Kati Robertson (JD '02) Establishes Robertson Reserve Counsel

Pepperdine Caruso Law alumna Kati Robertson (JD '02) has established Robertson Reserve Counsel, a private law practice based in Montecito, California. Robertson previously served as in-house counsel during most of her 25-year law career. At the center of Robertson Reserve Counsel is The Reserve, an ongoing private counsel relationship built around familiarity, continuity, and direct access to experienced legal judgment. The practice operates through a fixed monthly relationship fee, allowing clients to seek counsel as questions arise without having to weigh each conversation against the cost of the clock. Legal work extending beyond the scope of the ongoing relationship is handled through separately agreed fixed-fee projects, preserving predictability and transparency around costs.

The model brings the understanding and perspective Robertson has developed through years of working closely with businesses and their principals into a private practice setting.

Robertson comments, "The practice reflects what I've come to value most in my work with founders, investors, executives, and privately held businesses: knowing my clients well, understanding the circumstances surrounding their decisions, and being involved early enough to offer meaningful guidance. It's been especially rewarding to build a practice around the kind of attorney-client relationships I've found most meaningful throughout my career."

During her time at Pepperdine Caruso Law, Robertson was a founding member of the Palmer Center for Entrepreneurship and the Law and worked as a research assistant for professor Janet Kerr.