Katherine Suttle Weinert works with clients on a broad scope of employment law issues. She represents employers in claims involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, restrictive covenants, disability and leave issues, and wage and hour, among other employment-related issues. Katie has tried several cases to jury verdict and has argued before the 11th Circuit.
In addition to her work handling disputes with employees and governmental regulators, Katie counsels clients by helping them proactively address issues in the workplace before disputes arise. She assists clients with wage and hour concerns, conducting internal investigations, developing policies and employee handbooks, and accommodating religious practices, emotional support animals, disabilities, and pregnancy.
Katie regularly supports clients as interim in-house employment counsel. She provides continuity of service while the client backfills an in-house employment role, covers an employee's leave of absence, or otherwise adjusts its in-house legal team. She generally becomes embedded with the client for a period of two to nine months, stepping into the shoes of the in-house employment lawyer on a full-time or fractional basis, practicing as part of the client's employment legal team or serving as the sole in-house employment lawyer.
As interim in-house employment counsel, Katie:
- Partners directly with the client’s human resources, operations, and legal teams for daily advice and support for employees located throughout the United States
- Responds to inquiries from regulatory agencies and attorney demand letters
- Advises on compliance strategies
- Conducts sensitive investigations and advises human resource professionals in designing and executing thorough investigations to withstand legal scrutiny
- Revises and develops human resources policies and procedures to align the client's practices and culture with legal obligations
- Supports restructuring and reclassification initiatives, including assessing legal risk and identifying strategies to mitigate legal risks
- Advises on wage and hour, classification, accommodation, and leave issues
- Guides human resources and operations regarding employees based outside of the United States, including Canada, Mexico, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Dubai, Singapore and other nations
- Manages outside counsel
Katie has worked as an interim in-house employment counsel to a diverse range of clients, including:
- A large multinational technology and retailing company
- A nongovernmental organization with a strong international presence
- A privately held global financial technology company
- An international custom software and services company
- A late-stage startup online B2B marketplace
- A publicly traded specialty apparel retailer with an international store footprint
Katie is a core member of the firm’s Workplace Violence Prevention and Crisis Response Practice Group and has extensive experience in advising and problem-solving with clients regarding potential workplace violence and threats of violence. Katie also helps guide clients through legal issues arising in the wake of violence impacting the workplace, including assaults and death. She has advised clients ranging from members of the Fortune 500 to small businesses to help them navigate situations involving potential or actual workplace violence, such as:
- Domestic and intimate partner violence, including protective orders
- Suspected mental health issues causing concerning behavior
- Stalking and other aggravated forms of harassment
- Self-harm
- Mass violence
Before joining Littler, Katie’s litigation practice involved commercial disputes, products liability, professional malpractice claims, employment law, and regulatory compliance issues.
