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Kathleen Furey McDonough

Chair
Pronouns: she / her / hers
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Kathleen Furey McDonough is the chair of the firm's Executive Committee. Her practice focuses on litigation in the federal and state courts in Delaware, with an emphasis on labor and employment, trade secret and commercial litigation. Kathleen regularly represents clients before the Delaware Court of Chancery in matters involving restrictive covenants and non-compete agreements. She is the founder of the firm's Labor and Employment practice, representing management clients in all manner of labor and employment disputes as well as representing secondary and post-secondary institutions with respect to education law issues. In addition to her first-chair litigation practice, she has substantial experience in conducting internal investigations. 

Kathleen is a member and former chair of the Advisory Committee for the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware and served for several years as a mentor in the Federal Trial Practices Seminar established by the judges of the U.S. District Court in Delaware to provide instruction to junior lawyers regarding practice before the Court. She is a member of the board and the Executive Committee of Christiana Care Health System and a board member and former board Chair of the Delaware Community Foundation. She is also a member of the board of trustees of Hagley Museum and Library.

Representative Matters

In recent years, Kathleen has:

  • Successfully tried to a Delaware Superior Court jury a retaliation case filed against one of Delaware’s largest employers
  • Successfully represented one of the State’s largest health care institutions in the Court of Chancery in an action seeking injunctive relief based upon the hospital’s medical staff bylaws
  • Represented a Delaware-based global chemical company in trade secret litigation stemming from a dissolved joint venture
  • Successfully sought enforcement in the Court of Chancery of a restrictive covenant barring an executive from becoming the CEO of our client’s competitor

News

Events & Speaking Engagements

More Info

Education

Temple University School of Law, J.D., 1985

Saint Joseph's University, A.B., 1979

Bar & Court Admissions

  • Delaware, 1985

    United States District Court for the District of Delaware, 1985

    United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, 1988

    United States Supreme Court, 2003

Professional Activities and Honors

Recognized by Chambers USA as a leading Delaware practitioner in labor and employment law (management) each year since 2003

Named the Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year” for Labor Law - Management in Wilmington, 2013 2017 and 2020

Named the Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year” for Employment Law - Management in Wilmington, 2012 and 2015

Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Employment Law - Management, Litigation - Labor and Employment, and Labor Law - Management

Named to the Delaware Super Lawyers list, 2007–present

Recognized as The Best of the Best in 2013 Super Lawyers ranking of Delaware lawyers, signifying 10 lawyers who achieved highest point totals in Delaware rankings 

Rated AV® in Martindale-Hubbell's peer review certification

Selected as one of the nation's top 100 corporate employment attorneys for 2009 by Human Resource Executive and Lawdragon 

Recipient of  the Themis Award, which is the highest honor bestowed by the DuPont Women's Network (2008) 

Caleb R. Layton, III Service Award, awarded by the judges of the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware in recognition of her service to the Court and the Bar of the Court (2007)

“Strong Smart and Bold Award” presented by Girls Incorporated (2006) 

Delaware State Bar Association; Labor and Employment Law Section (former Chair); Litigation Section 

American Bar Association; Labor and Employment Section; Litigation Section