Biography
Katherine A. Sandoval is an insurance litigation attorney and managing partner of our California office. Katherine received her undergraduate degree from Occidental College and her law degree from Whittier Law School where she graduated 8th in her class and served as Executive Editor of the Whittier Journal of Child & Family Advocacy.
Katherine’s practice focuses on insurance litigation, especially nationwide insurance subrogation involving workers’ compensation, automobile, health insurance and ERISA, property and casualty, premises liability, UM/UIM litigation, insurance coverage, civil litigation, business litigation, and contract interpretation.
Prior to joining MWL, she was the supervising attorney at a Santa Ana, California law firm and her aggressive litigation style and dedication underscores the truism that “The power of the lawyer is in the uncertainty of the law.” She puts her experience and the expertise of MWL to work in helping clients maximize their subrogation recoveries.
Katherine spends her spare time with her family, which consists of her husband John, two sons, Dominic and Adrian, and two dogs Richie (mini goldendoodle) and Rosco (mutt). She currently lives in Mission Viejo, enjoys family hikes, frequently visiting local children’s museums and zoos. Katherine is also fascinated with World War II history, and her favorite Winston Churchill quotes are: “Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival” and “Give us the tools and we will finish the job.”
Education
- Whittier Law School, Costa Mesa, California, J.D., May 2014
- Summa Cum Laude, Top 5%
- Deans List/Honor Roll
- Whittier Law Journal of Child & Family Advocacy, Executive Editor
- Occidental College, Los Angeles, California, Bachelor of Arts, History, May 2008
- Emphasis: European History, World War II
- Scholarship Merit Award for Occidental College, 2004-2008
Bar Admissions
California, 2015
- U.S. District Court Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of California
- U.S. District Court Central District of California
- U.S. District Court Southern District of California
- U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit
Memberships
- National Association of Subrogation Professionals (NASP)
- Claims Litigation Management (CLM), Member
- Inland and Marine Underwriters Association (IMUA), Associate Member
- California Self-Insurers Association
- Claims Education Panel, Service Provider
- American Bar Association
- Orange County Bar Association
- Hispanic Bar Association of Orange County
Published Articles
- NFPA 921 Standards Have Changed: What Every Claims Adjuster Should Know – Claims Pages, October 1, 2021.
- The Unresolved Pitfalls of Employer Negligence In a California Workers’ Comp Subrogation Case –Claims Pages, June 1, 2021.
Speaking Engagements
- California Workers’ Compensation Subrogation: The Nuts and Bolts – November 9, 2023 – Seminar presented at the WCR Conference in Carlsbad, California.
- The Subrogation Industry And You! – November 7, 2023 – On panel at General Session and Keynote Presentation at the 2023 Annual NASP Conference in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
- Subrogation, Debt Collection, and Consumer Protection – August 30, 2023 – MWL webinar presented to public.
- California Med Pay Reimbursement – February 1, 2023 – MWL webinar presented to public.
- Best Practices for Fire Investigations and Property Subrogation – January 18, 2023 – Seminar presented with Envista Forensics (Andrew Bennett).
- Environmental Activism Suits: It’s Not Just About Cleaning Up Anymore – April 24, 2022 – Seminar presented at the Claims Litigation Management Annual Conference in Palm Desert, California.
- Subrogating California Wildfire Claims – February 10, 2022 – MWL webinar presented to public.
- Fire Effects and Fire Pattern: Impacts in a Subrogation Investigation – August 13, 2021 – Co-Presenter at the CLM Annual Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Advanced Concepts of California Workers’ Compensation Subrogation – May 11, 2021 – MWL webinar presented to the public (353 Attendees).
- Introduction to California Workers’ Compensation Subrogation – April 14, 2021 – MWL webinar presented to public (486 Attendees).
- Breach of Contract Subrogation & Related Issues – A Case Study – November 16, 2020 – Webinar presented at the 2020 NASP Annual Conference, scheduled to be in San Diego, California, but ended up being a virtual event.
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California Automobile Subrogation: The Nuts and Bolts – November 5, 2020 – MWL webinar presented to the public (421 Attendees).
Areas of Practice
Admiralty, Maritime, and Jones Act Arbitration (Arb Forums, Auto, Property, Special, No-Fault, NY PIP) Automobile Collision, Med Pay and PIP Aviation Crashes Complex and Large Loss Property Construction Defect and Warranty Claims Defense Litigation ERISA Benefits Litigation ERISA, Medicare Advantage, and Health Insurance Subrogation Explosion Cases Federal Tort Claims Act Fire & Casualty Large Loss Property Subrogation Fleet and Dealership Losses Garagekeepers, Garage Coverage, Loaner Vehicle, and Test Driver Health Insurance Lien Filings in Workers’ Compensation Claims Hospital and Healthcare Provider Lien Filing Inland and Ocean Marine Insurance Contribution and Equitable Indemnity Insurance Coverage Landlord/Tenant Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation MCS-90 Natural Disaster, Flood, and Wildfire Subrogation No-Fault Priority of Payment Occupational Accident Plans Premises Liability Product Liability and Product Recall SR-22 Claims State, County, and Municipal Government Liability Structural Collapses and Failures Trucking and Downtime Claims Uninsured Motorist / Underinsured Motorist Workers’ Compensation SubrogationRecent Posts
- SUBROGATING FLOOD LOSSES: Flood Victims File Kentucky Class Action
- Wildfire Subrogation In California Is A Hot Topic
- NFPA 921 Standards Have Changed: What Every Claims Adjuster Should Know
- Beware Of Little-Known Workers’ Compensation Lien Waiver Trap In Oregon
- Avoid Standing In The California Intervention Line