Katherine Ginzburg Treistman, a partner in the firm's Houston office, is a seasoned litigator with extensive trial experience. Katherine's practice focuses on complex commercial litigation in the energy, technology, and financial services sectors. With over twenty years of experience litigating, Katherine has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in state and federal courts, as well as in arbitration proceedings. She also has substantial experience pursuing and defending appeals in the Texas Supreme Court and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
As a leading lawyer in Texas, Katherine represents international energy corporations, global accounting firms, multinational investment banks, and financial technology companies in a broad range of high-stakes litigation, including cases involving complex contractual disputes, auditor liability, intellectual property, trade secrets, employment matters, and other multi-million dollar commercial claims. On behalf of her clients, Katherine has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars, and in the past few years alone, has absolved them of liability and damages exceeding US$3 billion in claims.
Katherine is a Fellow of the Texas Bar Association and a member of the Association of Women Attorneys, and Houston Trial Lawyers Association. She has presented CLE courses, among others, to the Harris County judiciary on novel topics such as Rule 91 jurisprudence and served as Chair of the U.S. Litigation & Dispute Resolution Module at the Institute for Energy Law's 69th Annual Oil & Gas Law Conference.
Katherine graduated with honors and Order of the Coif from the University of Texas School of Law, where she served as a member of the Texas Law Review. During law school, she served as a law clerk to Justice Rose Spector of the Texas Supreme Court and earned her bachelor's degree in International Relations and Soviet Studies at Tufts University, where she graduated magna cum laude. She is fluent in Russian and proficient in Spanish.
Experience
- Financial services firm in a successful appeal to the Texas Second Court of Appeals challenging the trial court's award of attorney's fees issued to the client as the prevailing party on a motion to dismiss under Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 91a. The appellate court held that the amount of fees awarded was inadequate to compensate the client and required that the trial court determine the award.
- Representing major energy company in a multimillion breach of supply contract dispute.
- Successfully challenged jurisdiction on behalf of a community development financial institution in a dispute related to Paycheck Protection Program loans, resulting in a dismissal of all claims for lack of jurisdiction.
- Representing a midstream energy company in numerous breach of contract disputes in Texas state and federal courts and in arbitrations related to gas deliveries for purchasers during Winter Storm Uri in February 2021.
- Successfully represented, reaching a confidential settlement, an energy manufacturer in an arbitration in an intellectual property dispute for alleged breach of contract and trade secret violations in a dispute with a U.S. international industrial services company.
- Representing a national insurance company in dispute regarding alleged breach of contract and Texas Insurance code violations with its insurer, an international commercial real estate firm.
- Defending nationwide litigation involving an international cruise line and subsidiary brands in defense of multiple class actions and 200+ individual wrongful-death and personal injury claims arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Represented a multinational automotive manufacturer in a Fair Credit Reporting Act investigation by the Consumer Financial Protection Board.
- Achieved a successful confidential settlement for a multinational information technology services company against a U.S. designer, manufacturer and marketer of high-end tools and equipment in a cross-border employment and trade secret dispute in Wisconsin state court and ICC arbitration and prevailing on our client's claim for injunctive relief.
- Advising a national call center in various pre-litigation disputes nationwide, involving contracts for services and employment agreements.
- Successfully defended a multinational investment bank before the Second Court of Appeals and at the trial court in Fort Worth, Texas, the dismissal with prejudice of all claims and recovering attorneys' fees for the prevailing party in a US$100 million suit relating to the tax increment finance sale for a historic hotel and downtown library in Dallas, Texas.*
- Successfully defended Big Four accounting firm professionals in an investigation by the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy arising out of alleged conduct at issue in a prior SEC settlement.*
- Represented tobacco company in a breach of settlement dispute arising out of the landmark 1998 Master Settlement Agreement resolving the complex tobacco litigation in the State of Texas.*
- Represented medical device manufacturer in numerous products liability actions involving implant devices.*
- Represented entrepreneur in multimillion-dollar breach of contract, fraud and trademark infringement dispute with global chain involving dozens of retail locations.*
- Represented chemical manufacturing company in commercial construction dispute involving claims against the owner's engineering, procurement, and construction management contractor for breach of contract, gross negligence, and fraud related to the construction of a chemical facility in Arkansas.*
- Successfully challenged jurisdiction on behalf of foreign, non-resident defendant in dispute related to ownership rights in real property resulting in dismissal of all claims for lack of jurisdiction.*
- Defended the former CEO of a global oilfield services company in a multimillion-dollar fraud claim against him and the company's other officers, brought by a leading investment management firm that loaned money to the company prior to its bankruptcy filing.*
- Represented a global oil and oilfield services company in various court proceedings and in a high-profile arbitration in various disputes related to the sales of gas compressors and related contracts.*
- Successfully defended an airline client in a US$1.75 billion class action involving violations of California Invasion of Privacy Act.*
- Represented a petroleum company in an appeal to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and retrial of US$160 million judgment.*
- Represented an energy company in climate change litigation brought in various state courts nationwide.*
* Prior to joining the firm.
Perspectives
Recognition
Credentials
Education
- J.D., University of Texas School of Law, with honors, Order of the Coif
- B.A., Tufts University, magna cum laude
Admissions
- Texas
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- Supreme Court of the United States
Activities
- Fellow and Member, Houston Nominating Committee, Texas Bar Foundation (2015-present)
- Member, Association of Women Attorneys (1996-present)
- Member, Houston Trial Lawyers Association (1996-present)
- Chair, U.S. Litigation & Dispute Resolution Module, 69th Annual Oil and Gas Law Conference, Institute for Energy Law (IEL) (2018)
- Member, Texas Law Review
Languages
- Russian
- Spanish