considerations in cross-border deals, analyzing risks for clients considering arbitrage and representing clients in formal CFIUS proceedings such as filings, non-notified inquiries and mitigation agreement negotiations. Katherine has also advised on the CFIUS implications of financial restructurings, sovereign wealth fund investments, joint ventures and other high stakes transactions.

In addition, Katherine advises on regulatory compliance under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR), and before the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) and U.S. Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC).

Katherine has a global practice representing clients across many sectors, including aerospace & defense, technology, semiconductors, artificial intelligence & machine learning, manufacturing, investment management & private equity, sovereign wealth funds, oil & gas, energy & infrastructure, renewable energy & energy transition and autonomous systems & advanced mobility.

Prior to joining Akin, Katherine served for nine years in the Office of the Legal Adviser at the U.S. Department of State, including as the department’s lead CFIUS lawyer and principal lawyer on international investment matters. Additionally, Katherine represented the State Department in interagency policy-making processes and worked closely with senior officials at the National Security Council, U.S. Trade Representative, the Departments of Justice, Defense, the Treasury, Commerce and Homeland Security and other federal agencies.

Katherine was instrumental in advising State Department principals on CFIUS national security reviews of transactions, mitigation agreements, litigation strategy and congressional inquiries. She advised policy clients, including officials in the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, on compliance issues under the Arms Export Control Act and the ITAR, including in connection with foreign military assistance programming, foreign military sales and export licenses for direct commercial sales.

Additionally, Katherine led legal reviews of matters related to counterterrorism, security assistance and foreign military cooperation in coordination with senior Pentagon officials and the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA).

Before obtaining her law degree, Katherine served as a research associate for a Washington, D.C. consulting firm, where she researched U.S. and international regulatory and political issues for multinational clients.

Katherine was a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Stefan R. Underhill of the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut and the Honorable Peter W. Hall of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit.