US Litigation Professional Support Lawyer

Catherine A. Bernard

Commercial Litigation, Securities Litigation & Enforcement, Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Overview

Catherine is the Professional Support Lawyer for Mayer Brown’s US Litigation & Dispute resolution practice and a member of the firm’s Knowledge Management Department. Using her extensive litigation experience, she advises and supports practice while collaborating with other KM professionals, firm management, attorneys, and marketing professionals on operational, educational, and innovation initiatives. Catherine also works with the firm’s Innovation and IT Departments to assess, develop, and implement technology that allows the firm’s lawyers to better leverage each other’s knowledge and promote the full application of the firm’s resources in serving client needs. Catherine frequently speaks on knowledge management and innovation topics at industry conferences, including LegalTech, LegalCIO, and Ark KM, as well as customer panels for KM tools such as Lex Machina and Westlaw Litigation Analytics. She is a member of the DC Legal Knowledge Management Group.

Experience

  • Defense of two global financial institutions in RMBS-related securities fraud lawsuits in New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Indiana federal and state courts, including the multi-billion-dollar litigation brought by the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
  • Defense of a global provider of secure financial messaging services in two federal class actions claiming that responses to post-9/11 Office of Foreign Assets Control subpoenas violated state consumer protection laws, the First and Fourth Amendments, and the Right to Financial Privacy Act. Obtained voluntary dismissal of one action in Virginia federal court following a successful motion to dismiss for lack of standing; won dismissal with prejudice of second action in New York federal court and subsequent Second Circuit appeal.
  • Counseling of a multinational financial services and asset management company regarding the potential impact of Dodd-Frank regulations imposing enhanced supervision and prudential standards on non-bank Systemically Important Financial Institutions.
  • Defense of a global financial institution in a breach of contract and fraud lawsuit brought by a CMBS trustee in Illinois state court. After a four-week combined jury/bench trial, defeated fraud claim and obtained full indemnity for contract claim plus a $5.1 million attorneys' fees award.

Recognition

  • Mayer Brown Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year 2019
  • Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition Detained Adult Champion 2019 (as part of a team)
  • Tahirih Justice Center’s Greater DC Pro Bono Attorney of the Year 2018

Education

  • New York University School of Law, JD
    Dean’s Merit Scholar, 1999-2002; NYU Moot Court Board, Associate Casebook Editor; Co-Founder and Coordinator, Holocaust Victim Assets Litigation Project
  • Andrew W. Mellon Fellow in Humanistic Studies
    Graduate Theological Union/UC Berkeley Joint Program in Jewish Studies (graduate coursework)
  • Stanford University, BA, with honors and distinction
    Phi Beta Kappa, Robert M. Golden Medal for Excellence in the Humanities and Creative Arts, Kennedy Essay Prize in Jewish Studies, Rosaldo Lopes Honors Thesis Award in Feminist Studies.  

Admissions

  • Illinois
  • District of Columbia
  • California

Courts

  • US District Court for the District of Columbia
  • US District Court for the Central District of California
  • US District Court for the Central District of Illinois
  • US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
  • US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
  • US Court of Federal Claims

Professional & Community Involvement

  • Board of Directors for the Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition
  • Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, Legal Advisory Committee
  • Women’s Bar Association, Member
  • Tahirih Justice Center, Volunteer Attorney
  • National Immigrant Justice Center, Volunteer Attorney
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