Overview

Katie Lencioni is a litigation partner and accomplished trial attorney in the Chicago office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Recognized by Best Lawyers since 2024 for her commercial litigation practice, Katie represents private equity sponsors, portfolio companies, hedge funds and leading corporations in their most consequential disputes. She has litigated matters at both the trial and appellate levels in state and federal courts, as well as in arbitration and mediation.

Katie has a proven record of success at trial. She served as trial counsel in a high-profile products liability case for 3M, which resulted in a unanimous defense verdict following a two-week jury trial and earned her recognition as a runner-up for The American Lawyer’s “Litigator of the Week.” She likewise served as trial counsel for Abbott in a five-week jury trial involving infant formula, where the trial team secured a unanimous defense verdict on all claims and was named “Litigator of the Week” by The American Lawyer Litigation Daily. Katie’s trial work also includes significant public and confidential breach of contract, fraud and post-acquisition disputes nationwide, in which she has secured favorable outcomes for her clients.

Katie has a broad commercial litigation practice encompassing M&A disputes, employment and restrictive covenant matters, contract disputes and products liability cases across a wide array of industries. She has led numerous post-acquisition disputes, including purchase price adjustments, earnout and valuation disputes, breach of contract claims, employment and shareholder claims and fraud, trade secret and misappropriation matters. Clients recognize Katie as an “excellent technical lawyer” and a “valued counselor on day-to-day sticky issues and questions,” and applaud her “good client service” (Chambers USA).

Katie also maintains an active antitrust practice. She has represented Eli Lilly, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and multiple Blue Plans in federal antitrust matters, multidistrict litigations and class actions. She also serves as outside antitrust counsel to a large eye care insurer and a well-known film distributor.

Katie is additionally committed to pro bono service. She successfully represented an innocent man who was wrongfully convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to 100 years in prison. The court overturned that wrongful conviction following an evidentiary hearing, and for that work, Katie was named Pro Bono Partner of the Year and separately received “Litigator of the Week” recognition from The American Lawyer Litigation Daily.

In addition to her active legal practice, Katie is involved in the Firm’s recruiting, mentoring, associate training, summer program and inclusion initiatives. She leads the Chicago litigation summer associate program, serves as a judge and mentor for the Kirkland Institute of Trial Advocacy, and was also involved in the Women’s Professional Network, where she previously served as co-chair and founded its annual women’s client event.

More

Thought Leadership

Seminars

Facing and Managing the Client, Cartel & Antitrust Litigation Defense Conference, June 2022 

Lawyers Getting Into Hot Water: Recent Sanctions and Disciplinary Cases — Digital Discovery Violations, Federal Bar Association (Chicago Chapter), May 2016

Recognition

Recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch for Commercial Litigation, 2024–2027

Recognized as “Litigator of the Week” by The American Lawyer Litigation Daily for Abbott Representation in Baby Formula Trial, November 8, 2024

Received a “Litigator of the Week” shout out by The American Lawyer Litigation Daily for Eli Lilly Representation in Antitrust Case, February 9, 2024

Received a “Litigator of the Week” shout out by The American Lawyer Litigation Daily for Pro Bono Habeas Work, September 16, 2022

Recognized as “Litigator of the Week” by The American Lawyer Litigation Daily for 3M Representation in Earplug Trial, April 15, 2022

PILI Fellow, The John Marshall Law School Pro Bono Clinic

Memberships & Affiliations

Big Sister, Big Brothers Big Sisters Workplace Mentoring Program

Board Member, Teach For America Chicago-Northwest Indiana Auxiliary Board

Mentor, Kirkland & Ellis Women’s Mentorship Program with Northwestern Law School

Credentials

Admissions & Qualifications

  • 2015Illinois

Courts

  • United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
  • United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

Education

  • University of Virginia School of LawJ.D.2015

    Order of the Coif

    Virginia Bar Association Family Law Book Award

    Managing Editor, Virginia Law & Business Review

  • Johns Hopkins UniversityM.S., Education and Urban Educationsumma cum laude2012
  • University of FloridaB.S., Journalism; B.A., Political Sciencesumma cum laude2010

    Anderson Scholar of High Distinction in Political Science

    College of Journalism and Communications Excellence in Writing