Katherine C. Franklin is an experienced litigator and trial attorney who has represented employers for more than 26 years. Her practice focuses on:
- Training executives, managers, HR professionals, and ethics and compliance officers in all areas of employment law and ethics and compliance, including harassment prevention, violence prevention, lawful and effective investigations, the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act, diversity, performance management, manager boot camp, effective hiring, anticorruption laws including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and UK Bribery Acts, executive ethics and compliance, code of conduct and whistleblower claims and retaliation, compliance issues and global employment law
- Advising clients on the implementation and maintenance of proactive employment practices
- Teaching workplace investigation best practices for U.S. and multinational organizations
- Wrongful discharge and discrimination litigation
Katherine advises both U.S. and multinational companies on proactive employment and compliance practices. She assists companies with creating and revising investigation protocols, codes of conduct and developing ethics and compliance programs. She also advises companies on proactive employment practices in multiple areas.
Katherine has vast experience training executives and managers using interactive training programs designed to minimize employment litigation. She has trained thousands of managers and employees and has prepared, designed and implemented many different training programs all across the U.S. and globally, including harassment prevention, violence prevention, lawful and effective investigations, the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act, Managers’ Boot Camp, retaliation prevention, effective hiring and performance management.
Katherine has substantial experience training companies, including multinational organizations, on ethics and compliance issues. She has traveled abroad to many countries including India, China, the Philippines, Canada and countries throughout Europe to teach global employment law and ethics compliance to multinationals.
Katherine has also prepared, designed and implemented many diversity training programs for HR teams, executives, management and employees.
In partnership with the Washington State Department of Personnel, Littler Mendelson created the HELP Academy, a comprehensive program designed to train state managers and human resource professionals. Through this program, Kathy has helped to train hundreds of people in all aspects of employment law. In 1999, the HELP Academy received the Innovations Award from the Council of State Governments for proactively addressing the alarming increase in human resource-related conflicts, litigation and liability.
Kathy is a frequent speaker on employment law topics to lawyers, ethics and compliance officers and human resources professionals at companies in the United States and around the world. Katherine served on the Washington Supreme Court as a member of the Court's Gender and Justice Commission for two terms. She was President of the Washington Women Lawyers in 1993-1994.
PUBLICATIONS AND PRESS
- May 1, 2013Human Resources Executive Online
- February 21, 2013Littler Report
- December 10, 2012Human Resources IQ
- November 16, 2012Littler ASAP
- November 2012How to Conduct Global HR Investigations – an IllustrationCompliance Week
- February 15, 2012Littler Report
- February 1, 2012Avoiding Corruption: A Practical Approach to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the UK Bribery ActConference Materials
- November 15, 2011Littler ASAP
- June 22, 2009BNA: Privacy and Security Law Report
- April 4, 2003Littler Report
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
- October 8, 2013Ten Solid Ways to Prevent Retaliation
Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE), Washington, DC - October 3, 2013Whistleblowers and Retaliation: What Boards Need to Know
NYSE Governance Services: Corporate Board Member, New York, NY - May 8, 2013Conducting Lawful Investigations – Avoiding the 10 Biggest Pitfalls of HR Investigations
The 2013 Executive Employer® Conference, Littler Mendelson, Scottsdale, AZ - May 8, 2013Preventing Retaliation with a Speak-up Culture
The 2013 Executive Employer® Conference, Littler Mendelson, Scottsdale, AZ - April 30, 2013Prevent Retaliation with a Speak-up Culture
Association of Corporate Counsel, St. Louis Chapter, St. Louis, MO - April 2013Aligning Your Compliance Programs to Mitigate Risks
Corporate Board Member Conference - New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) - March 2013Conducting Global HR Investigations
Open Compliance & Ethics Group - February 2013Conducting Lawful & Effective Global Investigations
The Global Employer – Latin America Conference, Littler Mendelson, Miami, FL - February 2013Fox in the Hen House: Managing a Whistleblower Who is a Key Executive
West Coast Boardroom Summit - January 2013Preventing Retaliation with a Speak-Up Culture
Open Compliance & Ethics Group - November 8, 2012Assuring Compliance with Anti-Corruption Policies and Requirements
Global Employer Institute, Littler Mendelson, Washington D.C. - November 2012Respect in the Workplace
Seattle University School of Law - November 2012Understanding Harassment
Seattle University School of Law - October 15, 2012How to Assess and Mitigate the Risk of Misconduct Occurring and Not Being Reported
11th Annual Compliance and Ethics Institute - Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE), Las Vegas, NV - October 2012Ethics and Compliance and Global Investigations
The Law School of Luiss-Guido Carli University, Rome, Italy - October 2012Ethics and Compliance and Global Investigations
Universite de Cergy-Pontoise, College of Law, Paris, France - September 28, 2012How to Keep Your CEO Out of Jail
Atlanta Employer Conference, Littler Mendelson, Atlanta, GA - May 11, 2012How to Keep Your CEO Out of Jail: What Every HR Professional and Employment Counsel Should Know About the Federal Sentencing Guidelines?
The 2012 Executive Employer® Conference, Littler Mendelson, Scottsdale, AZ - May 9, 2012Conducting Lawful Investigations: The First 72 Hours
The 2012 Executive Employer® Conference, Littler Mendelson, Scottsdale, AZ - February 2012FCPA and Anti-Corruption Laws and Global Investigations
The Global Employer - Latin America Conference, Littler Mendelson, Miami, FL - November 29, 2011Conducting Lawful Investigations
Littler Mendelson, Seattle, WA - November 2011Conducting Lawful and Effective Investigations
The Ethics & Compliance Officer Association, Seattle, WA - November 2011Conducting Global Investigations
The Global Employer Institute, Littler Mendelson, Washington D.C. - March 6, 2011Conducting Lawful Investigations - the Proper Response to Retaliation Claims
The National Employer Conference - Littler Mendelson - November 10, 2010Conducting Lawful Investigations in the Workplace
West Sound Human Resource Management Association (WSHRMA) - October 19, 2010Global Workplace Ethics and Compliance
The Global Employer Conference - Littler Mendelson - October 7, 2010Reducing the Potential for Discrimination and Harassment Liability
National Business Institute - September 21, 2010The Proper Response to Allegations of Unethical Conduct in the Workplace
The Ethics and Compliance Officer Association (ECOA) - September 14, 2010Social Media
Littler Mendelson - June 3, 2009Building an Ethical Foundation
Conference on Human Resource Law - National Business Institute (NBI)