Cate Stetson

Cate Stetson

Partner Litigation, Arbitration, and Employment

Washington, D.C.

+1 202 637 5491

cate.stetson@hoganlovells.com

Cate Stetson

Overview
Experience
Credentials
Insights and events

"The 'tough and smart' Cate Stetson is hailed as an 'excellent appellate writer and excellent oral advocate' by clients who recognize the skill she brings to significant cases at all levels of appeal..."
Chambers USA

Cate Stetson is the co-director of Hogan Lovells' nationally acclaimed Appellate practice group and has twice served as an elected member of the firm's Global Board.

Ranked Band 1 by Chambers for Appellate Litigation and hailed by clients as "immensely impressive," she has argued over 130 appeals and dozens of trial-court matters. Her respected practice sees her arguing a diverse range of high-stakes and complex cases, including multiple arguments before the Supreme Court, every federal court of appeals, state appellate courts ranging from New York to California, and federal trial courts across the country.

Clients and fellow appellate practitioners speak highly of her tremendous skills:

"She knows the law inside out and her substantive engagement with judges is just perfect. She argues intelligently using effective legal arguments, but her tone and demeanor enables her to get all her points across," (Chambers USA 2022).

"If I'm going to anyone in the country on an appeal of some importance, it's Cate Stetson," (Chambers USA 2021).

"She's highly respected by the judges, well liked by opposing counsel and her legal skills are exceptional. I enjoy litigating against her, but I would rather not have her on the other side as she's excellent," (Chambers USA 2020).

Cate's practice cuts across many industries and subject matters, including administrative law and procedure, antitrust law, the False Claims Act, class certification, civil procedure, and constitutional, contract, copyright, employment, energy, environmental, food and drug, health care, patent, telecommunications, transportation, and tort law. Cate also devotes a significant amount of time to pro bono practice, including innocence cases, death-penalty challenges, qualified-immunity issues, and women’s' rights.

Cate is a member of the faculty at the University of Virginia School of Law. She has been selected to mediate cases in the D.C. Circuit and regularly is invited to speak on the Supreme Court.

"The 'tough and smart' Cate Stetson is hailed as an 'excellent appellate writer and excellent oral advocate' by clients who recognize the skill she brings to significant cases at all levels of appeal..."
Chambers USA

Representative experience

Argued and won a complex environmental regulatory case in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Argued and won a Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act case in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Pro bono and on behalf of two wrongfully convicted brothers who spent 30 years on death row, argued and won two appeals preserving their right to sue and their entitlement to $75 million in damages.

Successfully represented multiple major pharmaceutical companies in challenges to government regulatory action.

Argued a precedent-setting civil procedure case in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Briefed, argued, and won multiple precedent-setting appeals on behalf of energy utilities in the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals.

Successfully sought discretionary review of, argued, and won an insurance coverage issue in the highest court of New York State.

Pro bono and on behalf of all federal death-row inmates, argued a high-profile D.C. Circuit appeal of the Federal Government’s death-penalty protocols.

Argued and won appeals in federal appellate courts across the country against challengers presenting multiple environmental and procedural attacks on clients’ energy facilities.

On behalf of multiple survivors of child sexual abuse, argued and won a Maryland Supreme Court case involving the elimination of that State’s statute of limitations for child sexual abuse claims.

Argued and won a bet-the-company Fifth Circuit appeal challenging a federal agency’s enforcement action.

Lead counsel for a major rights organization and for the nation’s largest music rightsholders in multiple high-profile copyright appeals.

Argued and won a federal preemption case of first impression in the Fourth Circuit.

Argued and won a high-profile en banc Ninth Circuit case involving a ski area, snowmakers, and religious freedom.