Kate Swift is a trial lawyer at Bartlit Beck in Chicago. Kate has spent more than 130 days in the courtroom, helping clients with their most important cases. Recently, Kate cross-examined a key expert in a Florida case against Walgreens seeking more than $1 billion related to the opioids crisis. Kate has also tried two bellwether cases for Walgreens in the nationwide opioids MDL—regarded as among the most complex cases in U.S. history—including the first jury trial against chain pharmacies and the first trial involving manufacturers, distributors, and a chain pharmacy. In the latter case, with billions of dollars at stake, Kate gave the opening statement for Walgreens and examined more than a half dozen witnesses, including direct and cross-examinations of several experts.
In addition to her background in mass tort and product liability defense, Kate also tries cases on the plaintiff’s side, including disputes involving billion-dollar breach of contract claims and residential mortgage-backed securities. Kate’s experience also includes developing creative litigation strategies and efficiently managing large teams in mass litigations.
Kate began her legal career at Kirkland & Ellis, where she was part of a team representing a large consumer products company in a four-week jury trial that resulted in the largest civil verdict then recorded in Wisconsin and a top ten national jury verdict for her client. Kate joined Bartlit Beck in 2009 following clerkships with the Hon. Richard Cudahy on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the Hon. Mark Filip on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Kate graduated from The University of Chicago Law School with Honors and earned her bachelor’s degree magna cum laude from the University of Missouri.
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