Katy M. Young - San Francisco, CA
Attorney at Ad Astra Law Group, P.C.
Business Litigation Lawyers in San Francisco, CA
582 Market Street 17th Floor San Francisco, CA 94104
- 1 Super Lawyers®
-
17
Years
Experience
San Francisco Business Litigation Lawyer
Updated: 02/16/2026
Areas of Practice
- Business Litigation 40%
- Employment Litigation 30%
- Real Estate Litigation 25%
- Trademark Litigation 5%
Litigation: 100%
Attorney Information
Overview
Katy M. Young, Esq. has been successfully advocating for clients' business, employment, real estate, and trademark needs since 2009. She graduated magna cum laude from University of San Francisco School of Law. Prior to law school, she graduated with honors from University of the Pacific where she had a scholarship to play water polo and majored in social science with a minor in pre-law. She doesn't play water polo anymore, but expresses her explosive competitive energy through litigation. The bigger and messier the problem, the more she likes it.
Ms. Young joined a national firm after law school and learned high-stakes business and real estate litigation. Her first big client was the FDIC. Her first trial experience as an attorney was an arbitration wherein the FDIC was trying to recover funds from a web-based credit card bank with breach of fiduciary duty claims against the directors and officers of the failed bank. The next trial she worked on involved backdating securities. Ms. Young's trial experience started before she became a lawyer. She did not attend law school for her last semester because she was working as a judicial extern for the Chief Magistrate Judge of the Northern District of California. Working for the judge, she got to see how litigation functions inside and out. The judge conducted two trials during her tenure and she was thrilled to watch a trial from the court's perspective. Right before bar results came out in 2009, she was a juror on a two-week long asbestos trial that went all the way to verdict. Seeing a trial from a juror's perspective has made her a formidable opponent in any trial, as she understands how a jury takes in information and decides. Few lawyers have trial experience at all, let alone experience from all angles: court, juror, attorney. Ms. Young has 7 trials under her belt as an attorney. The courtroom is where she really shines.
She founded Ad Astra Law Group, P.C. in 2014 to serve the needs of business owners. Her favorite kinds of cases involve contracts, fiduciary duties, fraud, computer fraud and abuse, real property issues, employment disputes, and trademark challenges. The earlier she gets involved, the better. Trials are emotionally draining and prohibitively expensive for most, so she zealously advocates for settlement until it is clear that trial is the only way forward. Ms. Young will tenaciously represent her client's interests from the initial investigation stage through trial and post-trial motions. The client relationship is extremely important to her, as she strives to provide white glove service. She is a serious competitor with the energy and stamina to handle complex litigation that can last for years.
Awards and Honors
Honors
- Super Lawyer 2022
- Super Lawyers Rising Star 2014-2021
- Benchmark Litigation, Top 40 Under 40 Hotlist 2018-2022
- Expert Network Distinguished Lawyer
- Litigation Counsel of America, Senior Fellow
- Chambers and Partners California Spotlight, 2025 - Present
Other Sources of Feedback About Katy M. Young
Included on the 2026 Northern California Super Lawyers list
Past Lists
- 2025 Northern California Super Lawyers list
- 2024 Northern California Super Lawyers list
- 2023 Northern California Super Lawyers list
- 2022 Northern California Super Lawyers list
- 2021 Northern California Super Lawyers list
- 2020 Northern California Super Lawyers list
- 2019 Northern California Super Lawyers list
- 2018 Northern California Super Lawyers list
- 2017 Northern California Super Lawyers list
- 2016 Northern California Super Lawyers list
- 2015 Northern California Super Lawyers list
- 2014 Northern California Super Lawyers list
Education
-
Legal Education
-
University of San Francisco School of Law,
San Francisco,
California, 2009
J.D.
Honors: magna cum laude
Honors: CALI Award Recipient
Honors: Best Oral Argument 2007
Law Review: USF Law Review, Editor, 2007 - 2009
-
University of San Francisco School of Law,
San Francisco,
California, 2009
-
Non Legal Education
-
University of the Pacific,
Stockton,
California, 2004
B.A.
Honors: With High Honors
Major: Pre-law
Major: Social Science
-
University of the Pacific,
Stockton,
California, 2004
Current Employment Position(s)
-
Managing Partner
Past Positions
- Chief Magistrate Judge James Larson at the Northern District of California, Extern
- State Bar of California, Office of the Chief Trial Counsel, Intern
- Nossaman LLP, Associate, 2009 - 2012
- Methven & Associates, Associate, 2012 - 2013
References
-
Regina Franco
-
Michael Dorsi
Classes and Seminars
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Group Leader Assistant, ProVisors San Francisco IX Group
-
Real Property Section of the California Bar, April 24, 2020
-
San Francisco Lawyers Network, March 26, 2020
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“Seventh Annual Commercial Real Estate Symposium” Berstein (555 California), San Francisco, Lerman Law Partners, March 20, 2020
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MJ BizCon, New Orleans Morial Convention Center, June 14, 2019
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"Don't Say Partner" lecture to Business Associations Class, University of San Francisco, February, 2025 - Present
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Civil Litigation in the Cannabis Industry, Practicing law Institute, 2019 - 2020
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Navigating Real Estate Issues for the Cannabis Business, DC Bar Association, 2021 - 2023
-
Litigation in the Cannabis Industry, INCBA Europe, 2023 - Present
- Civil Litigation in the Cannabis Industry, Lawline, 2017 - 2020
Pro Bono Activities
- Berkeley Rotary Club Member, 2020 - Present
- California Competes, Inc., 2024 - Present
- Berkeley Humane Society, 2020 - Present
Representative Clients
Bars, restaurants, retailers, contractors, professional service firms, investors, family offices
Ancillary Businesses
Ad Astra Real Estate Group, Inc.
Bar Admissions
- California, 2009
- U.S. District Court Northern District of California
Other Affiliations
- InterNational Cannabis Bar Association, 2018 - Present (President)
- Berkeley Rotary Club, 2013 - Present (Rotarian)
- Edward J. McFetridge American Inn of Court, 224 - Present (Membership Chair)
- InterNational Cannabis Bar Association, 2022 - Present (Board Member)
Photo
Contact
582 Market Street
17th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94104
Phone: 415-483-9811
Fax: 415-276-1976
Email: Send a message
Website: https://www.astralegal.com/
Hours: Monday - Friday: 8:30 am - 5:30 pm
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