Katharine Habibian

About

Hi, I’m Katharine, a commercial lawyer for emerging companies in NYC. I built Habibian Law PLLC so founders can work with a lawyer who thinks and acts like a co-founder. I know how these companies get built and what's at stake when something goes wrong. My background is in technology as much as law. I studied Robotics and the Law at the University of Edinburgh, earned a four-year LL.B. in Law and International Relations, and founded LawTech, the law school's first law and technology society. I worked at a robotics company founded by the Dyson School of Engineering in London, on the legal and contractual questions that come up while a product is still being built. Later I earned an LL.M. from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in NYC, focused on Federal Courts and Trial Advocacy, then worked on New York litigation and trial teams. Being a litigator changes how I work. I draft and negotiate a contract the way someone who might have to defend it in court does. That's a different instinct from writing one that only has to look right on signing day. My goal is to keep you out of a courtroom. If you end up in one anyway, you already have a litigator who knows your company. I sit on three New York State Bar Association committees, including the Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies Committee, the Technology Committee, and the CLE Committee. I'm also a member of The Sedona Conference where I work in a brainstorming group on AI. Admissions Admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, and the courts of the State of New York.

Practice Areas

Featured Clients

Good2bSocial

Services

• Commercial Contract Review

  One commercial contract (up to 25 pages) reviewed or drafted from scratch with written analysis and a redline markup. Includes one round of revisions integrating comments. A second revision is available for $750. Typical matters: SaaS and AI/ML service agreements, statement of work (SOW), shareholder agreements, NDAs, MSAs, vendor and customer contracts, data licensing agreements, investor documents, founder and employment agreements. Documents over 25 pages quoted separately.
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• Trade Secret Program Review & Strategy

  A written assessment of your company's trade secret program plus a strategy memo. Reviews access controls, labeling and handling procedures, employee and contractor agreements, off boarding protocols, and documentation practices. Delivers prioritized recommendations to strengthen the "reasonable measures" requirement under New York common law and the federal Defend Trade Secrets Act.
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• Fractional General Counsel

  For founders who need a lawyer on call with a co-founder mindset.
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"We hired Katharine to review a contract, and were very pleased with the experience. She was thorough and detail-oriented, catching several issues critical to our business. The turn around was swift without sacrificing quality. What I appreciated most was how clearly she explained the complex legal language so I actually understood what I was signing. Communication throughout was easy and responsive, and for the level of expertise I received, the value was excellent."

Education

• University of Edinburgh School of Law
  LL.B. Law with International Relations • 2019
• Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
  LL.M. • 2022