Katherine “Kate” Williams is a member of Barran Liebman’s employment law team and a seasoned litigator with extensive experience evaluating evidence, conducting complex investigations, and navigating challenging legal issues. During her ten years as a Deputy District Attorney in Oregon, to date, Kate has first chaired over sixty jury trials and managed high-volume felony caseloads from investigation through trial. Her experience includes leading complex financial crime investigations, evaluating allegations of law enforcement misconduct, prosecuting violent crimes, and advising law enforcement and interagency task forces on criminal investigations and emerging legal issues.

Kate’s prosecutorial background informs her careful, thorough, and practical approach to employment law matters, particularly workplace investigations, evidence analysis, and litigation. She is skilled at synthesizing extensive documentary evidence, conducting legal research, and developing sound legal analyses to support strategic decision-making. Earlier in her career, Kate served as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Eric J. Bergstrom, gaining valuable insight into legal research, judicial decision-making, and the litigation process.

Kate earned her J.D. from Willamette University College of Law in 2013, where she received a Certificate of International and Comparative Law, served on the Willamette Journal of International Law and Dispute Resolution, and received the Human Rights Advocacy Award. She also served as a research assistant to Associate Dean Jeffrey Standen. Kate earned her B.A. in Art History from Willamette University in 2008.

Representative Presentations

• Courtroom Processes and Testimony, Presenter, Oregon Association of Property & Evidence Officers Conference (2024, 2026)

• The Icons: Cases to Know by Name, Presenter, Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office (2026)

• Electronic Search Warrants, Presenter, Clackamas County Interagency Task Force Training (2024)