Profile
Catalina V. Kelly is an associate in the firm’s litigation department and has experience representing individual and commercial clients in litigation matters in both state and federal courts. Following a clerkship with the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Catalina focuses her practice on complex commercial business disputes, real estate litigation, entertainment disputes, financial services and banking litigation, class action defense, and general litigation matters. Catalina handles virtually every phase of litigation, including research, drafting and argument of substantive and procedural motions, discovery, and preparing for and conducting trial.
Concentrations
- Business litigation
- Real estate litigation
- Entertainment litigation
- Securities and financial litigation
Capabilities
Experience
- Represented international pop star in eight-figure real property dispute; obtained judgment in pop star’s favor following six-day bench trial.
- Represented pipe supplier in four construction defect lawsuits involving a residential development project in Orange County, California; obtained settlement after 7 years of active litigation.
- Represented majority shareholders of an artificial sweetener company in a contentious shareholder derivative action; obtained settlement.
- Represented major financial institution in lawsuit alleging significant claims under the federal Electronic Funds Transfer Act, among others; obtained complete dismissal without leave to amend.
- Represented major international company in breach of contract dispute; obtained complete dismissal.
- Represented beneficiaries of a trust in an action against decedent’s accountant for fraud; obtained settlement following contempt trial.
- Represented major financial institution in lawsuit alleging significant claims under the federal Electronic Funds Transfer Act; obtained settlement.
- Represented Court-Appointed Receiver against an apartment complex in lawsuit alleging claims for breach of implied warranty of habitability; obtained settlement on the eve of trial.
- Represented major restaurant chain in eminent domain action; obtained settlement.
- Represented mortgage lending company in dispute involving breach of contract; obtained settlement.
- Law Clerk, Orange County District Attorney’s Office, Juvenile Unit, 2016
- Law Clerk, Orange County Public Defender’s Office, Juvenile Unit, 2016
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, "Ones to Watch," Commercial Litigation, 2025
- Listed, Super Lawyers magazine, California Super Lawyers, "Rising Stars," 2025
- Member, Los Angeles County Bar Association
- Member, Bench Meets Bar
- Women Lawyers Association Los Angeles
- Member
- Mock Trial Coach for Reseda High School Team
Credentials
Education
-
J.D., magna cum laude, Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, 2018
- Order of the Coif
- Production Editor, Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review
- B.A., University of Oregon, 2011
Clerkships
- Hon. Manuel L. Real, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, 2018-2019
Admissions
- California
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California