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
- August 17, 2023
- August 17, 2023
- July 18, 2023
- June 30, 2023
- June 1, 2023
- Firm selects veteran litigator to succeed Kathleen Furey McDonough in 2024May 22, 2023
- October 11, 2022
- August 30, 2022
- August 18, 2022
- August 18, 2022
- June 1, 2022
- May 25, 2022
- April 18, 2022
- February 23, 2022
- January 14, 2022
- November 29, 2021
- November 5, 2021
- October 28, 2021
- August 19, 2021
- July 12, 2021
- June 17, 2021
- June 17, 2021
- June 2, 2021
- May 24, 2021
- May 20, 2021
- April 8, 2021
- March 29, 2021
- October 29, 2020
- August 20, 2020
- July 27, 2020
- June 16, 2020
- May 19, 2020
- April 29, 2020
- April 24, 2020
- April 23, 2020
- March 25, 2020
- March 25, 2020
- March 20, 2020
- March 19, 2020
- March 17, 2020
- March 12, 2020
- March 10, 2020
- September 26, 2019
- August 15, 2019
- June 10, 2019
- April 25, 2019
- August 29, 2018
- August 15, 2018
- Nationally Recognized Employment Attorney Is First Woman to Lead a Major Delaware Law FirmJanuary 3, 2018
- June 19, 2017
- May 1, 2017
- April 7, 2017
- January 3, 2017
- November 23, 2016
- August 31, 2011
- May 1, 2011
- April 1, 2011
Events & Speaking Engagements
- October 4, 2023
- Riverfront Events, April 18, 2023
- December 6, 2022
- May 18, 2022
- Virtual, September 24, 2021
- April 2, 2020
- December 5, 2018
- November 8, 2018
- October 16, 2018
- April 19, 2018
- November 16, 2017
- June 9, 2017
- December 6, 2016
- February 23, 2016
- DuPont Country Club, December 10, 2015
- May 12, 2015
- DuPont Country Club, May 6, 2014
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, 2020, and 2024
Named the Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year” for Employment Law - Management in Wilmington, 2012, 2015, and 2024
Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® in the areas of Employment Law - Management, Litigation - Labor and Employment, and Labor Law - Management, 2007 - present
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