Overview
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.