Katie Jakola is a litigation partner and trial lawyer at Kirkland & Ellis LLP. She has tried and won jury and bench trials in state and federal courts across the country. Katie focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation, including contract disputes, mass tort, product liability, and restructuring matters.
Katie also advises clients in internal investigations and government enforcement defense matters. She has handled investigations and defended companies in whistleblower and other compliance actions for clients in the pharmaceutical and other sectors. Most of these matters have been resolved confidentially without any adverse government enforcement action.
Katie’s litigation and trial work has been featured in various publications, including The American Lawyer, The Financial Times, Law360, Dow Jones Bankruptcy & Debt, Turnarounds & Workouts, and The Deal, among others.
In re: Oil Spill by the Oil Rig Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico April 20, 2010 (MDL 2179) — Trial counsel for BP in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill litigation. In the civil litigation trial that began on February 25, 2013, Ms. Jakola defended BP from claims by the U.S. Government, certain Gulf States, various BP contractors, and thousands of individual plaintiffs.
Sabine Oil & Gas — Trial counsel for Sabine Oil & Gas in two three-week trials in New York — one successfully defeating asserted fraudulent transfer, fiduciary breach and other claims totaling over $2 billion and one securing confirmation of Sabine’s plan of reorganization. In its 2016 North American Innovative Lawyers Report, The Financial Times “highly commended” Kirkland’s litigation and bankruptcy strategy for “managing complexity and scale” in the Sabine case, and Turnarounds & Workouts noted Katie’s role in selecting Sabine as one of the top Successful Restructurings of 2016. Katie was also selected as a recipient of the 2017 Turnaround Management Association's Large Company Transaction of the Year Award for her work on Sabine.
Chicago Freight Car Leasing Co. v. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP — Trial counsel for PwC in litigation involving claims of professional negligence and negligent misrepresentation. After a three-week trial, the jury returned a verdict for PwC on all counts, including on PwC's counterclaim against plaintiffs to recover its costs and expenses.
ExxonMobil Dealer Litigation — Counsel for ExxonMobil in dispute with 65 gas station dealers. Secured dismissal of all plaintiffs' claims The case was featured in the article "Kirkland Wins Dismissal of 'Future Sale' Claims Against Exxon by Gas Station Owners," in the November 9, 2009 issue of The AmLawLitigation Daily.
In re United Airlines — Trial counsel for United Air Lines in securing industry-leading modifications both before and after trial to collective bargaining agreements, retiree medical benefits, and pension plans. Katie was noted for her role in the company's restructuring in the article, "Big Suits: UAL Bankruptcy," in the February 2003 issue of The American Lawyer.
General Motors Acceptance Corporation Consumer Fraud Litigation — Represented GMAC in several consumer fraud actions in Illinois trial and appellate courts; won dismissal of all claims against GMAC on multiple occasions.
United Airlines Pension Claim Litigation — Trial counsel for United Airlines in bankruptcy litigation brought by retired pilots seeking to increase their claims for terminated pension benefits by more than $40 million. Following trial, court entered ruling in favor of United, refusing to increase plaintiffs' claim amounts.
Aon Re, Inc. v. RGA Reinsurance Co. — Represented Aon Re in $40 million reinsurance dispute involving breach of contract, fraud and negligent misrepresentation claims. Case settled three days before trial.
Conseco Cost of Insurance Litigation — Counsel for Conseco in multi-district litigation involving 15 federal and five state putative class actions challenging changes to life insurance charges and attempting to pierce the corporate veil of life insurance company.
Kvaerner, U.S., Inc. v. IPSCO Steel (Alabama), Inc. and Related Litigation — Represented IPSCO Steel in breach of contract case involving construction of steel plant in Alabama. Case settled favorably; successfully defended settlement in district court and Third Circuit Court of Appeals.
Sullivan v. Mobile ESPN — Defended Mobile ESPN in putative class action alleging breach of contract in connection with Mobile ESPN's cancellation of cellular phone service. Case settled on favorable terms after motion to dismiss was filed.
Domestic Violence Legal Clinic, Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois: Katie serves as a volunteer attorney assisting victims of domestic violence in obtaining emergency and plenary orders of protection against their alleged abusers.