Kelly M. Hnatt Partner MAIN OFFICE: New York Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP 787 Seventh Avenue New York, N.Y. 10019-6099, U.S.A. T 212-728-8672 F 212-728-9672

Kelly M. Hnatt is a partner in the Litigation Department of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP in New York.  Ms. Hnatt specializes in securities and financial reporting matters, and antitrust matters.  She represents the accounting profession, as well as public companies, their directors, officers and audit committees, in connection with federal and state litigation, internal investigations, and SEC proceedings. She also has significant experience in the areas of merger analysis, antitrust counseling, antitrust investigations, antitrust compliance, insurance broker liability, insurance and reinsurance coverage disputes, and other litigation involving complex transactions.

Ms. Hnatt’s clients include a major accounting firm, the largest national accounting professional organization,  insurance and reinsurance trade associations, insurance and reinsurance companies, a major insurance broker, and various other financial, commercial, manufacturing, and insurance entities, as well as their directors, officers, and audit committees.

Ms. Hnatt’s recent major matters include defending an accounting firm in connection with a variety of matters involving accountants' liability and securities fraud; representing public companies, accounting firms, directors and officers, and other individuals in connection with SEC proceedings; conducting several internal investigations involving financial irregularities, options back-dating and antitrust matters; and preparing amicus briefs on behalf of the accounting professional organization.  Ms. Hnatt also has defended various clients in investigations of antitrust violations in the U.S., European Union, and Canada.

Ms. Hnatt has spoken at various seminars, including “Accountants' Liability: Audit Committees" (ALI-ABA 2006/2007); "Current Ethical Issues in the Practice of Securities Law" (ABCNY 2006); "Audit Committees" (ALI-ABA Sarbanes-Oxley Institute 2004/2005); "Financial Reporting and the Accounting Profession: The Whirlwind Continues," (ABA 1999 Annual Meeting);  "Accounting Irregularities & Financial Fraud: What's an Audit Committee to Do?" (sponsored by Nasdaq, the American Stock Exchange, and AIG); and "The Auditor and Financial Fraud" (commissioned by a Big Four accounting firm for national industry conferences in Las Vegas). 

Ms. Hnatt is the author of “Deepening Insolvency: An Emerging Threat?” Journal of Accountancy, February 2008; “Forge the Right Relationship” (regarding auditor-audit committee communications), Journal of Accountancy, May 2001; “Purely Economic Loss: A Standard of Recovery," 73 Iowa L. Rev. 1181 (1988).

Ms. Hnatt is a member of the American Bar Association and the Association of the Bar of the City of New York.