Partner
She / Her
Office
Century City
Los Angeles
Phone
+1 213 239 2246
+1 213 239 5100
For consumer product companies facing threats of class action litigation, Kate Spelman is a formidable ally. Tailoring her approach to align with each client’s goals, she helps them navigate complex challenges related to their marketing, advertising, and product labeling practices—often resolving disputes through creative alternatives to litigation. A leader at the firm, Kate serves as Co-Chair of the Class Action, Consumer Brands, and Food and Beverage practices.
Kate’s consumer class action experience spans all stages of litigation for food and beverage, personal care, household goods, technology, and retail industry companies. She works to give clients the upper hand, whether by negotiating resolutions to pre-litigation demands or by reaching efficient outcomes through arbitration and mediation. In court, her direct, compelling arguments establish credibility and sway judges and juries to her client's viewpoint.
Kate also has significant experience representing clients in connection with privacy claims, including those arising under the California Invasion of Privacy Act. Kate has successfully represented a wide variety of consumer-facing companies defending against privacy claims in California state and federal courts, as well as several arbitral forums.
Before joining Jenner & Block, Kate was in-house litigation counsel to a large, vertically integrated food and beverage manufacturer. She developed a deep understanding of how a business’s internal objectives and risk tolerance guide its approach to litigation, which continues to inform her client relationships. Companies value her collaborative attitude and commitment to learning their operations. In addition to defending them forcefully in litigation, Kate uses her knowledge of legal and regulatory trends to help in-house teams spot and avoid risks in their advertising, labeling, and marketing claims.
Kate maintains a robust pro bono practice, including through her representation of capital defendants in civil rights litigation, tenants wrongfully evicted from their apartments, and immigrants seeking asylum in the United States. Kate recently helped obtain asylum for an indigenous Guatemalan man and his son fleeing persecution in their home country. Kate also serves on the board of directors for Public Counsel, one of the country’s largest pro bono law firm assisting more than 30,000 children, youth, families, and community organizations every year with free legal services.
Representative Matters
- Obtained dismissal of a lawsuit against a major food and beverage company challenging the use of the term “veggie” to describe its meatless products. The victory was profiled as a “Top Defense Verdict” by the Daily Journal.
- Secured dismissal with prejudice of a consumer class action challenging alleged misrepresentations regarding the source of bottled water.
- Successfully enforced consumer arbitration agreements and class waivers on behalf of large retail, technology, and restaurant clients.
- Obtained favorable resolution of California Invasion of Privacy Act lawsuit filed against a major technology company related to its voice authentication software.
- Representing several consumer-facing companies in arbitration and litigation related to California Invasion of Privacy Act claims arising from consumer interactions with the companies’ websites.
- Representing several manufacturers in connection with class action lawsuits alleging misrepresentations and omissions related to the alleged presence of micro-contaminants in food, beverage, and personal care products.
- Representing large household goods manufacturer in connection with consumer and attorney general actions related to the marketing of plastic bag products.
Credentials
Service / Recognition
Overview
For consumer product companies facing threats of class action litigation, Kate Spelman is a formidable ally. Tailoring her approach to align with each client’s goals, she helps them navigate complex challenges related to their marketing, advertising, and product labeling practices—often resolving disputes through creative alternatives to litigation. A leader at the firm, Kate serves as Co-Chair of the Class Action, Consumer Brands, and Food and Beverage practices.
Kate’s consumer class action experience spans all stages of litigation for food and beverage, personal care, household goods, technology, and retail industry companies. She works to give clients the upper hand, whether by negotiating resolutions to pre-litigation demands or by reaching efficient outcomes through arbitration and mediation. In court, her direct, compelling arguments establish credibility and sway judges and juries to her client's viewpoint.
Kate also has significant experience representing clients in connection with privacy claims, including those arising under the California Invasion of Privacy Act. Kate has successfully represented a wide variety of consumer-facing companies defending against privacy claims in California state and federal courts, as well as several arbitral forums.
Before joining Jenner & Block, Kate was in-house litigation counsel to a large, vertically integrated food and beverage manufacturer. She developed a deep understanding of how a business’s internal objectives and risk tolerance guide its approach to litigation, which continues to inform her client relationships. Companies value her collaborative attitude and commitment to learning their operations. In addition to defending them forcefully in litigation, Kate uses her knowledge of legal and regulatory trends to help in-house teams spot and avoid risks in their advertising, labeling, and marketing claims.
Kate maintains a robust pro bono practice, including through her representation of capital defendants in civil rights litigation, tenants wrongfully evicted from their apartments, and immigrants seeking asylum in the United States. Kate recently helped obtain asylum for an indigenous Guatemalan man and his son fleeing persecution in their home country. Kate also serves on the board of directors for Public Counsel, one of the country’s largest pro bono law firm assisting more than 30,000 children, youth, families, and community organizations every year with free legal services.
Areas of Focus
Representative Matters
- Obtained dismissal of a lawsuit against a major food and beverage company challenging the use of the term “veggie” to describe its meatless products. The victory was profiled as a “Top Defense Verdict” by the Daily Journal.
- Secured dismissal with prejudice of a consumer class action challenging alleged misrepresentations regarding the source of bottled water.
- Successfully enforced consumer arbitration agreements and class waivers on behalf of large retail, technology, and restaurant clients.
- Obtained favorable resolution of California Invasion of Privacy Act lawsuit filed against a major technology company related to its voice authentication software.
- Representing several consumer-facing companies in arbitration and litigation related to California Invasion of Privacy Act claims arising from consumer interactions with the companies’ websites.
- Representing several manufacturers in connection with class action lawsuits alleging misrepresentations and omissions related to the alleged presence of micro-contaminants in food, beverage, and personal care products.
- Representing large household goods manufacturer in connection with consumer and attorney general actions related to the marketing of plastic bag products.
Credentials
Admissions
- California, 2010
Education
- New York University School of Law, JD, magna cum laude; Order of the Coif, 2009
- Stanford University, BA, 2003
Court Admissions
- US Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- US District Court, Central District of California
- US District Court, Northern District of California
- US District Court, Southern District of California
- US Court of Federal Claims, 2010
Clerkships
- Hon. Francis M. Allegra, US Court of Federal Claims, 2009-2010
Service / Recognition
Awards
- The BTI Class Action Leaders, 2026
- Chambers USA, Litigation: General Commercial (California), 2025-2026
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America, 2025-2026
- Los Angeles Business Journal, Leader of Influence: Thriving in Their 40s, 2025
- Los Angeles Times, Legal Visionary, 2021
- Southern California Super Lawyers, Rising Star, Business Litigation, 2014-2020
- Legal 500, General Commercial Disputes, 2020
Community
- Public Counsel, Member, Board of Directors