Kathleen Pontone

Practice Areas

Kathleen Pontone represents clients in matters involving employment, education and public accommodation law. She practices exclusively on behalf of management and the institution in these areas.

Kathie's practice includes providing advice on student issues and Title IX, as well as faculty disputes. She also has been representing an independent school on its policies, as well as various allegations of discrimination. She recently assisted trustees of a school in addressing alumni criticism of the school’s diversity and inclusion policy. She has litigated class action claims and cases in which Board involvement was required. Some of these cases involved claims of so-called "educational malpractice," as well as claims about grades, sports participation and other hot button issues. Kathie has provided defense of various claims at all educational levels.

Kathie has represented clients in several important public accommodation cases. She has defended multi-family housing providers, hospitals, banks and educational institutions in claims alleging a failure to accommodate various disabilities in both physical and online access, education and employment. Among Kathie’s cases, she successfully defended a worldwide bank in a case challenging the accessibility of a bank in a suit that examined the historic exemption. She also has handled numerous complaints alleging a failure to accommodate emotional support animals, waive various policies and attacks on their physical layout and website accessibility.

Her defense of discrimination cases includes extensive experience in leave-related claims, sexual harassment and compensation disputes.

She has handled numerous enforcement actions brought by OSHA and State Plan agencies. These have individual cases with large penalties that were brought as a result of fatal accidents. She represents both contractors and manufacturers. She also works with employer consultants to plan revisions to policies to abate violations and avoid future OSHA liability.

She also has experience defending whistleblower and retaliation cases under federal administrative procedures.

Education