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Katherine  D'aunno-Buchanan Photo
Katherine D'aunno-Buchanan
Attorney
  • Bio
  • Admissions & Education

Katherine D'aunno-Buchanan

Attorney

Kate is a dedicated attorney with a 28-year career, specializing in Plaintiff’s injury law and mass torts. Her extensive experience is a testament to her commitment to justice and her well-established expertise in navigating complex legal landscapes. With a remarkable ability to forge strong and trustworthy client relationships, she possesses a unique skill set that enables her to administer, prosecute and successfully resolve cases.

Originally from White Plains, New York, she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and English Literature in 1988 from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, where she was a Presidential Scholar.  In 1994 she received her Juris Doctorate from South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas.  Upon graduation, she joined the O’Quinn, Kerensky, McAninch & Laminack law firm as a member of the Mass Tort team in their vanguard litigation against the makers of breast implants.

In 1999, Kate joined the Williams Bailey Law Firm, representing workers injured in refinery explosions, including the Phillips Petroleum Houston Chemical Complex explosion in 2000 and the BP Texas City Refinery disaster in 2005, securing millions in damages for her clients.  She also proudly represented members of several unions throughout Texas in labor arbitrations and worker’s compensation claims.  Kate also represented clients against the manufacturers of Phen-Fen and Vioxx.

In addition to her advocacy, Kate’s commitment to justice led her to serve as an Administrative Law Judge from 2007-2012, presiding over hundreds of bench trials involving injured workers.

Kate is a former member of the Texas Bar College and was board certified in Workers’ Compensation Law from 2004-2012. Kate also served on the Texas Board of Legal Specialization Workers’ Compensation Certification Approval Committee.

In 2020, she brought her extensive experience to Hilliard Law, where she continues to represent clients nationwide in high-profile mass tort cases, reaffirming her dedication to seeking justice for those who have suffered serious injuries.

In her current role as Senior Mass Tort Attorney at Hilliard Law, Kate has been instrumental in managing complex dockets involving significant client numbers. Her expertise spans cases involving Zantac, Exactech, and ParaGard, skillfully overseeing a staggering 16,000 open files in the Zantac docket alone in 2020 and presently tending to 3,500 clients in MDL and state courts.

Admissions & Education

Bar & Court Admissions:

  • State Bar of Texas, 1994
  • United States District Court, Southern District of Texas

Education:

  • Juris Doctorate South Texas College of Law
    Houston, TX 1994
  • B.A., Political Science & English Literature, Presidential Scholar Southern Methodist University
    Dallas, TX 1988

Real Results ReaL Justice

  • Record-Setting
    $575
    Million Settlement*
    Wrongful Death

    Hilliard Law attorneys represented numerous injury victims and the families of those killed in accidents caused by GM’s defective ignition switch and their concealment of safety defects.

  • $310
    Million Verdict
    Wrongful Death

    Hilliard Law attorneys secured a $310 million verdict against “Funtime” Handelsgesellschaft M.G.H., the manufacturer of the defective Orlando FreeFall attraction at ICON Park, for the family of Tyre Sampson.

  • $50
    Million Settlement*
    Class Action

    Mr. Hilliard was the lead class counsel in Haese v. H&R Block, a class action lawsuit involving every Texan who received a rapid refund from H&R Block (approx. 300,000 plaintiffs). He assisted other class counsel in forcing H&R Block to disclose it received kickbacks for arranging loans between its tax preparation clients and predatory lenders.

  • $50
    Million Settlement
    Wrongful Death

    In September 2021, Hilliard Law attorneys secured a $50 Million settlement for the family of a man who died in a commercial trucking accident.

  • $33
    Million Verdict
    Traumatic Brain Injury

    The Hilliard Law trial team won a $33M product liability case against a golf-car company, involving a golf cart that tipped over on a child causing a severe traumatic brain injury.

  • $33
    Million Award
    Work Injury

    With the representation of Hilliard Law, two delivery drivers who were shot while completing a delivery were awarded $33 million through an arbitration panel.

REAL CLIENtS.
REAL STORIES.
REAL JUSTICE.
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