Katherine M. Imp

Associate

312.645.8439
312.645.7711 (fax)
kimp@smsm.com
233 S. Wacker Drive, Suite 5500
Chicago, IL 60606
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Katherine Imp defends product manufacturers against products liability and premises liability claims arising from occupational exposures to toxic and hazardous substances. She particularly focuses on asbestos and benzene-related matters. Ms. Imp works on both National Coordinating Counsel and local counsel teams and, in this capacity, has conducted more than 100 fact witness depositions and answered more than 75 complaints.

During law school, Ms. Imp was the associate editor of the Illinois Law Review and president of the Women's Law Society. She also clerked for Judge Arnold Blockman, Champaign County Circuit Court, in Urbana, Illinois.

Ms. Imp is also growing Segal McCambridge's corporate practice with concentrations in small business formation, contract negotiation/disputes, and entertainment law. Her involvement in this area stems from her experience as a filmmaker and participant in the Chicago arts community. In 2010, Ms. Imp completed law school a semester early to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail (2,178.3 miles) from Georgia to Maine and, at the same time, direct, produce, and star in a documentary film about the journey. The film, Beauty Beneath the Dirt, was a culmination of Ms. Imp's passions and background in filmmaking, outdoor adventure, entrepreneurship, and leadership. She managed all aspects of the film's development, secured sponsorship from 15 well-known food and outdoor clothing suppliers, launched a 50-venue national film tour, and obtained digital and television distribution. The film received critical acclaim and media coverage from numerous outlets, including the Philadelphia Inquirer, Courier Post, Chicago Tribune, and two articles in The Chicago Daily Law Bulletin.

Ms. Imp currently serves as the Chicago representative on Segal McCambridge's Associates Committee and on the firm's Recruitment Committee. She dedicates time as a pro bono attorney in guardianship matters and foreclosure mediations. Ms. Imp is also a member of Lawyers for the Creative Arts, where she counsels filmmakers in transactional and litigation matters. Prior to law school, Ms. Imp worked as a wilderness instructor for Outward Bound, leading 30-day canoeing trips for at-risk youth. 

EDUCATION

University of Maryland-College Park, B.A. (Criminology & Criminal Justice), 2006, summa cum laude
University of London-Birkbeck, Study Abroad, 2005
University of Illinois College of Law, J.D., 2010, cum laude

BAR ADMISSIONS

Illinois, 2010

SPEECHES AND PUBLICATIONS

Author

Speaker

  • "Entrepreneurship 101: How-To Transform Your Idea into a Profitable Business," Ivy Tech Community College, Fort Wayne, IN (March 6, 2013).
  • "How to be a Ringleader: Leadership in 6 Essential Steps," University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, IL (October 18, 2012).
  • "CLE Presentation: Fundamentals of Effective Writing," Segal McCambridge, Chicago, IL (July 20, 2009).

PROFESSIONAL AND CIVIC INVOLVEMENT

American Bar Association
Chicago Bar Association
Chicago Volunteer Legal Services
Lawyers for the Creative Arts, Associates Board
Women in Film Chicago
Midwest Independent Film Festival

OTHER HONORS

University of Illinois Law Review, Associate Editor, 2008-09
Women's Law Society, President, 2008-09
Gemstone Program (top 2% of incoming UMD students), Alumna, 2003-06
University of Maryland President's Scholarship, Recipient

Practice Areas

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