Lommen Abdo Associate Kate Westad has a passion for the law and is a tenacious advocate for her clients. She was recently selected as one of the 2009 Up & Coming Attorneys by Minnesota Lawyer.
Kate's practice involves personal injury litigation, motor vehicle accidents, premises liability, medical malpractice, products liability and some family law. One of Kate's cases last year was cited by Law & Politics as one of the 2008 Lawsuits of the Year. Kate represented the family of Billy Walsh, a bouncer at Nye’s Polanaise Room, who was murdered outside the bar by an intoxicated man. Kate not only was instrumental in a successful liquor liability lawsuit against local area bars, but she helped the family try to obtain some closure from the tragic event. Bob King, Chair of Lommen Abdo's Personal Injury Practice Group, who was the supervising attorney for the Walsh case, says: “Kate did 90 percent of the work. The legal and factual issues relating to the claims against the bars were very complex. Kate was ultimately able to successfully resolve those claims through mediation.”
Kate is also listed as a Rising Star by Minnesota Law & Politics. Not only is she a strong litigator, but she is also a strong supporter and advocate for women and has a particular interest in assisting injured women in all areas of personal injury litigation. One of her community service projects is promoting safe driving habits for young drivers. She recently headed a team at Lommen Abdo to launch a new web site, Women Injury Lawyers - www.womeninjurylawyers.com -that devotes part of its site to Focus on the Road®, a public service campaign designed to draw attention to distraction driving such as cell phone use and texting by young and old drivers alike.
“Kate is a collaborator and seems to try to find mutual benefits in her relationships,” says Joy Hamilton, a Minneapolis attorney who Kate has worked with through the Hennepin Country Bar Association. “She seems to embrace the philosophy that if she can help others succeed, she too will succeed.”
Her passion for the law extends to the volunteer contributions she is making through participation in the Minnesota Association for Justice and Minnesota Women Lawyers. As a co-chair of the Minnesota Women Lawyers Professional Development Committee, Kate helped turn around lagging interest in the committee which now has a large participation rate and is filled with talented and dedicated committee members. She was also a co-chair of the new lawyers section for the Minnesota Association for Justice for three years running.
Kate has also participated in recent Lommen Abdo athletic events. She ran her first 5K race as part of Lommen Abdo's 2008 corporate team at the Twin Cities Marathon. On January 31, she was on Lommen Abdo's first place corporate climbing team in the Race Up the Place, a benefit for the American Lung Association. The team of seven Lommen Abdo attorneys and paralegals climbed 30 flights of stairs to raise money to fight lung diseases.
Read the article Minnesota Lawyer article on the award. Kate was also included in an article in the William Mitchell Law School News. |
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