1. Early life and education

2. Career

3. Notable clients
     Accuser of Congressman Pat Meehan    Accuser of Congressman Eric Massa   Irwin Reiter  Chloe Caras  Christine Blasey Ford   Vanessa C. Tyson  

4. Notable cases
    Feminist Majority Foundation v. University of Mary Washington  University of Colorado, Boulder  United States of America ex rel. James Gordon v. ArmorGroup North America, 1:09-cv-01547-RCL   Barrett v. Chreky, 634 F.Supp.2d 33 (D.D.C. 2009)  Blanton v. Biogen Idec, Inc., Case No. 2006-SOX-4, DOL OALJ (April 18, 2006)  Roger Barnes v. Fannie Mae (October 2004)  Estes v. Georgetown University, 231 F. Supp. 279 (D.D.C. 2002)  Sexual harassment cases 

5. Affiliations

6. Honors and awards

7. References

8. External links

Early life and education

Katz was raised in a Jewish family on Long Island^[2] and graduated from George W. Hewlett High School. In 1980, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree (summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) from Union College and in 1984, a J.D. cum laude from the University of Wisconsin Law School where she was a member of the Wisconsin Law Review and as Articles Editor of the Wisconsin Women's Law Journal.^[1]

Career

After law school, Katz clerked for Judge William A. Bablitch on the Wisconsin Supreme Court and held a Women's Law and Public Policy Fellowship at Georgetown University Law Center.^[1]

Notable clients

Accuser of Congressman Pat Meehan

Ms. Katz represented a former aide to Congressman Patrick Meehan who accused the Pennsylvania representative of sexual harassment. Meehan and the aide reached a confidential settlement using taxpayer money, which became public in January 2018.^[3]  A few months later, Meehan resigned from Congress before the House Ethics Committee could complete its full investigation.^[4]

Accuser of Congressman Eric Massa

Ms. Katz represented a former staffer of Congressman Eric Massa in his sexual harassment complaint against Massa.^[5] Stories published in NBC,^[6] Politico^[7] and the Washington Post^[8] detailed the egregious sexual harassment suffered by many of Massa's staffers, and the power structure put in place to facilitate such behavior.  Massa resigned in March 2010, during a pending House Ethics Committee investigation.^[9]  In November 2017, it was reported that a number of Massa's former staffers were paid nearly $100,000 of taxpayer funds in settlements.^[10]

Irwin Reiter

Katz is representing Irwin Reiter, a longtime Weinstein Company executive, who reportedly objected to Harvey Weinstein's alleged sexual harassment of a front desk assistant.^[11]

Chloe Caras

Katz represented Chloe Caras, a former Director of Operations for Isabella Eatery in her sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against celebrity chef Mike Isabella, Mike Isabella Concepts, and four of his business partners.^[12] The lawsuit was settled in May 2018. The financial terms of the settlement remain confidential, but included is a binding agreement requiring the restaurant company to implement harassment training and stronger policies to prevent future sexual harassment.^[13]

Christine Blasey Ford

Katz represents Christine Blasey Ford, professor at Palo Alto University, who in September 2018 alleged that U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in the early 1980s, when they were both teenagers.^[14][15]

Vanessa C. Tyson

Katz represents Vanessa C. Tyson, associate professor at Scripps College, who in 2019 alleged that Justin Fairfax sexually assaulted her in 2004.^[16]

Notable cases

Feminist Majority Foundation v. University of Mary Washington

Debra Katz, Carolyn Wheeler and Joseph Abboud represented members of a student feminist group at the University of Mary Washington who were subjected to online harassment and threats.^[17] In December 2018, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that university officials had an obligation to proactively protect the students against online sexual harassment, and that such action would not infringe any student's free speech rights. This ruling represents the first time that students have a constitutional right to a school environment free from student-on-student sexual harassment.^[18]

University of Colorado, Boulder

Katz and Lisa Banks brought a Title IX claim on behalf of a graduate student at the University of Colorado alleging retaliation. Katz, Marshall & Banks alleged that CU-Boulder violated Title IX by exposing the student to a sexually hostile academic environment and to retaliation by a tenured Professor in the Department after her Title IX claims were validated by the University's Office of Discrimination and Harassment. The case settled for $850,000 plus various non-monetary provisions, including a public statement from the University Chancellor stating that settling the claims was "the right thing to do."^[19]

United States of America ex rel. James Gordon v. ArmorGroup North America, 1:09-cv-01547-RCL

In July 2011, ArmorGroup North America and its affiliates paid $7.5 million to resolve allegations that AGNA submitted false claims for payment on a State Department contract to provide armed guard services at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. The settlement resolves U.S. claims that in 2007 and 2008, AGNA guards violated the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) by visiting brothels in Kabul, and that AGNA's management knew about the guards’ activities. The settlement resolves a whistleblower suit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia under seal by James Gordon against AGNA, ArmorGroup International plc, G4S plc and Wackenhut Services Inc. under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act.^[20]

Barrett v. Chreky, 634 F.Supp.2d 33 (D.D.C. 2009)

A jury in the District Court for the District of Columbia awarded Ronnie Barrett $300,000 in compensatory damages and $2 million in punitive damages in her sexual harassment and retaliation suit against Andre Chreky and the Andre Chreky Salon, one of the top-rated salons in Washington, D.C. Mr. Chreky was the hairdresser to former First Lady Laura Bush. Barrett was a former hair colorist at the salon.^[21]

Blanton v. Biogen Idec, Inc., Case No. 2006-SOX-4, DOL OALJ (April 18, 2006)

In a whistleblower case brought under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Katz successfully defeated a motion for a protective order filed by the defendant to prevent the plaintiff from deposing Biogen Idec's CEO, James Mullen. Mr. Blanton alleged that the Boston-based pharmaceutical fired its chief reimbursement expert in retaliation for complaints about illegal kickbacks to physicians.

Roger Barnes v. Fannie Mae (October 2004)

The Securities and Exchange Commission confirmed allegations made by Roger Barnes, a former Fannie Mae accounting manager, that the mortgage-finance institution cooked its books{{meaning|date=December 2018}}{{slang}} and retaliated against him for complaining about it. The SEC further concluded that Fannie Mae manipulated its earnings through "cookie jar"{{technical statement|date=December 2018}} accounting and ordered Fannie Mae to restate its earnings. As a result of Mr. Barnes' disclosures, Fannie Mae's management team, including Fannie Mae's CEO and other top executives, were removed from their positions. Ultimately, Fannie Mae's restatement of earnings was one of the largest in U.S. history. Additionally, Barnes received a sizable settlement.^[22]

Estes v. Georgetown University, 231 F. Supp. 279 (D.D.C. 2002)

Jury verdict of $250,000 in compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages for claims of sex discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation.^[23]

Sexual harassment cases

Katz is representing women who allege NPR former news executive Michael Oreskes is guilty of sexual harassment.^[24] She is counsel to Irwin Reiter in the Harvey Weinstein scandal.^[25]

Affiliations

Katz is vice chair of the board of directors of the Project On Government Oversight.^[26] She has contributed articles to Ms. Magazine.^[27]

Honors and awards

Katz is a Fellow at The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, a Member of the International Women's Forum, and a Fellow of the American Bar Association. Ms. Katz was named the “Civil Rights Lawyer of the Year” for Washington by The Best Lawyers In America for 2018,^[28] a pioneering #MeToo attorney by the Washington Post^[29] and Washingtonian Magazine,^[30] and was listed as one of Forward's 50 American Jews who have had a profound impact in 2018.^[31]

Ms. Katz was honored as a 2018 Lawyer of the Year by the Metropolitan Washington Lawyers Association along with her colleague, Lisa Banks. The award is presented annually to one or more Washington, DC attorneys who have achieved great accomplishments, and whose work embodies the mission of the association. Ms. Katz was recognized for the influential role she's played in the #MeToo movement through her representation of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, Michelle Manning Barish, Chloe Caras, and Irwin Reiter.^[32]

References

External links

• How The Landscape Is Shifting For Sexual Harassment Accusers, Accused And Attorneys, Here & Now interview with Robin Young
• [https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/12/08/sexual-harassment-stakes-huge-low-income-women-metoo-must-help-them-too-katz-alejandro-column/928821001/ Sexual harassment stakes huge for low-income women. Will #MeToo help them too?], USA Today
• [https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/599af919e4b033e0fbdec63d Discrimination Isn’t Just a Difference of Opinion – It’s a Violation of the Law], Huffington Post
• [https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/08/03/betsy-devos-jacksons-title-ix-approach-fails-trust-women-debra-katz-hannah-alejandro-column/536000001/ Betsy DeVos' Title IX approach fails to trust women who report sexual assault], USA Today
• [https://www.law360.com/employment/articles/941975/confronting-bias-to-improve-workplace-well-being Confronting Bias To Improve Workplace Well-Being], Law360
• [https://www.washingtonian.com/2018/06/14/meet-debra-katz-dc-leading-metoo-lawyer/ Attorney Debra Katz is a key advocate in the fight against sexual harassment. June 14, 2018], Washingtonian
• [https://lawtally.com/lawyers/debra-s-katz/ Debra Katz lawyer profile], LawTally

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