Katherine A. Nixon

Katherine guides businesses through financial distress with practical solutions, careful attention to detail, and a deep understanding of client needs and goals.

Katherine focuses her practice on bankruptcy and restructuring, with a primary emphasis on representing commercial debtors in Chapter 11 or Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceedings. She guides her clients through all facets of a proceeding, from the time of filing the petition to the time of plan confirmation and beyond, with an eye toward preserving value and achieving strategic outcomes. Katherine played a key role in drafting and revising the local rules for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Minnesota and frequently writes and presents on local and federal rules and procedures.

In addition to her bankruptcy and restructuring practice, Katherine regularly assists businesses in winding down and dissolving under applicable state law and maintains an active collections practice. She routinely appears in both state and federal court.

Prior to joining Fredrikson, Katherine clerked for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Minnesota for over two and a half years. In her free time, Katherine is often out for a walk with her three-year-old golden retriever, Rocky.

• Represented five North Dakota limited liability companies with a total of nearly 300 individual creditors through Chapter 11 cases, including negotiating a confirmed plan of liquidation.
• Represented a North Dakota trucking company with over $7.5 million in liabilities through a Chapter 11 case, including negotiating a confirmed plan of reorganization that provided for all creditors to be paid in full.
• Represented a Minnesota non-profit corporation with nearly $6 million in liabilities through a Chapter 11 case, including negotiating the sale of two parcels of commercial real property under Section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code and a confirmed plan of liquidation that provided for all creditors to be paid in full.
• Represented a corporate defendant in an adversary proceeding under Section 547 of the Bankruptcy Code, which resulted in a negotiated settlement for payment of approximately 15% of the original amount in the complaint.
• Represented three individual defendants in an agricultural dispute and obtained summary judgment on all claims in their favor.
• Assisted five related agricultural businesses in winding down and dissolving under Minnesota state law.
• Represented three different individuals in pro bono adversary proceedings against the U.S. Department of Education and obtained either a full or partial discharge of their student loans by stipulated judgment.

Education

• University of Minnesota Law School, J.D., 2021, cum laude
• St. Edward’s University, B.A., 2017, summa cum laude

Admissions

• Minnesota, 2021
• U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, 2022
• U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Minnesota, 2022

Clerkships

• Law Clerk, Honorable William J. Fisher, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Minnesota, 2021-2023

• NextGen, National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges, 2025
• 20/20 Partners Rising Leader Award – Class II, American Bar Association (ABA) Business Law Section Business Bankruptcy Committe, 2025
• North Star Lawyer, Minnesota State Bar Association, 2024
• Kent Wennerstrom Award, University of Minnesota Law School, 2021
• Law in Practice: Best Performance in Legal Writing, University of Minnesota Law School, 2019
   

Professional Activities

• Minnesota State Bar Association, Bankruptcy Section, Education Chair, 2025-present
• International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC), Co-Chair of Minnesota Chapter, 2025-present
• International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC), Secretary of Minnesota Chapter, 2024-2025
• Bankruptcy Practice Committee, Member, 2024-present
• University of Minnesota Law School, Adjunct Professor, Law in Practice, 2023-present
• Turnaround Management Association, Member, 2023-present
• American Bankruptcy Institute, Member, 2021-present
• Minnesota State Bar Association, Member, 2021-present
• University of Minnesota Law School, Bankruptcy Clinic Director, 2020-2021
• Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology, Managing Editor, 2020-2021