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Katie D. Bell

Partner

Phone: 225.389.3760
Fax: 225.215.4161

katie.bell@keanmiller.com
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Katie Bell is skilled in representing businesses faced with single and multi-plaintiff claims involving catastrophic accidents, toxic torts, mass torts, class actions, and multi-district litigation (MDLs). She aggressively defends her clients in state and federal court disputes involving personal injury, product liability, environmental claims, and business and commercial issues and litigation. She brings a track record of favorable outcomes to high-value product liability, emergency and incident response, wetlands loss, business and contract, and municipal law litigation.

Katie’s goal is to develop defense strategies that succeed across the life cycle of the litigation claim. She focuses on the letter of law and facts – never short-term thinking or emotion. Katie thrives in the face of adversity and in dealing with even the most forceful opposing counsel. She consistently rises to the occasion by devising novel arguments that offer the best chance of realizing her client’s end-game objectives. She is known for her deliberate, practical, and effective defense strategies. Katie consistently provides smart, sensible guidance on legal and procedural issues and a complete understanding of combatting the relevant business and substantive legal challenges associated with difficult and/or protracted litigation.

Katie also understands how litigation, particularly mass and class actions, can result in an attack on her client’s reputation, brand quality, goodwill, and product identity across their specific industry and marketplace. Katie remains determined to bring early-on solutions to potentially high-stakes lawsuits. To make the plaintiffs' case less appealing from a risk and reward standpoint, Katie is also creative in identifying legal theory that removes or mitigates the value of the plaintiffs’ claim.

Notably, Katie practices at every level of trial advocacy, including opening and closing statements, cross-examination of witnesses, and summary judgment and evidentiary hearings – both pre-trial and during trial. She also prepares pre-trial mock jury presentations and has represented some of the firm’s largest clients in high-stakes trials and mediations. 

In addition, Katie is among the firm’s most effective e-discovery advisors. She guides clients through large-scale electronic discovery and advises on e-discovery compliance, electronically stored information (ESI), electronic information management, and retention and destruction policies and procedures.

Representative Experience
  • Serves as National Counsel for a Fortune 50, advanced technology products corporation handling all of its U.S. product and manufacturing liability claims
  • Serving as trial counsel for a major, well-known, global energy corporation involving more than 30 personal injury claims at a chemical plant
  • Successfully defended a major, well-known advanced-technology products company in a product liability claim valued at $10+ million
  • Served as trial counsel in defending high-profile, multiple-plaintiff lawsuits arising out of an explosion and fire at a major Louisiana chemical manufacturing facility; assisted the client with official notifications, evidence preservation, incident investigation, interaction with state and federal regulatory authorities, litigation management, and complex mass joinder and personal injury trial defense in multiple venues, including taking several cases to verdict
  • Representation of a chemical manufacturing facility in business litigation involving breach of contract and an indemnity claim for lost business value and business interruption
  • Representation of a service provider in business litigation involving alleged breach of contract and other obligations
  • Representation of a supplier, as Louisiana counsel, in connection with a civil antitrust action
  • Served as trial counsel for a municipality involved in a high-speed police pursuit and wrongful death action
  • Representation of an international road safety technology company in litigation involving photo-enforcement technology and programs
  • Representation of a paint manufacturer in a construction dispute involving a new manufacturing facility
  • Representation of the manufacturer of large earth-moving machines in defense of claims of defective design and misrepresentation
  • Representation of a casino in a personal injury claim alleging liability for third-party criminal conduct
  • Representation of a municipal planning commission in a multi-million dollar land-use dispute with a real estate developer
  • Representation of a former mayor in a claim alleging violations of the 13th Amendment and the Fair Labor Standards Act in the U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
  • Representation of a landowner in a pipeline servitude dispute
Education

  • LSU Law Center, J.D./B.C.L
    • Member, Order of the Coif
    • Vice President, Phi Alpha Delta
  • Louisiana State University, B.A., magna cum laude
    • Member, Kappa Delta, LSU Chapter

Admissions
  • Louisiana
  • Texas
  • United States District Courts for the Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of Louisiana
  • United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
Memberships
  • Member, American Bar Association
  • Member, Baton Rouge Bar Association
  • Member, Federal Bar Association
  • Member, Louisiana State Bar Association
  • Member, Propane Gas Defense Association
  • Invited Member, Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel
Articles, Publications and Presentations
  • Industry Litigation Trends to Note: Effective Personal Injury Tactics and How to Protect Against Them, In-house Client Seminar, December 6, 2023
  • Emergency Response: Protocol, Processes, Pitfalls, and Pointers, Association of Corporate Counsel Energy Network Legal Update, April 19, 2023
  • Lean in or step back: How to choose what works for you, Baton Rouge Business Report, January 3, 2020
  • Understanding the Risks and Benefits of Social Media, Association of Corporate Counsel, LA Chapter CLE, August 2013
  • E-what? Understanding the Basics of E-Discovery, LSU Law Center, January 2013
  • Professionalism and Social Media, Louisiana City Attorneys Association, 2012 Fall Conference
  • Ethics and the Attorney-Client Privilege for City Attorneys, Louisiana City Attorneys Association, 2012 Spring Conference
  • Hollywood Squares Ethics, Louisiana City Attorneys Association, 2011 Fall Conference
  • Don't be in Jeopardy - Know Your Ethics Rules, Louisiana City Attorneys Association, 2010 Fall Conference
  • Recent Developments in E-Discovery in Louisiana, Louisiana Law Blog, October 2010
  • The Limits on E-Discovery, Around the Bar, Baton Rouge Bar Association, October 2009
  • Don't be in Jeopardy - Know Your Civil Procedure Rules, Louisiana City Attorneys Association, 2009 Fall Conference
  • Evidence Tips for Public Interest Lawyers Focusing on Electronically Stored Information Discovery and Admissibility, 2009 CLE Presentation
  • E-discovery, Louisiana City Attorneys Association, 2008 Fall Conference
  • Electronic Claims Discovery, Louisiana Claims Association, 2008 Educational Convention & Expo
  • Recent Developments in Louisiana Tort Law, Louisiana City Attorneys Association, 2007 Fall Conference
Community Service
  • Parishioner, Aloysius Parrish
  • Past Teacher, Junior Achievement Teaching Program, Glen Oaks Middle School
  • Past Kean Miller Captain, Alzheimer's Walk
  • Past Member, Advisory Board, Brave Heart - Children in Need
Reported Cases
  • Frazier v. Pioneer Americas, LLC, 455 F.3d 542 (5th Cir. 2006)
  • Williams v. Henegan, 595 F.3d 610 (5th Cir. 2010)