Financial Services Litigation & Enforcement

Partner Samantha Kats knew from an early age that she wanted to be a litigator. Her father, a Ukrainian immigrant who had to work from a young age after arriving in the United States, often told her he would have been interested in pursuing a career in the legal field if circumstances had been different. Inspired by this and her experiences advocating for her family as they worked through various hurdles to build a better life, Sam pursued her legal career with determination.

In this edition of our Stradley Voices series — where we spotlight the varied experiences and dedication of our people across the firm — Sam discusses her path from first-generation college student to partner at Stradley Ronon, including the challenges she navigated and milestones she achieved along the way.

Q: What made you interested in pursuing a career in law?

A: Growing up, I watched my family work hard to start and establish a new life in the United States and constantly have to advocate for themselves. At a young age I began helping my Ukrainian grandparents due to the language barrier and quickly became their advocate. These experiences taught me that I had a passion for analyzing issues, formulating solutions and advocating for what I believe in. I looked for opportunities to pursue these interests and in high school I joined the debate team.

At that point my mind was set on going to law school, so the summer before my senior year I enrolled in a summer program at Penn State University, where I took legal studies and criminology courses to earn college credit. During my undergraduate studies at Drexel University, I pursued legal studies coursework and networked with law professors. For my co-op experience, I interned at the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office in the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Division. All of these experiences solidified my interest in pursuing a career in law.

In law school, I focused my coursework on trial advocacy to develop my litigation skills. I also enrolled in Villanova’s Moot Court Competition to gain more experience in preparing and presenting arguments. When I became a summer associate at Stradley Ronon, the firm’s program introduced me to a wide array of practices, which only reinforced my interest in litigation.

Q: Why did you join Stradley Ronon?

A: I joined Stradley Ronon primarily for its people and culture. I was looking for a firm where I could find valuable mentorship and be entrusted with hands-on opportunities early on in my career. I was looking for a firm where I could begin, develop and grow my career long-term while being surrounded by people who are interested in my professional development, and Stradley Ronon has been all of that and more for me over the last several years.

Q: What prompted your decision to leave Stradley Ronon? Where did you go and what did you do there?

A: Amid the pandemic, while we were fully remote at the firm, and after having my second child, I wanted to develop a niche practice to better serve my clients. I was also looking to gain more courtroom experience. At the time I was handling a will contest case, which further encouraged me to explore a focus in fiduciary litigation. To pursue these interests and goals, I went to a small boutique fiduciary litigation firm for about a year-and-a-half, where I gained significant courtroom experience and in-depth knowledge in fiduciary litigation.

Q: Why did you decide to return to the firm?

A: While I enjoyed and still do fiduciary litigation, I really missed, and wanted, the ability to continue to build out my practice in financial services litigation and enforcement, which I was a part of while at Stradley Ronon. Of course, I also missed all the great people I worked with at the firm. I had stayed in contact with several former colleagues and clients, and I was excited at the prospect of working alongside them again.

In addition, I was drawn to the opportunity to participate in a wider spectrum of commercial litigation disputes in the financial services litigation and enforcement practice, and to be able to leverage the knowledge I gained from the boutique fiduciary litigation firm to collaborate across the firm’s corporate and trusts and estates practices.

Q: What did you gain from your experience at your prior place of employment and how did that benefit you in your return to Stradley Ronon?

A: I gained a wealth of experience in trusts and estates litigation, which has allowed me to support seamless client service with our trusts, estates and private client team and further develop a niche practice in this area. More specifically, my experience includes representing fiduciaries and beneficiaries in Orphans’ Courts in several different counties in Pennsylvania in matters involving estates, trusts, powers of attorney and guardianships. I also advised, and continue to advise, clients on issues related to the roles of fiduciaries, beneficiaries and other interested parties related to such matters.

Q: Was there anything that had changed at Stradley Ronon that surprised you upon your return?

A: The development of the managing counsel role — which I was elevated to upon rejoining the firm — allowed me to return to the partnership track and provided me with expanded opportunities in professional development and career growth. Additionally, I was happy to see a focus on further developing and expanding our financial services litigation and enforcement practice, notably with the opening of our office in Southern California.

Q: What are some of your career highlights at Stradley Ronon?

A: The most recent highlight of my career at Stradley Ronon was being promoted to partner. Becoming a partner at the firm has always been my goal and I am glad to see my hard work and dedication to the firm be recognized and valued. I understand that the path to partnership looks different for everyone and I hope to mentor and help other young aspiring lawyers achieve their career goals.

Q: How do you give back to the next generation of lawyers?

A: Knowing how difficult navigating the highly competitive legal industry can be, especially for first-generation women and young mothers, I work to provide young lawyers at Stradley Ronon with the guidance, skills and direction to navigate a demanding profession while adding value and continuing to grow and learn. As a member of the firm’s hiring committee, I aim to develop other lawyers by providing learning opportunities and mentoring; discussing professional development, career goals and case strategy; and encouraging them to be more proactive in their matters.

Q: What advice would you give to summer associates/those just starting their legal careers?

A: Take advantage of opportunities to gain hands-on experience, learn from senior lawyers and develop mentoring relationships. I would encourage all associates to look for ways to add value to every assignment, and to not shy away from sharing their ideas and opinions.