Katharine Claire Collins

Associate Litigation

Chicago +1 312 862 0971

Katharine Claire Collins

Overview

Katharine Collins is a litigation associate in the Chicago office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Her practice focuses on complex commercial litigation in federal and state courts, including matters involving class actions, antitrust, products liability and contract disputes. Katharine previously has served as a law clerk to Judge Daniel A. Bress on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and to Judge Martha M. Pacold on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Litigation

  • In re Dealer Management Systems Antitrust Litigation (N.D. Ill./W.D. Wisc.): Counsel in MDL brought by direct and indirect purchasers of automotive dealership management systems software and related submarkets. Defended CDK Global, LLC against allegations of federal and state antitrust conspiracy allegations through class certification, Daubert, and pretrial phases. Worked to negotiate and draft settlements with putative indirect purchaser class in 2024, and with direct purchaser class in 2025 on the eve of trial, pending Court approval.
  • In re Juul Labs Marketing & Products Liability Litigation (N.D. Cal.): Counsel in MDL and related state cases brought by consumers, schools, attorney generals and municipalities alleging personal injury and economic damages related to e-cigarette product and marketing.
  • Plagens v. Deckard (N.D. Ohio): Represented five former directors and officers in putative class action litigation alleging violations of federal securities law. Secured full dismissal of all claims with respect to four defendants and successfully resolved remaining claims.
  • Covia Holdings Corp. (Bankr. S.D. Tex.):  Trial counsel to Covia Holdings Corporation and certain of its affiliates in connection with contested matters relating to Covia’s Chapter 11 plan in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas.

Arbitrations & Other Matters

  • Represented corporate claimant in successful eight-figure earn-out dispute in arbitration.
  • Defended corporate client in relation to arbitration claims and request for emergency temporary injunction alleging breach of contract and tortious interference with business. Developed and filed counterclaims and negotiated settlement agreement.
  • Represented corporate client in dispute relating to separation from former parent company to a successful settlement agreement avoiding litigation.

Judicial ClerkHonorable Judge Martha M. PacoldUnited States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois2022–2023

Judicial ClerkHonorable Judge Daniel A. BressUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit2019–2020

Minnesota Department of Human Rights: Assisted the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR), pro bono, in its investigation into the City of Minneapolis and Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) following the killing of George Floyd in 2020. In 2022, MDHR released findings that showed the city and MPD engaged in a pattern or practice of discriminatory, race-based policing in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act.

Advised national nonprofit on issues relating to preclusive effect of certain litigation, and strategies for avoiding follow-on litigation.

More

Thought Leadership

Publications

Co-Author, “Mutating Marks: Refusing to Lose the Trademark Trail,” Northwestern Journal of Technology and Intellectual Property, vol. 15, 2018

Credentials

Admissions & Qualifications

  • 2020Illinois
  • 2021District of Columbia

Education

  • University of Virginia School of LawJ.D.2019

    Order of the Coif

    Editorial Board Member, Journal of Law & Politics

    First Place, William Minor Lile Moot Court Competition

    Supreme Court Litigation Clinic

  • University of FloridaB.S., Business Administration & Advertising2016