Katherine Elliott Cleary

Katherine Elliott Cleary focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation, such as breach of contract claims and business-related torts, federal and state constitutional challenges, and appellate litigation. Katie represents a broad range of clients, including individuals, businesses of all sizes, health care entities, financial institutions, and utilities.

Katie has also recently expanded her practice to include class action defense, environmental contamination from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), data privacy, and e-discovery and confidentiality issues.

In addition to her litigation practice, Katie maintains a robust pro bono practice, with a particular focus on representing CASA guardians ad litem in complex child protection matters.

Prior to joining Pierce Atwood, Katie served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Catherine R. Connors of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.

Katie graduated magna cum laude from the University of Maine School of Law. During law school, she served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Kermit V. Lipez of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, worked as a student attorney in the general practice clinic of the Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic, and was a summer associate at Pierce Atwood. Katie was also selected by the law school to mentor and instruct first-year students as a legal writing teaching assistant and an academic success teaching fellow in property law and constitutional law.