Kate McKinney began her career in 1996 as an assistant prosecuting attorney in suburban Kansas City and then transitioned into private practice. After 11 years, Kate took a brief hiatus from her legal practice to start her own company, focusing on social media and digital marketing. After building a successful small business and gaining perspective on the needs of business owners, she felt called back to the practice of law. Kate joined Martin Pringle in 2014. Her experience as a business owner gives Kate a unique perspective when managing clients’ needs. Kate’s law practice focuses on civil and commercial litigation, insurance defense, and business and entrepreneurial law in both Kansas and Missouri.
A Kansas City native, Kate earned her undergraduate degree at Saint Mary’s College in South Bend, Indiana and her law degree at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. She is active in the Kansas City community, was a member of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce's Centurions leadership program, and recently chaired the Board of Directors at the Kansas City CARE Clinic. Kate lives in Overland Park with her husband and four children. She spends an inordinate amount of time at the local soccer fields on evenings and weekends.
Cape Cod is Kate’s favorite place on Earth. Although sometimes chilly, a New England beach trumps all others for her. It’s her happy place.
Kate is an accomplished commercial and civil litigator with experience in contract cases, business torts including non-competition and trade secrets litigation, commercial foreclosures and other loan-related litigation, stockholder disputes, employment claims, and will and trust disputes. She has successfully represented clients in administrative proceedings and in mediations, as well as in state and federal courts in Kansas and Missouri.
Kate has represented regional and national carriers on a wide variety of insurance matters. She has successfully handled hundreds of insurance defense claims, including products liability matters, professional negligence claims, commercial general liablity, transportation litigation, homeowners and premises liability. She also regularly consults with insurance carriers on coverage matters.
As a former entrepreneur and business owner, Kate is uniquely situated to understand the needs and concerns of clients who own and operate businesses. Kate works with Martin Pringle’s business practice and entrepreneurial law groups to help businesses with the drafting, review and negotiation of vendor contracts and employment-related agreements. She also regularly consults with business owners on risk management and mitigation. Her background and knowledge of marketing law also allows her to work with clients on a variety of branding and consumer-focused regulatory issues.
Best Lawyers in America, 2023