Katherine Turner is Co-Chair of Williams & Connolly’s Accountant Liability practice group and Co-Chair of the Firm’s Congressional Investigations practice group. She recently completed a term on the Firm’s Executive Committee. Katherine has extensive experience in defending accounting firms and their auditors in professional liability litigation and SEC and PCAOB regulatory matters, including work for three of the Big Four firms, several Big Four international member firms, and a prominent national accounting firm. Chambers USA (2025-2026) has recognized Katherine among the top lawyers nationwide in Accountant and Auditor Liability, placing her in Band 1 in its inaugural ratings for this practice area. Katherine also has significant experience in representing clients in congressional investigations, including representation of Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton before the House Select Committee on Benghazi, representation of President William Jefferson Clinton and Secretary Clinton in recent depositions before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, representation of a University president before the House Committee on Education & the Workforce, and current representation of a former government official in a matter before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. She has also represented a U.S. Senator in a government investigation and a State Democratic party in a personnel matter. In addition to her government investigations work, Katherine has led multiple internal investigations concerning audit, accounting, governance and management, and personnel issues for a range of clients, including accounting firms, public companies, and non-profit organizations. Her recent investigations experience includes an internal investigation for the Audit Committee of a public technology company, an independent investigation for the board of a major academic institution regarding the leadership of its healthcare system, two large-scale investigations for Big Four accounting firms concerning regulatory matters, and an investigation for a non-profit board involving allegations of gender discrimination against its CEO. Katherine has also advised a public company regarding the impact of recent Executive Orders on DEI policies and initiatives. She was recently recognized by Lawdragon (2025-2026) for this work as one of its Global 500 Leaders in Crisis Management. Her practice also encompasses complex litigation in several other substantive areas, including securities litigation and commercial contract disputes, in federal and state cases and in arbitration before AAA, CPR, JAMS, and FINRA. Katherine has represented individuals in a variety of matters, ranging from Title IX disciplinary proceedings to private business disputes. Benchmark Litigation has recognized Katherine as a “Litigation Star” in the areas of commercial litigation and white-collar criminal defense, 2017 – 2025, and among the “Top 250 Women in Litigation” for the last nine years. Katherine was born and raised near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and graduated from Georgetown University, summa cum laude, in 2001. She received her J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School, where she was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. She joined Williams & Connolly in 2005, after serving as a law clerk to the Honorable Bruce Marshall Selya of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. In 2015, Katherine co-founded the firm’s Women’s Initiative and previously served as its Co-Chair. She has also served as Chair of the firm’s Intake Committee and a member of its Hiring Committee. Representative ExperienceThough all cases vary and none is predictive, Katherine's experience includes:
Accountant Liability Matters
- Current representation of foreign Big Four firm in SEC investigation concerning auditor independence issues and related internal investigation.
- Current representation of Big Four firm in PCAOB investigation involving audit procedures over inventory reserves.
- Current representation of Big Four firm in litigation and regulatory investigations involving audits of an investment fund.
- Current representation of Big Four firm in litigation regarding a data incident.
- Current representation of Big Four firms and individual audit partner in several separate SEC investigations, concerning issues including revenue recognition, auditor independence, systems of quality management, and audit client compliance with laws and regulations.
- Current representation of Big Four firm concerning services provided to a major bank in FDIC receivership.
- Successful representation of a Big Four international member firm and two partners in PCAOB investigation concerning oversight of component auditors, resulting in closure of the investigation with no action taken against the firm or partners.
- Successful representation of a partner of a Big Four international member firm in SEC investigation concerning compliance with PCAOB auditing standards and the firm’s system of quality management, resulting in no action taken against the partner.
- Successful representation of a Big Four firm and multiple international member firms in PCAOB inquiries concerning communications with audit committees, resulting in closure of the matters with no action taken.
- Successful representation of Big Four firm and audit partner in PCAOB and SEC investigations related to audits of a life sciences company, resulting in no action taken against the firm or its auditors.
- Defense of major accounting firm and individual partner in separate matters before two state boards of accountancy.
- Successful representation of national accounting firm and an engagement partner in a three-year PCAOB investigation related to audits of a media company and issues of goodwill and long-lived asset impairment, resulting in no action taken against the firm or the partner.
- Representation of national accounting firm in successful resolution of professional liability cases involving audits of a health insurance company and an employee benefit plan.
- Representation of Big Four accounting firm in successful resolution of professional liability cases involving audits of funds invested in healthcare receivables.
- Successful representation of Big Four accounting firm in SEC investigation related to audits of an energy company, resulting in no action taken against the firm or its auditors.
- Successful representation of a Big Four accounting firm in PCAOB investigation related to audits of a lending company, resulting in no action taken against the firm or its auditors.
- Successful representation of a Big Four international member firm in PCAOB investigation related to audits of an energy company, resulting in no action taken against the firm.
- Successful representation of national accounting firm in defense of professional liability claims arising from audits of funds invested in the Petters Ponzi scheme, including prevailing at summary judgment against ~$1 billion claim brought by funds’ bankruptcy trustee and defeating two investor suits at the motion-to-dismiss stage.
- Representation of a national accounting firm in successful resolution of a set of putative class actions concerning audits of investment funds.
- Successful representation of Big Four accounting firm in appeal of trial verdict in which the jury had assigned liability to a non-client arising from an audit.
Congressional Matters and Representation of Government Officials
- Current representation of former government official in matter before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.
- Current representation of non-profit on matter before the House Committee on Ethics.
- Representation of President William Jefferson Clinton and Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton in recent depositions before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
- Representation of Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton in litigation matters, including obtaining dismissal with prejudice of the complaint in Trump v. Clinton and an award of sanctions against Plaintiff Trump and his counsel and recent affirmance of those orders by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
- Representation of Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton before the House Select Committee on Benghazi and in connection with matters concerning her e-mail use.
- Representation of a U.S. Senator in a Special Counsel investigation.
- Representation of a senior government official in an investigation by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
- Representation of a University president in an investigation by the House Committee on Education & the Workforce.
- Representation of several companies, including a transportation corporation, a real estate company, a professional services firm, and a food manufacturing company, in various matters before the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation, the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs, and the House Committee on Energy & Commerce.
- Representation of an Ivy League university in a House Judiciary Committee investigation.
- Representation of a professional services firm in a Florida state congressional investigation.
- Representation of State Democratic party in a personnel matter.
Investigations and Governance Matters
- Led independent investigation for Board of a major academic institution concerning leadership and governance issues related to its healthcare system.
- Led internal investigation for Big Four accounting firm concerning auditor compliance with continuing professional education requirements.
- Led internal investigation for Audit Committee of a public technology company concerning accounting and governance issues.
- Led separate internal investigations for three national non-profit organizations concerning conduct of board members and executives.
- Advised public company regarding federal enforcement landscape concerning DEI initiatives.
- Defended public company in employment dispute involving allegations of gender discrimination.
- Conducted internal investigation on behalf of non-for-profit board involving allegations of gender discrimination by organization’s CEO.
Securities, Employment, and Commercial Litigation Matters
- Successful representation of public company in State Attorney General litigation concerning employment practices, resulting in dismissal of state administrative proceedings.
- Successful defense of a faculty member in Title IX hearing, resulting in a finding of not responsible.
- Successful representation of public medical device corporation in recovery against supplier of defective products.
- Representation of Fortune 50 healthcare company in successful resolution of securities class action litigation involving ~$900M in alleged damages.
- Successful defense of several interdealer brokers in disputes with their former employer in series of FINRA arbitrations.
- Successful defense of technology company in JAMS arbitration involving alleged violations of trademark agreement, resulting in judgment in favor of client on all claims and an award of attorney’s fees, following full merits trial.
Recognitions"Accountant and Auditor Liability (Nationwide)," Chambers USA, 2025 – 2026
"Litigation Star," Benchmark Litigation, 2017 – 2026
"Global 500 Leaders in Crisis Management," Lawdragon, 2025 – 2026
“Top 250 Women in Litigation,” Benchmark Litigation, 2016 – 2025
“40 & Under Hot List”, Benchmark Litigation, 2017 – 2020
Washington, D.C. “Rising Stars” list, Super Lawyers, 2014 – 2019 |
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