Lauren Cates, Esq.

Lauren received her J.D. from Villanova University School of Law, where she graduated summa cum laude and became a member of the Order of the Coif. While at Villanova, Lauren served as Executive Editor of the Villanova Law Review and was a member of the Black Law Students Association. Lauren earned her undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, in Political Science from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Georgia. She is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, and before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Lauren is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Philadelphia Bar Association, and the Barristers' Association of Philadelphia. Lauren also instructs first year law students in the Philadelphia Diversity Law Group's Annual Legal Writing Seminar. The PDLG is committed to increasing the number of attorneys of diverse backgrounds working at law firms and corporate law departments in the Greater Philadelphia Region, a cause to which Lauren is dedicated.

Before joining Haines & Associates, Lauren spent over three years at Dechert LLP, a large general practice law firm in Philadelphia. As a member of Dechert's Mass Tort and Product Liability practice group, Lauren represented large pharmaceutical companies in mass tort, product liability, and white collar criminal litigation matters. She has experience conducting complex discovery, preparing for medical witness and expert depositions, and preparing company witnesses and employees for grand jury testimony. Lauren began her legal career as a Law Clerk to the Honorable Eduardo C. Robreno in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

A Philadelphia transplant, Lauren was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. She has a strong interest in political and civil rights issues, having interned at the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia and the Democratic National Committee. She is an avid music fan and enjoys cooking, exploring Philadelphia's wonderful restaurants, traveling, and reading.