Portrait of Katherine Witherspoon Fry

Katherine Witherspoon Fry

Principal

Employment Law: For over 25 years, Katherine Witherspoon Fry has provided her clients with robust representation in matters of employment and business law. She counsels companies and non-profit organizations of all sizes and executives in all facets of the employment relationship, including hiring, termination, discrimination, non-competition, Fair Labor Standards Act matters, Family and Medical Leave and other leaves, whistleblowers' complaints and regulatory matters. She maintains up-to-date knowledge of restrictive covenants (including non-competes, non-solicits, confidentiality, and non-defamation provisions) in order to draft these and represent parties on both sides of these cases. She has defended companies under investigation by both U.S. and state Departments of Labor and handled multiple matters before the EEOC. She is a seasoned member of the Delaware bar. As such, her practice has a nationwide reach due to the broad jurisdiction of Delaware’s courts over a large number of Fortune 500 companies.

Katherine assists employees by negotiating severance agreements and employment agreements, reviewing other corporate agreements and resolving disputes of all kinds with employers.

Education Law: Katherine has also developed her education law practice, with significant experience with special education matters involving the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and ADA accommodations, including advising and attending IEP meetings. She has also represented students from elementary school through post-graduate programs in disciplinary matters such as expulsions, suspensions and academic probation. Her representation includes Title IX complaints and bullying issues. She gained significant experience by serving as outside counsel to a large school district for 11 years and has also been counsel to charter schools and private schools.

Alternative Dispute Resolution: By using her experience with mediation and arbitration, she facilitates faster dispute resolution to avoid litigation. Katherine has an outstanding record of settling disputes over many years. She is a certified mediator and arbitrator and court-appointed hearing officer as well as an officer of the Delaware State Bar Association’s Alternative Dispute Resolution section. She has experience with resolution of employment, business litigation, education and family law matters.

    Education

    • New York University School of Law (J.D.)
      • Moot Court Board
    • Duke University (B.A., cum laude)

    State Bar Admissions

    • Delaware

    Admitted in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. Not Admitted in Pennsylvania. All Pennsylvania practice supervised by a Pennsylvania attorney.

    Court Admissions

    • United States District Court for the District of Delaware
    • United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
    • Supreme Court of the United States

    Professional Affiliations

    • University of Delaware Lerner School of Business, Adjunct Professor
    • Wilmington University, Guest Lecturer
    • Professional speaker and radio show guest
    • Employer Advocacy Committee, Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, Chair, 2021-2022
    • Delaware State Bar Association, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section, Vice-Chair, 2021 – present
    • Delaware State Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section, Past Chair
    • American Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section
    • Delaware Women’s Leadership Conference Planning Committee
    • Delaware State Bar Association, Women and Law Section
    • Forum for Executive Women

    Recognitions

    • Named The Best Lawyers in America® for Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment (2023-2027)
    • Top Lawyers in Education Law, Delaware Today, (2023-2026)

Firm Highlights

  • Events
    The 2026 Economic, Tax, and Accounting Updates
    We are looking forward to the Mid-Atlantic CFO Roundtable's next event on November 13, 2026. This is a program with topics built for Finance Executives. We are extremely fortunate to have three excellent speakers: Dr. Daraius Irani, Vice President of Business and Public Engagement at Towson University; Mike Stankus, Tax Office Managing Principal at BDO; and Daniel Wahlberg, Managing Partner of Acclare Solutions. The economy is rapidly changing with various factors driving it. The November 3rd midterm elections may also have an impact. Our three expert presenters will discuss the ramifications of the election, and the current year updates to GAAP financial reporting and Federal and State income taxes. Please join us for what will surely be an informative and timely discussion. Meet Our Speakers: Daraius Irani, Ph.D. • Towson University Vice President, Business & Public Engagement Dr. Daraius Irani serves as Vice President of Business and Public Engagement at Towson University as well as the chief economist for the Regional Economic Studies Institute (RESI) at Towson University, a policy group providing economic, fiscal impact, and policy analysis to public and private entities.  Dr. Irani is often called upon to provide economic presentations to organizations across Maryland. He has appeared on numerous television programs and in local and regional print media. Dr. Irani holds a Ph.D. in economics from University of California, Santa Barbara. Dan Wahlberg • Acclare Solutions Managing Partner With over 28 years of experience, Dan Wahlberg is a recognized leader in audit and assurance for the Mid-Atlantic’s middle market business community. As a licensed CPA in Maryland and Virginia, Dan has led assurance practices at top regional firms, including serving as Baltimore Audit Managing Partner and Assurance Practice Leader at BDO USA in Baltimore and as Partner and member of the Management Committee at Hertzbach & Company P.A which merged into BDO in 2020. His expertise centers on delivering clarity, strategic guidance, and proactive solutions to middle-market businesses across Baltimore and beyond. His entrepreneurial spirit has led him to begin a new CPA firm this year with four other CPAs serving the business community. Dan holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Rutgers University and began his career at PWC in New York. He is also deeply engaged in the community, previously serving as President of ACG Maryland and current Board member and as Audit Committee Member for The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore.  Mike Stankus • BDO USA LLP Tax Office Managing Principal Mike Stankus is the Tax Office Managing Principal for the firm’s Baltimore office. He has more than 16 years of experience providing tax planning and preparation and management advisory services for his clients. Mike focuses on advising privately held businesses and their owners on effective growth and tax strategies. He also performs various engagements for mergers and acquisitions and complex cost accounting projects and projections. In addition, he represents various government contracting clients before the DCAA and assists with FAR compliance. Mike’s areas of concentration include working with government contractors, professional service firms, construction companies, and homebuilders.
  • Events
    AIA Tri-State Conference
    Princeton will serve as the backdrop for three days of connection, learning, and design leadership. From keynotes to tours to the Tri-State Design Awards, this year’s conference is designed to go far beyond education sessions. Kick off the week with pre-conference intensives and individual state component Design Award celebrations, followed by three days of education, inspiration, networking, and design excellence at the 2026 AIA Tri-State Conference—featuring pre-conference intensives, three keynote speakers, 25 education sessions, curated tours, an expo, spec academies, and the AIA Tri-State Design Awards—bringing together architects and design professionals from New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania to connect, learn, and celebrate the best of the profession. G2. Designing Secure Practices: Cybersecurity, Data Privacy, Contractual Provisions, and Insurance Risks for Architects (4:00 PM - 5:30 PM) Architects and design professionals increasingly rely on cloud platforms, BIM software, and digital tools to manage sensitive data, creating cybersecurity and privacy risks. A single incident can trigger liability claims, regulatory obligations, reputational harm, and insurance challenges. Yet many firms underestimate how contracts, insurance, and internal practices intersect during a breach. This program offers legal and insurance perspectives on cyber risk in architecture, examining liability exposure, risky contract provisions, and mitigation strategies. A cyber insurance expert will explain policy responses, coverage gaps, coordination with professional liability, and best practices for aligning insurance with contractual risk and protecting firms from evolving cyber threats. Learning Objectives: Identify key cybersecurity and data privacy risks faced by architecture firms and explain how these risks can impact professional liability and project outcomes. Analyze common contractual provisions to determine which clauses may increase exposure to cyber incidents and propose strategies to mitigate these risks. Evaluate the scope and limitations of cyber insurance policies, including coordination with professional liability coverage, to determine how a policy would respond in a breach scenario. Develop actionable risk management strategies by integrating legal, contractual, and insurance considerations to protect sensitive client and project data.