For Mary Kate Raffetto, the heart of client service comes down to critical listening.
An experienced trial and appellate specialist with a background in education, Raffetto understands the power of communicating complex ideas with clarity and precision. Her skill as an orator and diligent pursuit of her clients’ interests allow her to be a highly effective courtroom advocate.
Raffetto has significant trial and appellate experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants. She represents sophisticated clients in a variety of industries and has developed nuanced expertise in handling complex products liability, commercial, employment, catastrophic personal injury, and securities matters. Her trial experience includes giving opening statements, handling legal issues, and undertaking direct and cross examinations of experts and fact witnesses.
Lawdragon Honors
| Honor | Year | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America | 2026 | Appellate, Commercial Litigation |
| The 2025 Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation | 2025 | Appellate, Commercial Litigation |
| The 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers | 2025 | Complex Business Litigation, esp. Appellate |
| The 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers | 2024 | Complex Business Litigation, esp. Appellate |
| The 2024 Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation | 2024 | Appellate, Commercial Litigation |
| Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation | 2023 | Appellate, Commercial Litigation |
Raffetto has served as a first-chair attorney on both trial and appellate matters, participated in more than fifteen trial teams across the country, and has argued in both state and federal appellate courts. As a result, Raffetto is uniquely positioned to serve in trial or appellate roles. Her ability to use compelling storytelling to engage audiences coupled with a careful attention to record preservation makes her an effective advocate and a trusted advisor to her clients.
Before joining Beck Redden, Raffetto clerked for the Honorable Xavier Rodriguez of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas. During her clerkship, she gained valuable insight into federal motion practice and procedure. Raffetto graduated from The University of Texas School of Law where she served as an Associate Editor of the Texas Law Review and a Teaching Quizmaster for the David J. Beck Center for Legal Research, Writing, and Appellate Advocacy.
Prior to law school, Raffetto taught high school mathematics in San Antonio, Texas through Teach For America for two years. She remains passionate about education and serves on the Houston Urban Debate League’s Young Professionals Council and as a member of the Board of Directors for the Partnership for the Advancement and Immersion of Refugees, an organization dedicated to assisting refugee youth enrolled in Houston’s public schools.
Representative Experience
- Successfully defended the City of Houston in a Section 1983 case arising from the 2019 Harding Street police operation that resulted in two fatalities. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas granted summary judgement for the city, finding no evidence of a municipal custom or practice causing the alleged constitutional violations.
