Kate Cutler is Legal Counsel with Johnson Evans & Headrick. She brings more than two decades of legal and business experience advising companies on complex legal, strategic, and operational issues. Kate’s practice focuses on counseling emerging and growth-stage consumer brands, founders, and companies navigating intellectual property, commercial agreements, brand strategy, and market expansion.
Kate offers clients a rare dual perspective as both an experienced attorney and a successful brand founder. She has extensive experience advising businesses on contract negotiation, intellectual property strategy and enforcement, regulatory considerations, and commercial relationships across manufacturing, distribution, retail, and marketing channels. Her work often involves structuring and negotiating agreements with manufacturers, logistics providers, talent and marketing partners, and retail platforms, as well as guiding companies on brand positioning, product launches, and scaling strategies.
Prior to joining Johnson Evans & Headrick, Kate co-founded the luxury wellness brand bkr, where she served as General Counsel and Head of Strategy. In that role, she managed the company’s legal affairs and intellectual property portfolio, negotiated key commercial agreements, and oversaw risk management, insurance, and employment matters. She also played a central role in the company’s commercial growth, helping expand distribution to more than 25 major global retailers—including Sephora, Nordstrom, Saks, Harrods, and Mecca—across more than ten countries. Under her leadership, the company scaled from launch to more than $10 million in revenue while developing a strong global consumer following.
Kate also co-founded Early Arrival, a boutique advisory firm that supports distinctive international consumer brands seeking to launch and grow in the United States. Through that work, she has served as a strategic advisor and fractional executive for emerging companies, helping founders develop long-term growth strategies, enter the U.S. market, negotiate retail and distribution relationships, and execute omnichannel marketing and sales initiatives.
Earlier in her career, Kate practiced with Clyde & Co LLP and Duane Morris LLP, where she represented insurers, professional services firms, and corporate clients in complex litigation and insurance coverage matters. Her experience included high-exposure claims analysis, litigation management, mediation and settlement strategy, and appellate advocacy. She has also authored publications on litigation practice and insurance law.
Kate earned her J.D., cum laude, from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings), where she was elected to the Order of the Coif (top 10%) and the Thurston Society. She received her B.S., magna cum laude, from the University of California, Los Angeles, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Kate has been admitted to practice in California since 1998.