Dettmann a ‘rare talent’

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Cathleen Dettmann has long had an interest in law, politics and debating issues, an interest that her father encouraged her to explore when she was a child.

“By the time I was a teenager, of course I thought I had already figured out the answers to the world’s thorniest problems and I hadn’t even moved out of the house yet,” she said. “Although dad and I don’t always agree on the issues, we’ve had a lot of great ‘discussions’ over the years. I think my desire to become a lawyer was a natural extension of that early encouragement.”

Dettmann specializes in business litigation, including franchise disputes, copyright and trade issues, non-compete and trade secret litigation, and general contract disputes. She said she enjoys working with clients on “creative yet practical” solutions to complex problems.

“Litigation brings the additional challenge of combining strategic, long-term, analytical thinking with the need to be quick on your feet during oral argument or a trial,” she said. “Because my practice involves both litigation and transactional work, I often get the satisfaction of helping my clients build their businesses when times are good while also being there to guide them through the dispute resolution process if things go wrong. Suffice to say that it’s rarely boring and frequently quite rewarding.”

Managing Partner Kevin Palmersheim described Dettman as a “rare talent” who can negotiate phone calls with difficult attorneys, meetings with mom-and-pop business owners and other demands on her time, “and do so with a balance of sincerity, professionalism and a fantastic sense of humor.”

When Dettmann was a part-time legal assistant during college, Palmersheim told her that she would make a “really good attorney.”

“When she finally decided to go to law school and later started practicing, I quickly realized that ‘really good’ was an understatement. She is an outstanding attorney and a fantastic teammate when our clients’ cases go to trial,” Palmersheim said. “One of the added benefits of having Cathleen as a law partner is knowing I’ll never have to try a case against her.”

Dettman said she has had several opportunities to be part of and to lead teams in trying cases in both state and federal courts, including leading an all-female trial team to a successful jury verdict in a theft of corporate opportunity case. In the last 18 months alone she has tried and won three jury trials.