Kate McCarthy is senior counsel in Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati’s Washington, D.C., and New York offices, where she leverages her distinctive prosecutorial and defense experience to represent corporations and individuals in complex litigation, government and internal investigations, and criminal defense matters involving federal enforcement actions.

Kate served for four years as a trial attorney in the Fraud Section of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), where she led investigations and prosecutions involving securities fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, accounting fraud, bank fraud, cryptocurrency fraud, and procurement fraud. During her tenure at the DOJ, Kate litigated numerous cases across complex industries, including cases in the technology and pharmaceutical sectors. She was a lead member of multiple trial teams in complex federal trials, including cases involving CEOs of public companies and fraud schemes involving hundreds of millions of dollars. Kate spearheaded corporate investigations for some of the DOJ’s most high-profile and complex corporate matters, resulting in settlements involving billions of dollars. She developed particular expertise in litigating securities matters and has been recognized for her keen judgment and insights in high-stakes litigation.

Prior to her government service, Kate was a litigation associate at Wilson Sonsini for approximately 10 years, where she gained extensive experience in both trials and investigations. Her work included successfully defending clients in multi-defendant federal criminal jury trials, bench trials, and complex civil litigation. She represented individuals and companies in federal investigations both pre- and post-indictment. Kate also counseled clients in investigations by federal agencies, including various U.S. Attorney's Offices, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and the Federal Reserve, as well as the U.S. Departments of State, Treasury, and Commerce. 

Kate leverages her extensive prosecutorial and defense experience to counsel corporations and individuals on their most critical legal challenges. Her detailed understanding of government enforcement priorities, investigative techniques, and federal agencies enables her to provide sophisticated guidance to clients navigating complex regulatory environments and defending against federal investigations.