Cathleen M. Devlin is a Litigation Partner at Saul Ewing LLP, in the Firm’s Philadelphia and Chesterbrook, PA offices. She serves as Chair of the Firm’s Litigation Department, a role in which she guides the Department’s strategic focus and initiatives, manages its daily operations, and oversees nearly 200 litigators across the Firm’s 18 offices. She is the first woman to serve in this role at the Firm.
Cathleen is a seasoned trial lawyer and negotiator, with over 25 years of experience handling complex commercial contract and business tort matters, defense of class actions, and environmental disputes nationwide. On the environmental front, Cathleen has litigated and tried environmental cases for corporate clients identified as potentially responsible parties (PRPs) at former industrial facilities, smelter sites and landfill sites. Her work on these matters involves coordination with experts and federal and state environmental agencies, as well as active participation on PRP committees at various stages of threatened and pending enforcement and cost recovery actions. Her experience also includes litigating corporate successor liability and alter ego liability issues, contractual indemnification claims and equitable allocation of cleanup costs. Cathleen also counsels clients in navigating investigations and audits arising from federal and state government inquiries outside the environmental context. Favorable outcomes that she has achieved for her clients have come by way of successful motions, trial judgments, appeals, arbitration awards and negotiated settlements.
Cathleen is an avid golfer, and enjoys counseling golf industry clients and golf club pros on golf course safety risks and neighboring property owner disputes. Cathleen is also passionate about supporting mixed-breed dog rescue and adoption organizations. She is committed to serving the legal profession through active participation in the leadership of the ABA Litigation Section and as a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel.
Ms. Devlin received her law degree from Villanova Law School, cum laude, and her undergraduate degree in Behavioral Science from Drew University, summa cum laude. She is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and before the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Third, Tenth and Federal Circuits, the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of Pennsylvania, and the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.
Updated Oct 2023
