MINNEAPOLIS, September 3, 2026 – Katheryn Gettman, vice chair of Cozen O’Connor’s Corporate Practice, and Elizabeth Kiernat, a member of the firm’s Real Estate Practice, have been named 2026 Top Women in Law by Minnesota Lawyer. The award recognizes accomplished women attorneys for their work on significant matters, commitment to pro bono service, mentorship of the next generation of female lawyers, and support of clients navigating challenging times.
Honorees are selected by an independent panel for their leadership, professionalism, and drive to make a difference. Gettman and Kiernat will be celebrated at Minnesota Lawyer’s gala on Thursday, October 22, 2026, and featured in the Top Women in Law publication.
Gettman serves as outside general counsel to corporations, executives, and business owners, advising them on acquisition and financing strategies. She counsels clients on mergers, stock sales and asset acquisitions, private placement offerings, and subscription agreements, and represents investors in the private placement and investment of funds and purchase of securities. Known for her practical approach, Gettman delivers actionable legal counsel informed by both business and legal considerations.
Kiernat represents lenders in the origination, closing, sale, pooling, and servicing of loans under Freddie Mac’s multifamily real estate programs. Her practice spans multifamily, manufactured, and affordable housing as well as condominiums, multi-property pooled transactions, and securitized assumptions and transfers of interest. She advises lenders on the development, negotiation, and documentation of standard loans and unconventional apartment financing, including transactions involving 1031 exchanges, ground leases, tenant-in-common structures, and mixed-use projects.
Cozen O’Connor’s Corporate Practice provides sophisticated counsel to a diverse set of businesses and entrepreneurs ranging from Fortune 500 and other multinational companies to mid-cap companies. The firm’s corporate attorneys support clients from a wide range of industries in issues related to corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, securities, tax, financings, capital raises, succession planning, and strategic growth planning. The firm’s Real Estate Practice represents national and regional developers, public companies and REITS, owners, builders, managers, private equity funds, institutional and private investors, banks, and governments in acquisitions and dispositions, development, financing, leasing, ground leasing, management, and sale of real estate.
About Cozen O’Connor
Established in 1970, Cozen O’Connor has more than 1,000 attorneys who help clients manage risk and make better business decisions. The firm counsels clients on their most sophisticated legal matters in all areas of the law, including litigation, corporate, and regulatory law. Representing a broad array of leading global corporations and middle market companies, Cozen O’Connor serves its clients’ needs through 35 offices across two continents.