Cathy Trent-Vilim

Represented plaintiff in a $3 million judgment (reduced to statutory cap) in a vehicular pursuit case.

Managed an 11-person team in a complex commercial matter which required collection and review of more than 1.4 million pages of client documents and analysis of five hundred thousand pages of documents from opposing parties.

Secured summary judgment for a lessor whose tenants died in an arson fire and successfully defended the judgment on appeal to the Nebraska Court of Appeals and on further review to the Nebraska Supreme Court.

Secured summary judgment for homeowner after a public power employee fell into a manhole and successfully defended the judgment on appeal to the Nebraska Supreme Court.

On appeal to the Nebraska Supreme Court, secured the reversal of summary judgment granted against client where, prior to representation, the client had been convicted of a moving traffic violation.

In a case of admitted liability, represented the defendant and secured a $46,000 jury verdict in the wrongful death of an 18-year-old.  Successfully defended the verdict on appeal to the Nebraska Supreme Court, including allegations of juror misconduct.

Secured summary judgment for insurer in insurance coverage case and successfully defended the judgment on appeal to the Nebraska Supreme Court.

Loyola Marymount University, B.A., cum laude

California State University, Long Beach, M.A., political science, summa cum laude

University of Nebraska College of Law, J.D.

While at UNL, Ms. Trent-Vilim served as an executive editor of the Nebraska Law Review, was voted into the Order of the Coif, a national legal honor society, and received CALI Excellence for the Future Awards in Appellate Advocacy and International Human Rights Law.

Nebraska

Iowa

U.S. District Court for Nebraska

Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals

Nebraska State Chair, ABA Council of Appellate Lawyers (Current)

Co-Chair of the Appellate Practice Section of the Nebraska State Bar Association (2018-2020)

President of the Nebraska Defense Counsel Association (2018 -2019)

Board of Directors of the Nebraska Defense Counsel Association

Executive Board of the Women and the Law Section of the Nebraska State Bar

Nebraska Supreme Court Shows the Weyh Forward on Recovery of Prejudgment Interest, The Nebraska Lawyers (Nov/Dec 2019) (co-authored with Adam Feeney)

Beyond the Pleadings, Offering Extrinsic Evidence on Rule 12 Motions, DRI’s The Voice (2019)

Looking Beyond the Pleadings: Outside Evidence Courts May Consider for Motions to Dismiss, The Nebraska Lawyer (Jan/Feb 2019)

The Demise of the Collateral Order Doctrine in Nebraska, The Nebraska Lawyer (Jan/Feb 2019)

NSBA Family Law Practice Manual, Chapter 6.2 (Appeals) (2018)

Appellate Practice Handbook (October 2016)
Chapter 18-1: Ten Tips to Writing a More Effective Brief
Chapter 20: Creating an Effective Record for Appeal

To Appeal or Not to Appeal: Navigating the Swamp of Appellate Jurisdiction in Family Law Cases, The Nebraska Lawyer, July/August 2016

Ten Tips to Writing a More Effective Brief, The Nebraska Lawyer, January/February 2016

No Allocation for You!  Downey v. Western Community College and Nebraska’s New Hybrid of Common Law Tort Liability and Statutory Comparative Negligence, Nebraska Defense Counsel Newsletter, April 2012

Nebraska’s Not-So-New Worker’s Compensation Exemption Notice Requirement and How Your Client’s Non-Compliance May Doom Your Liability Case, Nebraska Defense Counsel Newsletter, December 2011 (Vol. 3, No. 3)

Oh Say, Can You Say, “Pre-Loss Condition Subsequent?”, Nebraska Defense Counsel Newsletter, August 2011 (Vol. 3, No. 2)

Various blogs and postings on LDM blogs, LinkedIn and Twitter (@Neb_Appealn)

In re Estate of Lakin, 310 Neb. 271, 965 N.W.2d 365 (2021), modified at 310 Neb. 389 (2021)

Rodriguez v. Lasting Hope Recovery Ctr., 308 Neb. 538, 955 N.W.2d 707 (2021)

Sundermann v. Hy-Vee, Inc., 306 Neb. 749, 947 N.W.2d 492 (2020) (as Amicus for NDCA)

Omaha Exposition & Racing, Inc. v. Neb. State Racing Comm’n, 307 Neb. 172, 949 N.W.2d 183 (2020)

Weyh v. Gottsch, 303 Neb. 280, 929 N.W.2d 40 (2019)

Deborah S. v. Dempsey-Cook (In re Aimee S.), 26 Neb. App. 380, 920 N.W.2d 18 (2018)

Apkan v. Life Care Ctrs. of Am., Inc., 26 Neb. App. 154, 918 N.W.2d 601 (2018)

Fidler v. Life Care Ctrs. of Am., Inc., 301 Neb. 724, 919 N.W.2d 903 (2018)

Fredericks Peebles & Morgan LLP v. Assam, 300 Neb. 670, 915 N.W.2d 770 (2018)

Putnam v. Scherbring, 297 Neb. 868, 902 N.W.2d 140 (2017) (as Amicus for NDCA)

Anderson v. Union Pacific Railroad Co., 295 Neb. 785, 890 NW2d 791 (2017)

Kelly v. Saint Francis Medical Center, 295 Neb. 650, 889 NW2d 613 (2017)

Stock Realty & Auction Co. v. Kush, A-16-1110 (2017) (Summary Dismissal Granted)

Fraction v. Legal Aid, A-16-572 (2016) (Summary Affirmance Granted)

Young v. Govier and Milone LLP, 286 Neb. 224, 835 N.W2d. 684 (Neb. 2013)

Werner v. County of Platte, 284 Neb. 899, 824 N.W.2d 38 (2012)

Tolbert v. Jamison, 281 Neb. 206, 794 N.W.2d 877 (2011)

Hofferber v. City of Hastings, 275 Neb. 503, 747 N.W.2d 389 (2008)

Poppe v. Siefker, 274 Neb. 1, 735 N.W.2d 784 (2007)

Stevenson v. Wright, 273 Neb. 789, 733 N.W.2d 559 (2007)

Mogensen v. Mogensen, 273 Neb. 208, 729 N.W.2d 44 (2007)

City of Columbus v. Swanson, 270 Neb. 713, 708 N.W.2d 225 (2005)

Blair v. State Farm Ins. Co., 269 Neb. 874, 697 N.W.2d 266 (2005)

Kotinek v. Willard, A-02-1276, 2004 WL 2216465 (Neb. Ct. App. Oct. 5, 2004)

Freeman v. Griffin, A-02-970, 2004 WL 884576 (Neb. Ct. App. Apr. 27, 2004)

In re Estate of Nelsen, A-01-1183, 2004 WL 115406 (Neb. Ct. App. Jan. 27, 2004)