A former journalist turned litigator, Katherine Oblak has always known that the most powerful weapon in any room is a well-told story. Today, she is a seasoned litigator and trusted advisor for employers in all industry segments, bringing a rare combination of clarity, precision and persuasion to complex and high-stakes employment matters throughout the country.
Katherine defends employers in state and federal courts and before agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Illinois Department of Human Rights. Her docket spans the full spectrum of employment litigation—discrimination, harassment and retaliation claims based on race, color, sex, age and disability—including high-stakes class and collective action cases where the exposure is significant.
Katherine also is a go-to lawyer for restrictive covenant and trade secret disputes, prosecuting and defending claims with equal agility. She has a proven track record of securing expedited injunctive relief in courts across the country, stopping threats to business interests before they cause lasting damage. She also is a National Institute for Trial Advocacy-certified litigator.
Beyond the courtroom, Katherine is a trusted counselor, helping clients build strong foundations through well-drafted employee handbooks, agreements and workplace policies before problems arise.
Katherine also guides employers through the rapidly evolving legal landscape surrounding artificial intelligence in hiring and recruitment—helping them embrace innovation while staying ahead of risks. She routinely handles high-stakes internal investigations, drawing upon her investigative journalism education and background.
Katherine’s path to labor and employment law was forged in complex commercial litigation—business divorces, shareholder derivative suits, fraud and breaches of fiduciary duty—giving her a litigation instinct and a commercial sensibility that set her apart.
Outside of law, Katherine is a published writer, with bylines in Condé Nast Traveler, Chicago magazine and Chicago HOME and on mylifetime.com.