Monthly Feature: Get to Know... Katherine McClung
April 30, 2018
Katherine (Kate) McClung has a comfort level with clients of all sizes, ranging from corporate giants to startups across numerous industries and professions. A labor and employment attorney, Kate counsels employers in a wide variety of matters, including wage and hour issues, employment discrimination, harassment and retaliation. A graduate of the New York University School of Law, Kate joined Bond in 2013 and in January 2017 became a member of the firm.
Kate first practiced in New York City, honing her skills at Skadden Arps. “In New York City, my caseload was one case, working with a team of attorneys, often over a number of years. These were big stakes cases,” Kate recalls, “In one instance, my team prevailed in an important arbitration case with a $52 billion claim. The other side got nothing. As you might imagine, that was very significant, and extremely satisfying.” Kate also worked on a series of cases representing a Mississippi cotton seed company against Monsanto. “After years of negotiation, our team of 50-plus attorneys was able to secure a favorable result for our client. I still have a commemorative cotton boll in my office.”
Pro bono work has been important to Kate throughout her career, starting during her time at Skadden Arps, where she represented a group of employees in a fair labor standards case. “I was able to negotiate a great settlement for the group, who had been through an extended period of litigation. For my work on the case, I received the Skadden Distinguished Pro Bono Publico Service Award, which was gratifying; the greater impact was that this case helped me to define my career path in law.”
“At Bond, my practice has been quite different. Here, I work on dozens of cases at a time.” While the nature of her practice has changed, Kate has continued to achieve great results.
Kate has also continued in her commitment to the greater good, through pro bono work, mentoring, and professional and community volunteerism. Since joining Bond, Kate has developed a summer associate training program that is now in use firm wide. “A good summer associate experience has a tremendous impact on where and what an attorney ultimately practices. I’ve worked to help newer attorneys understand the process of the work--how the assignments they get fit into the big picture and what strategies are employed to gain the desired result.”
Her pro bono work at Bond has led to recognition by the New York State Bar Association as an Empire State Counsel® (2013). The Empire State Counsel Program recognizes NYSBA members who, during the calendar year, perform 50 hours or more of pro bono legal services.
Her volunteer work includes board membership in the American Red Cross, Greater Rochester Chapter; as a member of the Governing Committee, Young Women’s College Prep Charter School of Rochester; Volunteer Legal Services Project of Monroe County, Inc.; Rochester Teen Court Board and Legal Services (LSP).
Honors and Affiliations:
Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York, Rochester Delegate
Monroe County Bar Association, Disability, Labor & Employment Law Committee; Litigation Section
Greater Rochester Association for Women Attorneys
New York Super Lawyers 2018®
Women of Excellence, Rochester Business Journal, 2018
New York Super Lawyers 2015®, Upstate New York Rising Star, Employment & Labor
Forty Under 40 Honoree, Rochester Business Journal, 2014
As if being the mother of twins Jackson and Zoe, and spouse to Jeremy Sher, doesn’t have her running enough, Kate is very proud to be a marathon runner. She ran her first marathon during law school and has completed the New York City Marathon as well as several half marathons around Rochester, New York.
