Katherine H. Oblak

Katherine’s practice covers a wide range of employment litigation and counseling. She defends employers in state and federal courts and before various administrative agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Illinois Department of Human Rights.

In her practice, Katherine routinely represents clients in various industries against retaliation, discrimination and harassment claims based on race, color, sex, age and disability. She also regularly represents clients in high-stakes class and collective action litigation. Katherine also prosecutes and defends against breach of restrictive covenant and misappropriation of trade secret claims. Additionally, Katherine has experience with the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act compliance and related litigation.

In addition to her litigation practice, Katherine regularly counsels clients and assists them in drafting employee handbooks and other employee agreements.

Prior to joining Sheppard Mullin, Katherine worked at a national labor and employment law firm where she counseled and represented employers and management in both state and federal litigation. Katherine also previously represented large commercial enterprises, financial institutions, and entrepreneurs in complex commercial disputes, including but not limited to business divorces, shareholder derivative suits, as well as in actions in fraud and breaches of fiduciary duty. Katherine also worked for a national law firm headquartered in Chicago where she focused on consumer finance and class action litigation.

While attending law school, Katherine served as an executive editor of the Loyola Law Journal and a Legal Writing Tutor. She also received the CALI Award for Excellence in Legal Writing I and II. Katherine worked as a judicial extern for the Honorable Samuel Der-Yeghiayan in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and for the Honorable James Epstein in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Chancery Division. Katherine earned a National Institute of Trial Advocacy certification in 2018.

Prior to her legal career, Katherine worked as a journalist. Her published works appear in Condé Nast Traveler, Chicago magazine, Chicago HOME magazine and mylifetime.com.