Kathryn Sobotta

Associate

Katie focuses her practice on the international ocean transportation industry. She regularly represents clients before the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) in connection with regulatory requirements, adjudicatory proceedings, and fact-finding investigations. She also has experience representing clients in non-FMC maritime litigation and in alternative dispute resolution, such as arbitration before the American Arbitration Association.

Katie has experience drafting vessel sharing agreements, space charter agreements, and other cooperative working agreements between ocean carriers as well as advising clients on a wide range of regulatory matters before the FMC. Katie also has a range of transactional experience, including assisting with vessel sale and purchase transactions, vessel charter agreements, and private equity investments in shipping.

She brings to the table valuable insight gained from prior service as both a legislative affairs extern and a law clerk for the Wounded Warrior Project, and from service as a congressional relations intern for the General Accountability Office. Her approach to legal practice is also influenced by the business-mindedness she gained while working for three years for General Electric, where she held a supervisory role, completed a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification, and ran projects that saved the business tens of millions of dollars.

Katie joined Cozen O’Connor as an associate after working as a law clerk for the firm’s Transportation and Trade group. Before attending law school, she served in the U.S. Army for more than five years, attaining the rank of Captain. Her service included combat deployments to Eastern Afghanistan with the 101st Airborne Division in 2013 and to Northern Iraq in 2010 with the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade. She also led soldiers on a two-month consequence management mission in Japan following the 2011 earthquake.

Experience

Publications

U.S. Airlines, Aviation Contractors to Receive Additional $15 Billion Under American Rescue Plan Act [Alert]

March 15, 2021

Rachel Welford and Katie Sobotta discuss the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 that provides much-needed relief to airlines for the continuation of employee wages, salaries, and benefits.

MARAD Updates Title XI Program with Streamlined Process [Alert]

February 18, 2021

Jeff Vogel and Kathryn Sobotta discuss MARAD's simplified and streamlined loan process available to certain borrowers with strong financial track records and willingness to agree to MARAD’s preferred lending terms.

CDC Requires COVID-19 Testing of International Passenger Arrivals in the United States [Alert]

January 15, 2021

Rachel Welford and Kathryn Sobotta discuss the CDC's new notice and order requiring pre-departure negative COVID-19 tests from all U.S.-bound passengers traveling by aircraft from any foreign country.

Happy Cybersecurity Awareness Month: OFAC and FinCEN Issue New Advisories on Ransomware Payments [Alert]

October 08, 2020

Don Kassilke and Katie Sobotta discuss the two new advisories from OFAC and FinCEN on ransomware attacks.

CFIUS Finalizes New Mandatory Filing Rule for Critical Technologies [Alert]

September 18, 2020

Bob Magovern and Katie Sobotta discuss the U.S. Department of the Treasury's final rule that alters and expands the scope of foreign investments involving critical technologies that are subject to mandatory review by CFIUS.

Congress Takes First Step Toward FMC Advisory Committee [Alert]

May 26, 2020

Wayne Rohde discusses the Federal Maritime Commission National Shipper Advisory Committee Act of 2019 and the establishment of an advisory committee to the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) for policy matters relating to the competitiveness, reliability, integrity, and fairness of the international ocean freight delivery system.

OFAC Publishes Fact Sheet on Humanitarian Assistance to Sanctioned Countries [Alert]

April 20, 2020

Don Kassilke, Wayne Rohde, and Kathryn Sobotta discuss OFAC's recently release Fact Sheet detailing regulatory requirements relevant to export humanitarian goods to sanctioned countries such as Iran, Venezuela, North Korea, Syria, Cuba, Ukraine, and Russia.

Events & Seminars

Past Events

Education

  • Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., 2020
  • United States Military Academy, B.S., 2009

Awards & Honors

Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll, 2023

  • District of Columbia