Recognized in Ones to Watch since 2026 
Katherine Hekstra is an attorney with Helsell Fetterman LLP in Seattle, Washington. Her practice focuses on health care law and civil litigation, including Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants and Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants. She represents physicians, hospitals, and other health care providers in medical malpractice lawsuits and in professional licensing and regulatory matters.
Kate grew up in West Michigan and earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees in Biomedical Science from Grand Valley State University. Before entering the legal profession, she worked in a variety of health care settings in Michigan. She later moved to Seattle in 2016 and worked at a local biotechnology company, gaining additional experience within the health care and life sciences fields.
Kate received her law degree, cum laude, from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. While in law school, she pursued concentrations in Health Law & Policy and Government Law. She spent her first summer as a legal extern for a Seattle judge through the American Bar Association’s Judicial Opportunity Internship Program and her second summer with a plaintiff-side litigation firm in San Francisco. During law school, she served as a Senior Production Editor for the Hastings Environmental Law Journal and competed on the Negotiation and Dispute Resolution Team.
Her background in biomedical science and experience working in health care environments inform her work with medical professionals and organizations facing complex legal and regulatory issues.
Outside of her legal practice, Kate enjoys reading, hiking, traveling, and spending time with her dog, cat, and family and friends.
