Insights

Managing Partner of our California offices Christine Noelle Fitzgerald, Real Estate, was recognized in the 2026 Banking & Finance Visionaries section, produced by LA Times Studios, of the Los Angeles Times (LA Times). The honorees were profiled for their "exemplary leadership" and "strategic foresight" in navigating the evolving Southern California banking and finance sector over the past 24 months.

In an interview with The American Lawyer, Katten Chairman Gil Soffer discussed the firm's 2025 fiscal year and new firmwide strategy. Fiscal year 2025 was highlighted by an 18.3 percent increase in net income and a 24.5 percent rise in profits per equity partner, driven by strong demand in financial services and adjacent practices, along with a firm-wide focus on productivity and expense control.

It is estimated that $1.5 to $2 trillion is passed annually to younger generations. As the "Great Wealth Transfer" continues, family business owners face a distinct set of personal and sometimes conflicting wealth transfer considerations. These include preserving control, minimizing estate taxes and transaction costs and equitably transitioning ownership across generations. A well-designed estate plan, incorporating both testamentary planning and inter vivos transactions, can accomplish these objectives. This advisory summarizes three strategies that enable a family business owner to transfer future upside to the next generation (G2) while reducing transfer taxes: recapitalizations and discounted sales, sales and gifts to intentionally defective grantor trusts and grantor retained annuity trusts.

(NEW YORK) Katten announced today that the firm, Private Wealth Global Chair Joshua S. Rubenstein, and Partners Ronni G. Davidowitz, Bonnie Lynn Chmil and Kathryn von Matthiessen were recipients of Citywealth’s Powerwomen USA Awards.

Katten will host the ANA Advertising Law 1-Day Conference at 11:00 a.m. (ET) on Thursday, April 23, with several Katten attorneys serving as speakers.

(DALLAS) Katten announced today that Kenya S. Woodruff, national chair of its prominent Health Care practice and deputy general counsel for the firm, was named among Modern Healthcare's 2026 Leading Women.

"Kenya's leadership is exceptional, and her deep understanding of the health care industry, beyond question," said Katten Chairman Gil Soffer.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has published an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) seeking public comment on the attached proposed rule regarding what the FTC characterizes as unfair or deceptive rental housing fee practices. Such a rule could result in significant new risks and costs, and also create operational inconsistencies that may impact the ability to finance and operate all types of rental housing (including affordable housing where special issues may arise to comply with the rule, as well as state and federal housing subsidy programs).

Katten will present "Family Office Compensation and Talent: 2026 Trends and Planning" at 12:00 p.m. (ET) on Wednesday, May 6, both virtually and live in the New York office. Speakers including Transactional Tax Department Chair and Family Offices Co-Chair Saul Rudo and Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Partner Meredith Sheldon O'Leary will offer a comprehensive, real-world perspective on what it takes to attract, compensate and retain top talent in a highly competitive market. Grounded in current compensation data and informed by the most frequently asked questions from family office executives, the discussion will go beyond theory — delivering practical insights that attendees can apply immediately.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a niche consideration in corporate transactions. Whether as a driver of acquisition strategy, a source of unique due diligence challenges, or a powerful tool to enhance deal execution, AI is reshaping how mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transactions are conceived, valued and closed. In this advisory, Katten explores what AI means for buyers, sellers and their advisers in today’s deal environment.

In an interview with Bloomberg Law, Katten Chairman Gil Soffer discussed the firm's strong financial performance and ambitious five-year strategic plan, highlighting that profits per equity partner will likely have topped $3.3 million when the firm's latest financials are finalized, marking the second consecutive year of at least 20 percent firm growth in that area.

(CHICAGO) Katten announced today that Corporate Global Chair Kimberly T. Smith and Advertising and Brand Litigation Co-Chair Kristin J. Achterhof were honored on the Crain's Chicago Business list of Notable Women in Law.

The explosive growth of artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing and digital infrastructure has created unprecedented demand for data center development. Developers and investors are increasingly focused on assembling land parcels in strategic locations to accommodate large-scale data center projects.