PRACTICE FOCUS
Ms. Batista is a labor & employment attorney and chair of the Hospitality and Automotive Dealership practice groups. She provides businesses with risk mitigation strategies and effective representation in litigation. Specifically, Ms. Batista successfully defends businesses against employment claims, including discrimination, harassment and retaliation, wrongful termination, wage and hour violations and breach of contract. Ms. Batista also provides workforce counseling and compliance guidance to clients, drafts and revises agreements, policies and handbooks, and conducts trainings and internal investigations. Employers need to feel secure in how they manage their employees so they can focus on their business. Ms. Batista affords her clients that security.
Ms. Batista focuses her practice on the following areas:
- Hospitality industry: Ms. Batista is chair of the Hospitality practice and represents numerous hotels, social clubs, restaurants and hospitality organizations in the greater Philadelphia area;
- Automotive industry: Ms. Batista is chair of the Automotive Dealership practice and represents car dealerships, specializing in new and used vehicles, along the East Coast; and
- Financial institutions, architecture and engineering, and health care providers
Ms. Batista is a Board Member for the Greater Philadelphia Hotel Association, and serves in the Pennsylvania Bar Association House of Delegates. In addition, Ms. Batista was selected by SuperLawyers to the Pennsylvania Rising Stars list from 2017-2019.
"I understand that my clients are seeking, and deserve, risk mitigation strategies for their workforce in conjunction with aggressive and efficient representation in litigation. I aim to understand my clients’ unique businesses and objectives so that I can both defend their decisions from yesterday and effectively guide them on decisions for tomorrow."
— Katharine Batista
REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS
- Represented hospitality industry interests in meetings with City Council regarding drafting of predictive pay legislation and provides compliance guidance on same;
- Obtained summary judgment for national bank in breach of contact action filed by former employee seeking substantial severance pay;
- Successfully defended national auto parts retail company in federal court against claims of national origin and race discrimination;
- Revised and implemented internal investigation policy and process for responding to internal complaints for global chemical and engineering company;
- Successfully enforced arbitration agreement and obtained dismissal of federal court litigation for national department store;
- Successfully advised international company being investigated by department of labor, which was resolved without company owing back wages or a lawsuit being initiated.
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
- "Workplace Safety: Risks Every Hotelier Needs to Know About" Webinar, Presenter (June 23, 2021)
- "Employee Handbooks as a Shield for Financial Institutions: Guidance on Business Protection for 2021" Webinar, Presenter (June 16, 2021)
- "Mid-Atlantic CFO Roundtable: The Workplace Environment - How to Manage and Be Prepared for the Challenges Faced by Employers" Webinar, Presenter (May 20, 2021)
- "Your Workforce Transition following COVID-19: A Legal Briefing for Architects" Webinar, Presenter (May 11, 2021)
- "National Auto Dealers Conference: Vaccinations, Legislation and Adaptation: Dealership Workforce Guidance for a New Era" Webinar, Presenter (May 4, 2021)
- "Hospitality & Entertainment Industry Partnership Meeting: Philadelphia's Right to Recall Ordinance" Webinar, Presenter (May 4, 2021)
- "COVID-19 Vaccine Education Town Hall with Dr. John M. Porter" Webinar, Presenter (April 29, 2021)
- "Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association: COVID-19 Vaccines for Your Employees: Issues and Options" Webinar, Presenter (April 22, 2021)
- "The Employment Review: COVID-19 Vaccines for Your Employees: Issues and Options" Webinar, Presenter (April 20, 2021)
- "Updates for the Philadelphia Employer: COVID-19, Right to Recall and Other City Ordinances" Webinar, Presenter (Feb 22, 2021)
- "The Employment Review: What the New Year and New President Mean for Your Workforce" Webinar, Presenter (Jan 12, 2021)
PRIOR WORK
Before joining Offit Kurman, Ms. Batista worked at a national employment and labor law firm, representing management exclusively. During her tenure there, Ms. Batista completed a secondment as the only in-house employment and labor counsel at a global chemical company. Before entering private practice, Ms. Batista clerked at the Connecticut Appellate Court for the Honorable Richard A. Robinson, now Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court.
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