Continuing the national expansion of its commercial litigation practice, Venable LLP has added Caroline Petro Gately, an experienced litigator and a past president of the D.C. Women’s Bar Association Foundation, as a partner in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office.
Ms. Gately, 42, joins Venable from the Reston, Virginia office of DLA Piper. She will also practice out of Venable’s office in Tysons Corner. Ms. Gately's commercial litigation practice focuses on real estate and creditors’ rights disputes.
“Caroline Gately is a highly versatile litigator with a depth of experience in critical areas, including real estate and bankruptcy matters,” said J. Douglas Baldridge, chair of the Commercial South Litigation Group at Venable. “Caroline brings an established practice, and her reputation in our courts and community as an outstanding trial lawyer is of great value to our group.”
Ms. Gately is the latest in a string of high-profile partners to join Venable. A six-person employment law group, headed by Ari Karen and Caryn Pass, arrived just last month. Venable also added a group of five IP litigators led by JoAnna Esty to its recently launched Los Angeles office.
“Venable has long been known in the Washington region for its strength in commercial litigation. I have watched with increasing interest as the firm has expanded its practice nationally, including its recent expansion in New York and Los Angeles, without compromising its regional stature,” Ms. Gately said. “I am looking forward to the opportunities that Venable's preeminence provides for me and the clients that I serve. I was also drawn to the firm’s dedication to the diversity of its workforce, an area in which I hope to provide significant leadership, and its commitment to pro bono work.”
Ms. Gately is well known for her own civic and charitable work. She served as president and a director of the Women’s Bar Association Foundation, the charitable affiliate of the Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia, one of the oldest women’s bar associations nationwide. The Foundation’s principal mission is to empower women in the legal profession through networking, mentoring, and education.
Ms. Gately recently has served as a pro bono training instructor on sexual harassment and retaliation for the D.C. Department of Corrections. She also has represented children in abuse and neglect proceedings in D.C. Superior Court and was a guest teacher in Washington, D.C. public schools through a Federal Bar Association program.
Ms. Gately earned her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1989 and an A.B. from Princeton University in 1986, where she graduated cum laude.
One of the American Lawyer’s top 100 law firms, Venable LLP has attorneys practicing in all areas of corporate and business law, complex litigation, intellectual property and government affairs. Venable serves corporate, institutional, governmental, nonprofit and individual clients throughout the U.S. and around the world from its headquarters in Washington, D.C. and offices in California, Maryland, New York and Virginia.