Kathleen Massey Inducted as a Member of the Academy of Court Appointed Masters
May 09, 2019
Kathleen Massey, Managing Partner of Dechert’s New York office, has been inducted as a member of the Academy of Court Appointed Masters. She currently serves as a special master appointed by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in Peterson v. Islamic Republic of Iran and related cases involving the compensation of victims of Iranian-sponsored terrorism and their families. Her mandate has been to resolve numerous disputes concerning distributions from a qualified settlement fund originally funded with approximately US$2 billion and to expedite long-awaited payments to the beneficiaries of the fund.
In this role, Ms. Massey has handled disputes involving hundreds of millions of dollars about disclosure, attorneys’ fees, advances by financing companies and other issues. Her years of experience with complex civil litigation matters, including class actions, multi-district litigation and government enforcement actions, allow her to navigate the most complicated and heated of disputes, narrowing the scope of issues through mediation when possible, and resolving the remaining disputed issues in an efficient and timely manner.
The Academy of Court Appointed Masters began in 2004 as the only national organization dedicated to promoting the effective use of masters in federal and state court cases when needed to assist the courts, parties and their lawyers. There are 136 ACAM members nationwide, all of whom are very experienced and highly esteemed special masters.
In addition to serving as a special master, Ms. Massey focuses on high-profile securities and commercial litigation matters involving allegations of fraud, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and related wrongdoing. She also teaches a litigation strategy course as a Lecturer in Law at Columbia Law School, and is a member of the panel of attorneys appointed to advise and assist the Grievance Committee of the Southern District of New York.
About Dechert
Dechert is a leading global law firm with 26 offices around the world. We advise on matters and transactions of the greatest complexity, bringing energy, creativity and efficient management of legal issues to deliver commercial and practical advice for clients.
