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Catherine A. Karczmarczyk

Associate

Catherine "Catie" Karczmarczyk advises developers, housing providers, architects, employers, and businesses on accessibility, fair housing, employment, and litigation matters. She partners with clients to navigate complex legal and regulatory requirements, manage risk, and develop practical solutions that support their operational and business objectives.

Overview


  • George Washington University Law School, J.D., 2014, with honors
  • University of Tennessee, B.A., 2010, summa cum laude
  • Tennessee, 2014
  • Virginia, 2015
  • North Carolina, 2025
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit

A significant portion of Catie's practice is devoted to the defense and preventive representation of clients in accessibility, fair housing, and related compliance matters. She advises developers, architects, housing providers, property owners, employers, and businesses regarding compliance with the Fair Housing Act (FHA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), state and local accessibility requirements, and building code accessibility standards governing the design and construction of multifamily housing and other facilities. Her practice includes Fair Housing Act design and construction litigation, accessibility-related administrative proceedings, ADA website accessibility disputes, and counseling regarding compliance, remediation, and risk management strategies.

Catie conducts accessibility plan reviews of construction drawings and development plans, identifying potential compliance concerns during the design process and helping clients avoid costly remediation, litigation, and enforcement actions. She is certified by the International Code Council (ICC) as an Accessibility Inspector/Plans Examiner. She further counsels clients regarding fair housing compliance, disability accommodation obligations, accessibility policies and procedures, and digital accessibility requirements.

In addition to her accessibility and fair housing practice, Catie serves as a trusted advisor to employers, human resources professionals, and business leaders on a broad range of workplace issues. She regularly counsels clients regarding employee relations matters, workplace investigations, performance management, disciplinary actions, terminations, workforce restructuring, reasonable accommodations, leave administration, employment policies, restrictive covenant agreements, and multistate employment law compliance. She has substantial experience conducting sensitive workplace investigations involving allegations of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, employee misconduct, ethics concerns, and whistleblower complaints.

Catie represents clients in consultation, conciliation, administrative proceedings, litigation, and appeals. Her experience includes matters arising under the FHA, ADA, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and related state laws. She has represented clients before federal and state courts and administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), and state agencies.

Whether advising on a development project, responding to an agency investigation, conducting a workplace investigation, or defending litigation, Catie focuses on delivering practical, strategic guidance that helps clients achieve their compliance objectives while managing legal and operational risk.

  • Represented a housing owner and developer in Fair Housing Act design and construction litigation, coordinating accessibility assessments, challenging proposed remediation measures, and obtaining a favorable resolution.

  • Conducted accessibility plan reviews of residential developments, including student housing projects for a major Georgia university, identifying accessibility compliance concerns during the design phase and helping project teams address potential issues before construction.

  • Successfully defended housing providers in administrative complaints involving emotional support animals and disability-related accommodation requests, obtaining no-cause determinations and dismissal of the claims.

  • Regularly represents a large health care organization in EEOC proceedings involving allegations of discrimination, retaliation, harassment, disability accommodation, and leave-related claims.

  • Led a high-profile workplace investigation involving allegations of discrimination and sexual harassment, identifying and interviewing key witnesses, evaluating sensitive allegations, preparing a comprehensive written report for leadership, and advising decision-makers regarding appropriate legal and operational responses.

  • Advised leadership through a year-long reduction-in-force (RIF) involving employees across four states, developing the overall RIF strategy, preparing related employment documents, assessing legal risk, and guiding implementation to support the employer's business objectives while minimizing exposure.

  • Assumed responsibility for a high-profile business dispute on an expedited basis, preparing for and defending a temporary injunction hearing within two weeks and positioning the matter for a favorable business resolution.

  • Served as trial counsel in a three-week jury trial on behalf of a national retailer, managing a complex defense that involved more than 20 expert and health care professional witnesses and ultimately obtaining a complete defense verdict in a case involving more than $40 million in claimed exposure.

  • Listed in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America for Labor and Employment Law – Management (2026)
  • Certified Accessibility Inspector/Plans Examiner by the International Code Counsel
  • Member – Society for Human Resource Management
  • Secretary and Board Member – United Way of East Tennessee Highlands
  • Member – Bravissima! Women Sponsoring the Arts
  • Selected to The Business Journal of Tri-Cities Tennessee, 40 Under Forty (2025)
  • "Neurodiversity in the Workplace: Legal Considerations and Business Strategies," 27th Annual Urgent Legal Issues for the Modern Business (April 2025)

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