Kate is a co-Founder and Director and has been named as C2LI’s first CEO. She began her role with C2LI alongside its Founders and Co-Directors at its inception and has contributed to the development of the Initiative from its beginning. As a licensed attorney in the USA, with over 15 years of practical experience across a variety of legal practice areas including criminal law, corporate responsibility, mediation and social justice issues. Kate holds a PhD from the University of Strathclyde where her research focused on climate change litigation with a particular emphasis on ocean-related climate impacts. Kate is fluent in German and English (mother tongues), and continues to expand her capacity in Spanish, Italian and French. In addition to her work with C2LI, Kate collaborates with multiple research and policy institutions and academic journals. She holds an LLM in Global Environmental Law and Governance, a Juris Doctor with a concentration in Environmental Law and a Bachelor of Music in Classical Voice Performance.