People: Katherine E. Perrelli, Partner

Photo of Katherine E. Perrelli, Partner

Katherine E. Perrelli

Partner

Boston
Direct: (617) 946-4817
Fax: (617) 946-4801
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Ms. Perrelli is a partner in the firm’s Boston office and Chair of Seyfarth’s Litigation Department. She is a trial lawyer with over 25 years of experience representing regional, national, and international corporations in the financial services, transportation, manufacturing, technology, pharmaceutical, and staffing industries. Her commercial practice focuses on trial work and counseling in the areas of trade secrets and restrictive covenants, unfair competition and complex commercial disputes, including dealer/franchise disputes, and contract disputes. Her experience spans all forms of dispute resolution, including mediation and arbitration, as well as litigation in federal and state courts and before administrative agencies across the country.  On the employment side, Ms. Perrelli’s practice focuses on trial work and counseling regarding executive compensation and employer compliance with the ADA, ADEA, Title VII and all other state and governmental laws affecting employers. 

Ms. Perrelli is a certified Six Sigma Green Belt. Using Lean Six Sigma and project management methodologies, our SeyfarthLean approach delivers increased value to our clients at a time of increased market pressures and competitive demands. Seyfarth’s commitment to delivering legal services in a new way—with an emphasis on value and continuous improvement—has been praised by the Association of Corporate Counsel as being "five years ahead of every other AmLaw 200 firm."

Ms. Perrelli has been selected regularly as one of the state’s “Super Lawyers” in a joint survey conducted by the publishers of Law and Politics magazine and Boston magazine, as part of a special publication entitled “The Top Attorneys in the Northeast.” 

Ms. Perrelli is a partner in the firm’s Boston office and Chair of Seyfarth’s Litigation Department. She is a trial lawyer with over 25 years of experience representing regional, national, and international corporations in the financial services, transportation, manufacturing, technology, pharmaceutical, and staffing industries. Her commercial practice focuses on trial work and counseling in the areas of trade secrets and restrictive covenants, unfair competition and complex commercial disputes, including dealer/franchise disputes, and contract disputes. Her experience spans all forms of dispute resolution, including mediation and arbitration, as well as litigation in federal and state courts and before administrative agencies across the country.  On the employment side, Ms. Perrelli’s practice focuses on trial work and counseling regarding executive compensation and employer compliance with the ADA, ADEA, Title VII and all other state and governmental laws affecting employers. 

Ms. Perrelli is a certified Six Sigma Green Belt. Using Lean Six Sigma and project management methodologies, our SeyfarthLean approach delivers increased value to our clients at a time of increased market pressures and competitive demands. Seyfarth’s commitment to delivering legal services in a new way—with an emphasis on value and continuous improvement—has been praised by the Association of Corporate Counsel as being "five years ahead of every other AmLaw 200 firm."

Ms. Perrelli has been selected regularly as one of the state’s “Super Lawyers” in a joint survey conducted by the publishers of Law and Politics magazine and Boston magazine, as part of a special publication entitled “The Top Attorneys in the Northeast.” 

Education

  • J.D., Western New England College School of Law (1984)
    Member, Western New England College School of Law Review
  • B.A., Skidmore College (1980)

Admissions

  • Massachusetts
  • Connecticut
  • New York

Courts

  • U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

Affiliations

  • American Bar Association
  • Massachusetts Bar Association
  • Boston Bar Association
  • New York Bar Association
  • Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America

 

Representative Engagements

  • Secured a victory for a large pharmaceutical company in an arbitration involving a complex contract dispute with a pharmacy benefit manager involving a breach of a rebate agreement. 
  • Defended and successfully tried breach of contact action resulting from a failed art transaction, involving complex issues of agent liability. 
  • Defended and tried to verdict an action over alleged breach of asset purchase agreement and misrepresentation in connection with the purchase of assets of a US corporation by a Canadian public company, including issues of scope of preemption of non-contract claims by terms of contract and evidentiary issues related to admissibility of prior acts.  Jury awarded five times less than damages sought by plaintiff.
  • Prosecuted and favorably settled claims after 4 week bench trial for breach of contract, unfair trade practices, and conversion on behalf of a commodities firm against a common carrier to recover value of “lost” or “stolen” fuel products.  
  • Prosecuted motion for preliminary injunction against retail franchisee resulting in immediate eviction of franchisee and surrender of inventory and intellectual property.
  • Defended and defeated a motion for preliminary injunction against a financial services company brought by a former executive for misappropriation of intellectual property. 
  • Defended and defeated motion for preliminary injunction to prohibit clinical toxicology laboratory from hiring a sales person from another company.  Case voluntarily dismissed by adversary after denial of motion.
  • Prosecuted claim on behalf of insurance brokerage firm in suit against former owner and director, and competitor for breach of fiduciary duty, misappropriation of trade secrets, breach of contract, interference with contract, and unfair competition.  Favorable settlement after TRO entered.
  • Defended and favorably settled claims of aiding and abetting a breach of fiduciary duty, tortious interference with contract, and unfair competition against financial services firm brought by competitor concerning decision of several employees of competitor to leave and join client firm. Favorable settlement after lengthy mediation.
  • Defended and favorably settled an action brought against a biotech company and one of its senior level employees against claims for trade secret misappropriation under the “inevitable disclosure” doctrine.
  • Prosecuted claims on behalf of inventor, majority shareholder and founder of technology of telecommunications company in contract dispute over the transfer of intellectual property rights.  Obtained a favorable settlement prior to commencing litigation.
  • Prosecuted claims on behalf of executive staffing agency in action against four former employees and competitor for breach of contract, misappropriation of trade secrets, and breach of fiduciary duty.  Obtained favorable settlement after motion for temporary restraining order filed.
  • Prosecuted and favorably settled action brought by manufacturer of complex computer software against licensee for unfair trade practices and breach of contract.
  • Prosecuted and favorably settled action brought by founder and minority shareholder of a closely held software company claiming breaches of fiduciary duties.
  • Defended and favorably settled an action brought by national pharmaceutical distributor in multi-million dollar dispute over the sale and pricing of pharmaceutical goods to a Massachusetts home-based healthcare business.  

Presentations

  • Co-Presenter, Association of Corporate Counsel, Northeast Chapter, The Value Challenge, Using Alternative Fees to Manage Legal Spend and Drive Value (December 2012)
  • Co-Presenter, Global LPO Conference, NYC, Restructuring the Law Firms to Deliver Value to Clients (October 2012)
  • Co-Presenter, Infocast Commercial Litigation Funding & Investment Summit, “Making the Most of Your Reduced Litigation Budget - Role of Alternative Fee Arrangements in Litigation Management" (March 2012)
  • Co-Presenter, Association of Corporate Counsel, “Legal Service Management Workshop” (May 2012)
  • Presentation, “Overview: The Sarbanes-Oxley Act,” (November 2004)
     

Publications

  • Ms. Perrelli has written articles on various topics for business and trade publications on issues relating to trade secrets protection, internal investigations, and business litigation. She has also served on the faculty of Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education seminars, presented at Association of Corporate Counsel, and other industry conferences.
  • Author, “An Expert’s View on Drafting Non-Compete Agreements,” Practical Law, The Journal, Volume 4 Issue 4 (May 4, 2012)
  • Co-Author, "Massachusetts is Not California: At Least Not Yet," Seyfarth Shaw Blog (October 2009)
  • Author, “Is Banning Non-Competes the Answer for Massachusetts,” Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (September 2009)
  • Author, “Conducting an Effective Internal Investigation: A Guide for In-house Counsel,” Inside the Minds, Best Practices for Corporate Governance and Compliance, Aspatore Publications (2008)
  • Co-Author, "Defining the Damage," JTW News, Issue 94 (April 2005)

Community Involvement

  • Board of Directors, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce
  • Skidmore College, Member of the President’s Advisory Council