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Kathleen M. Mahan

PartnerManchester

Kathleen Mahan is a Partner at Hinckley Allen and a business litigator known for her success as an advisor and advocate for her clients. She counsels both plaintiffs and defendants, representing them in complex business matters involving organizational restructuring and corporate governance, non-compete conflicts, contracting, trade secret protections, and protracted property disputes. Kate’s knowledge, influence, and powers of persuasion help clients avoid dire circumstances and, in some cases, costly legal ramifications. She is considered a leader in a wide range of intellectual property matters and was a key attorney in one of New Hampshire’s precedent-setting trade secret cases.

Augmenting her extensive business litigation practice, Kate also represents physicians and other licensed professionals in proceedings before administrative agencies and licensing boards, including the New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC).

Kate regularly handles appeals before the New Hampshire Supreme Court. In addition to her practice in the New Hampshire Business and Commercial Dispute Court, Kate represents clients in all New Hampshire and Massachusetts state courts, as well as in arbitration proceedings. She also represents clients in the United States District Court of New Hampshire, the United States District Court of Massachusetts, and the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

Kate is the immediate past president of the New Hampshire Bar Association (NHBA) and the first woman in a decade to serve as its president. She sits on the Board of Governors for the NHBA and on several of its statewide committees. Separately, Kate was appointed to the Federal Court Advisory Committee for the District of New Hampshire. Kate also is a trustee of the New Hampshire Supreme Court Society and is a frequent speaker on litigation topics.

Kate is one of the preeminent lawyers in New England with groundbreaking accomplishments that pave the way for women in law. She is ranked as one of Chambers USA America’s Leading Lawyers for the category of Litigation: General Commercial and has been named Best Lawyers in America for Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Intellectual Property, and Trade Secrets Law, as well as Super Lawyers, New Hampshire and Super Lawyers Rising Stars.

Administrative Agencies

  • Represented a medical practitioner in licensure proceedings before an administrative agency, resulting in dismissal of all charges.
  • Represented a large company before the New Hampshire state licensing board for alleged violations of applicable regulations, resulting in a favorable resolution.

Advice & Counsel

  • Offers counsel to employers on strategic separation matters, where post-employment restrictions apply.
  • Advises on various business matters in anticipation of, or in an effort to avoid, litigation.

Business Litigation

  • Successfully defended LLC owner in a piercing the corporate veil claim before trial court, claiming several million dollars in damages.
  • Successfully defended a breach of contract action involving a provision in a purchase and sale agreement; obtained trial court victory that was affirmed on appeal by the New Hampshire Supreme Court.
  • Represented LLC owner in a partnership dispute; secured favorable valuation award for percentage of business ownership and other damages.
  • Showcased demonstrated experience before New Hampshire’s Business and Commercial Dispute Docket for multiple consecutive months in 2021.
  • Advise and represent senior health care facilities in various disputes involving State oversight, employee matters, and resident issues.

Intellectual Property & Trade Secrets

  • Successfully represented a restaurant franchise, with locations in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, in a trade dress infringement and breach of contract jury trial.
  • Represented plaintiff in a misappropriation of trade secrets case and successfully opposed the defendant’s motion for summary judgment, leading to a favorable resolution.
  • Successfully secured through trial property rights in a contract dispute involving interpretation of a purchase and sale agreement.
  • Represented defendant executives in a number of cases involving federal and state misappropriation of trade secrets, breach of fiduciary duty, violation of noncompete, and other claims appearing before federal district courts and in Massachusetts and New Hampshire state courts.
  • Represented a complex medical devices and components manufacturer in a misappropriation of trade secrets case against a former employee; the matter resulted in a precedent-setting decision by the Supreme Court of New Hampshire.

Work Experience

  • Hinckley Allen
    • Partner (2022-Present)
  • Cook, Little, Rosenblatt & Manson
    • Member (2018-2022)
    • Associate (2009-2018)
  • The Hon. Richard Galway, New Hampshire Supreme Court
    • Law Clerk (2007-2009)
  • New Hampshire Superior Court
    • Law Clerk (2005-2007)

Honors & Awards

  • Best Lawyers in America® (2021-2026)
    • Lawyer of the Year (2025)
    • Bet-the-Company Litigation
    • Commercial Litigation
    • Litigation – Intellectual Property
    • Trade Secrets Law
  • Chambers and Partners, Chambers USA (2021-2026)
    • Litigation: General Commercial
  • Forbes, Best-In-State Lawyers (2025)
    • Litigation, New Hampshire
  • NH Business Review, New Hampshire 200, Recipient (2025)
  • Super Lawyers, New Hampshire (2018-2026)
    • Business Litigation
    • Super Lawyers (2021-2026)
    • Rising Stars (2018-2019)

Charitable & Civic Involvement

  • New Hampshire Bar Foundation, Board of Directors (2018-Present)
  • Greater Manchester Chamber, Leadership Greater Manchester (2018)
  • Saint Anselm College Alumni Council, Past President

Professional Affiliations

  • American Bar Association
  • Daniel Webster Batchelder, American Inns of Court (2010-Present)
  • Massachusetts Bar Association
  • New England Bar Association, Board of Directors (2023-Present)
  • New Hampshire Bar Association
    • Minimum Continuing Legal Education Board, Chair (2026-Present)
    • Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence (2025-Present)
    • President (2024-2025)
    • President-Elect (2023-2024)
    • Vice President (2022-2023)
    • Committee on Cooperation with the Courts (2016-2024)
    • Board of Governors – Governor at Large (2019-2022)
    • Leadership Academy (2015)
  • New Hampshire Supreme Court Society
    • Membership Chair (2025-Present)
    • Trustee (2023-Present)
  • New Hampshire Women’s Bar Association
  • New Hampshire Young Lawyer Delegate to the American Bar Association, House of Delegates (2016-2018)
  • United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire, Federal Court Advisory Committee (2019-Present)

Bar Memberships

  • New Hampshire
  • Massachusetts
  • United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
  • United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire
  • United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
Publication

New Hampshire Bar News: Kate Mahan—A Decisive Voice for the Bar

Kathleen “Kate” Mahan’s lifelong interest in getting to the bottom of the facts has guided everything from her choice of career to her approach as president of the New Hampshire Bar Association. The Manchester native, whose term as NHBA president ende…

Publication

New Hampshire Bar News: A Year of Connection, Service, and Support

As my term as President of the New Hampshire Bar Association (NHBA) comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on the year, the goals I set, and the progress we have made. In one of my first columns, I described the NHBA as a “unified effort to support t…

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Firm News

Hinckley Allen Earns Strong Recognition in Chambers USA 2026 Guide

Hinckley Allen has once again earned prominent recognition in the Chambers USA 2026 Guide. This year, 10 practice areas and more than 30 attorneys across the firm’s offices in the Northeast and Florida earned distinguished rankings, underscoring Hinckley…

Firm News

Hinckley Allen Partner Kathleen Mahan Appointed Chair of New Hampshire MCLE Board

Hinckley Allen is proud to announce that Partner Kathleen M. Mahan has been appointed Chair of the New Hampshire Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Board, a leadership role that reflects her longstanding commitment to advancing the legal profession …

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Past Event

New Hampshire Bar Association: Federal Practice in New Hampshire

May 8, 2026

Kathleen M. Mahan, partner in the Litigation Group and immediate past president of the New Hampshire Bar Association (NHBA), will be a featured speaker at the NHBA’s in-person program, "Federal Practice in New Hampshire. " Kate's practice focuse…

Past Event

New Hampshire Bar Association: Best Practices for Civil Discovery in New Hampshire

March 18, 2026

Kathleen M. Best Practices for Civil Discovery in New Hampshire is a practical, half-day program designed to help litigators navigate the evolving challenges of civil discovery in New Hampshire courts. Chaired by Ned Sackman of Bernstein Shur, this program …

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