We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Katharine Tremblay Beck. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Katharine below.
Alright, Katharine thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry?
In the state of California, Employment Law is an area that can be tricky for employers. Often, policies and practices need to be reviewed and updated yearly, if not quarterly. The biggest mistake I see, particularly from employers with less than 25 employees, is that they did not consult a lawyer when drafting their Employment Agreements or Employee Handbook. While this can be pricey, it could save hundreds of thousands of dollars in litigation costs in the long run. If an Employer does not have the ability to employ a full-time in house counsel with Employment Law experience, then it would be my recommendation that the Employer consult with an attorney (not an HR professional), but a licensed attorney with Employment Law experience.
Katharine, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
If you had told me in High School that I would be a lawyer practicing law with my father I likely would have told you you were crazy. But, I come from a line of lawyers. My Uncle, Maurile Tremblay (his son Maurile J. Tremblay is one of our Of Counsel), was an attorney as well as my father. Growing up I was keenly aware of the commitment it takes to both become a lawyer and to practice law. The Law has always been a large part of my life.
I was a theater major at Vanderbilt University and I trained at the British American Drama Academy (BADA) Summer in Oxford. I had a (very short) amateur career here in San Diego with appearances at some community theaters as well as Sixth at Penn (now Compass Theater). I was a high school teacher for approximately 3 years with a credential in English and a Master’s of Education (I was head of the English Department at Age 26). While teaching, I found that I helped some of my students with legal issues and enjoyed the research and helping them find answers. It was those experiences coupled with my upbringing (being surrounded by accomplished attorneys and understanding the commitment it takes) that led me to think I’d like to go to law school.
Further, I became keenly interested in being a trial attorney after working with District Attorney Bill Hodgman and his talented team at the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office. In addition, having study at BADA’s Summer in Oxford program under such actors as Sir Derek Jacobi and Fiona Shaw, I believe I have a unique training that helps me in the courtroom.
As a law student, I really enjoyed participating in Mock Trial and my internship with the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office where I was able to work on cases like Anna Nicole Smith and Michael Jackson. I thought I’d join the DA’s office as an attorney, but when I graduated they were on a hiring freeze. My father was still running his litigation firm (Law Offices of Donald P. Tremblay) and so, I joined him, first as a Law Clerk (before passing the bar), then as a lawyer – now, I am one of the principal attorneys handling much of our trial work in conjunction with Of Counsels, Dave Carothers and Peter Schluederberg. I enjoyed the work I was doing. Eventually, I stayed because I was afforded significant opportunities as a young lawyer that, likely, I would not have been offered elsewhere.
We are boutique law firm that has a unique set of talents to assist our clients. Donald P. Tremblay heads our biotech, licensing and intellectual property divisions. Mr. Tremblay has international experience in both drafting and litigating the licensing of intellectual property. Assisting him on this team is John Dunn and Maurile Tremblay.
Katharine, Dave and Peter make up the court room trial team with assistance from Bob Robinson and Maurile Tremblay (discovery and motions). We have experience in Business Law (Breach of Contract, Fraud, Civil Conspiracy, Derivative Suits, and Breach of Fiduciary Duty), Legal Malpractice (both prosecuting and defending), Employment Law (Dave Carothers is an exceptional attorney in this area and brings an amazing skill set to the firm), Insurance coverage and bad faith, as well as Contract Law.
We these unique talents we often have clients that hire our firm to defend them in litigation, but then often come back to us for other needs both business and personal.
Thus our typical client is one who has been sued.
Our trial team consists of Katharine Tremblay Beck, Dave Carothers, Peter Schleuderberg, and Robert Robinson. Maurile Tremblay assists with Motion practice, and Donald Tremblay will offer his insight from time to time. Between these lawyers there is over 100 years legal experience and all of the trial team members have jury trial experience.
Prior to the Pandemic, Don, Katharine and Peter were a part of the team (along with the Casey Gerry firm) that represented the Tony Gwynn’s heirs in their case against Smokeless Tobacco resulting in the only case that US Smokeless Tobacco settled. The case was settled to the satisfaction of all the parties.
Katharine has significant experience in both the state and federal courts, and very much enjoys the federal practice of law. In 2020, Katharine led the litigation team in the defense of a defamation claim in the federal court that resulted in a settlement the was approximately ¼ of what the Plaintiffs demanded.
In 2019, Katharine was tapped by a Texas firm to assist in a local arbitration. Katharine took the lead on the cross-examination of the opposing party’s CEO during the arbitration as well as the closing argument. The Client (who had been sued for $212,000+) was awarded over $275,000.00 by the arbiter. Katharine successfully argued that the Claimant’s consistently breached the Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing throughout the business relationship with her Client resulting in a favorable result for a Respondent Client.
In 2018, Katharine led the trial team in a 17 day Jury Trial that resulted in a stalemate – while the Complaint did not result in a monetary win, she successfully defended against the Defendants’ Cross-Complaint. The case settle while on Appeal to the satisfaction of all the parties.
Katharine has successfully negotiated several competitive severance agreements with C level employees. Katharine assists employers with navigating “sticky” employment situations: hiring, termination, wage and hour claims, updating Employment Handbooks, and successfully settling claims of wrongful termination at typically a tenth or less than the initial demand.
We are currently defending several lawsuits on behalf of employers, defending claims of wrongful termination, wage and hour claims, as well as Class actions.
Tremblay Beck Law, APC provides excellent, personalized service while we assist our Clients in getting to a resolution that will be agreeable to all parties.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I love to be involved and be social – I used to say “Yes” to EVERY opportunity.
I had to learn first-hand the power of a polite and respectful “No”. This is a lesson that was taught to me by my father and I think it is an amazing tool. Knowing when to say “no” can be just as powerful as knowing when to say “yes”. This can be saying no to a certain representations, membership groups, or opportunities. I used to stretch myself very thin resulting in a very stressful work/life balance. I’ve learned how to say no and manage my work/life balance to great satisfaction. I still have long days at the office on a regular basis, but every case I work on is one I enjoy!! With Clients that I enjoy working with!
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Providing excellent service.
It’s a very simple formula – provide an excellent service to EVERY client. I do not differentiate between a “big” client and a “small” client. All our Clients are part of our family of Clients. I, and my team, strive to provide an excellent service from Consultation to Resolution.
Contact Info:
- Website: Tremblaybecklaw.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katharine-tremblay-beck-26331419/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/tremblay-beck-law-san-diego?osq=Tremblay+Beck+Law
Image Credits
Mike&Jenn Photography