Duckor Metzger & Wynne, APLC Shareholder Katherine C. “Kate” Fine represents and advises corporations, organizations, trusts and individuals in a diverse array of civil litigation matters involving employment, commercial and trust-related disputes. As chair of the firm’s Litigation Department, Kate’s practice includes Business Litigation, Class Actions, Employment & Labor Law, Privacy & Cybersecurity and Trust & Estate Litigation.
Kate, a member of the Firm’s Employment & Labor Law practice, defends employers across industries against wrongful termination, wage and hour, discrimination, harassment and retaliation matters. Kate is a trusted advisor to businesses especially impacted by ever-changing laws and regulations, advising employers to prevent workplace issues from arising.
With a focus on practical and inventive solutions, Kate aims to resolve disputes, while also possessing the experience, determination and skill to mount clever defenses and vigorously litigate cases spanning trial, arbitration and appeal. Kate is known for her ability to reduce her clients’ exposure and liability, and both identify and create opportunities for pre-trial resolutions that avoid litigation when appropriate.
In a recent client win for a medical corporation, Kate argued and won a motion for summary judgment in a joint employment hiring case that denied the plaintiff any recovery. She has extensive experience representing employers in administrative proceedings before federal agencies and is admitted to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California and U.S. Court of International Trade.
Kate advises clients on safeguarding personally identifiable information (PII), protected health information (PHI) and other confidential or sensitive information accessed, used or maintained during business. In addition to defending clients in California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA) and California Consumer Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) actions, Kate assists federal contractors and subcontractors in complying with federal regulatory cybersecurity requirements and in implementing standard operating procedures (SOPs) that comply with the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). By working with clients to create and maintain actionable SOPs that follow NIST SP 800-171 controls, the FAR Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) Rule, and associated DFARS, Kate helps clients create and maintain documentation that can serve as evidence of compliance during third-party security control audits.
Through her work in the Firm’s Trust & Estate Litigation practice, Kate advises and represents trustors, private trustees, institutional trustees and beneficiaries in probate litigation involving will and trust contests, distribution of trust assets, fiduciary representation and property ownership disputes. She recently settled a $1.4 million breach of contract claim against an estate for $15,000 and settled a contentious trust dispute involving a family home. In another case, Kate successfully argued a demurrer related to creditor’s claims filed against an estate that resulted in dismissal of over $800,000 in employment claims.
Prior to joining DMW, Kate advised and represented businesses on importation matters, including classification and tariff issues, both before U.S. Customs and Border Protection and at the U.S. Court of International Trade.
Honors & Awards
- 40 Next Top Business Leaders Under 40 Finalist, San Diego Business Journal, 2023
Memberships & Community Involvement
- Association of Business Trial Lawyers
- Probate Attorneys of San Diego
- San Diego County Bar Association