Katie Heilman

Partner
Katie is a trusted advisor and litigator for clients in the health care, agriculture, and fashion & retail industries.
Katie Heilman, Associate, Washington, DC at Arent Fox

Katie is an experienced litigator who has litigated complex cases in state and federal courts across the country as well as in arbitration proceedings. She has handled all aspects of litigation, including pre-litigation counseling and strategy, discovery, motion practice, oral arguments, trials, and appeals. 

Katie’s practice spans various industries, with a particular emphasis on health care litigation. Katie is part of the firm’s nationally recognized ERISA and Managed Care Litigation team, in which she represents health care providers in disputes with commercial payers.

In addition to her health care practice, Katie represents clients in the agricultural industry. Katie advises and litigates on behalf of developers and industry trade associations in defense of regulatory approvals of innovative agricultural products. Katie also participates in rulemaking and subsequent litigation relevant to key federal regulations in the AgTech space.

Katie also represents clients in the fashion & retail industry in intellectual property and business disputes.

Client Work

A sampling of Katie’s client work includes:

Health Care

  • Obtaining significant victories and favorable settlements for health care provider clients in disputes with commercial health plans and insurers, including multiple summary judgment rulings against MultiPlan.
  • Defeating motions for summary judgment and motions to dismiss health care provider claims on ERISA preemption grounds.
  • Providing advice and counseling to health care provider clients on matters involving ERISA, the ACA, COBRA, the FEHBA, the No Surprises Act, the Medicare Secondary Payer Act, and various state laws.

Agricultural Technology

  • Representing developers and industry trade associations in challenges to regulatory approvals of crop protection products and products of biotechnology (various federal District and Circuit courts).
  • Representing an industry trade association and agricultural grower groups in challenges to EPA’s framework for the regulation of treated seeds.
  • Serving as outside counsel to an industry consortium of developers of plant-incorporated protectants.
  • Advising crop protection developers on and litigating data use and compensation disputes under FIFRA.

Previous Work

After graduating from law school, Katie served as a law clerk to the Honorable Beth P. Gesner of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. Before joining the legal profession, Katie worked for a Member of Congress.

Publications & Recognitions

Katie was recognized as a Key Lawyer in ERISA Litigation by Legal 500 US in 2024 and in the 2021-2025 editions of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in both Health Care Law and Environmental Litigation.

In 2020, Katie received the Albert E. Arent Pro Bono Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Public Interest for her pro bono work.

During law school, Katie was a staff member of the American University Law Review and wrote the comment, “Contemplating ‘Cruel and Unusual’: A Critical Analysis of Baze v. Rees in the Context of the Supreme Court’s Eighth Amendment ‘Proportionality’ Jurisprudence,” 58 Am. U. L. Rev. 633 (2009).

Perspectives