KL Boardroom Consulting and recognized influencer Katherine Lauer are driven by the passionate pursuit of excellence in relationships and results.

Portland Business Journal's Awards for Women of Influence recognizes Katherine Lauer, March 11th, 2026

Our Mission

KL Boardroom Consulting is dedicated to collaboration with its clients in high-stakes, complex decision-making where judgement matters as much as technical expertise.

Personal Service is the Heart of Our Business

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Board Directorships

  • Health Carousel
  • Scripps Health
  • Family Building Blocks
  • Eola-Amity Hills Winery Association
  • Women in Wine Oregon
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Family Office Management

  • Family operations
  • Succession planning
  • Strategic initiatives.
  • Relationship Management
  • Governance
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Boardroom Consulting

  • Legal Management Consulting
  • Healthcare Industry Savvy
  • Regulatory Affairs Guru
  • Ethics and Compliance Oversight
  • Crisis Management

Our Clients Rely On Us

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Kathy represented HCA for more than 25 years as a trusted outside legal advisor and primary defense counsel on dozens of Government civil and criminal investigation matters.

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Kathy represented Tenet for more than two decades, defending the company in multiple high stakes government investigations and advising in connection with administrative agreements with the US Government.

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Kathy represented Sutter for more than a decade in more than a dozen government investigations and negotiation and performance of its corporate integrity agreement.

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Kathy represented Parkland in a government investigation regarding the operation of and reimbursement for its residency program. 

Kathy is down to earth, gets to the point, and explains legal issues that lay people can readily understand. Kathy can drive consensus, while holding her ground as necessary, in a very professional way.  She is an engaged participant and advances well-reasoned opinions.

Florence DiBenedetto

Former SVP and GC of Sutter

Kathy Lauer has been an outstanding addition to our Board at Health Carousel, bringing deep expertise in healthcare compliance and a sharp understanding of the regulatory landscape. Her insights are both strategic and practical, consistently helping us navigate complex challenges with confidence. She brings a steady, thoughtful perspective that has meaningfully strengthened our board’s discussions and decision-making.

Lair Kennedy

Health Carousel

Kathy handles matters with the utmost strategic vision and excellence. She has outstanding executive presence and judgment.  Of equal importance, she understands the big picture and how to assess risks going forward.

Audrey Andews

Former General Counsel, Tenet Healthcare

Kathy has a direct approach and an exemplary demeanor, staying calm in the most chaotic of situations. She’s wired very much like a business person.  She approaches problems the same way we do.  She is great at communicating and balancing risks.

Tom Arnst

Chief Administrative Officer & General Counsel, Tenet Healthcare

She is smart, elegant, sincere, warm, and engaging.  Kathy is very open to learning.  She does her homework.  She’s a life-long learner.

Carlene Callis

Former Corporate VP for HCA, (Founding partner of Next Gen Strategy)

Kathy has seen it from all sides.  Audit.  Board.  Gov’t affairs.  Legal.  Public relations.  She regularly has to marshal various constituencies to evaluate business, reputational, and legal risk. Over the course of her career, Kathy, regularly, has been at the table on difficult business issues where compromise and consensus building are key.  Kathy is very much a team player.

Alice Fisher

General Counsel, Latham & Watkins

She has a unique ability to address the various legal, reputational, and business dimensions of any issue.  Her appreciation of all three variables gives her legal opinions even more credibility.  Kathy is always a leading opinion maker who facilitates a process and drives consensus. People often defer to her because of her experience and ever present calmness in tough situations.

Sam Hazen

CEO, HCA Healthcare

She is very intelligent.  She has great memory and recall.  She has great judgment. She is a problem solver who gets to issues quickly. She is a trusted advisor on significant and weighty matters.

Scott Noonan

VP of Legal Operations, HCA

Kathy is one of our strongest board members ever. She is an excellent communicator. Kathy’s understanding of governance and audit were exceptional. She is very likable.  She got along well with everyone.

Chris Van Gorder

CEO, Scripps Health

Kathy was always a calming voice who could determine quickly the difference between a small issue and a big deal and act accordingly. Kathy is consistently able to sort through thousands of detailed facts, hone in on the right ones, apply that to a complex series of laws and regulations, she couples her sound judgment with outstanding relationship skills. Kathy listens, makes effective compromises, and knows when it’s important to be firm in her advice.

Bob Waterman

Former General Counsel, HCA Healthcare

Working alongside Kathy has shown me how talented she is at connecting with people and finding practical, straightforward solutions. She provides clarity and confidence in tough situations and can skillfully guide organizations, not only to solve problems, but also to reach their goals.

Patrice Altenhofen

Executive Director, Family Building Blocks

Some of Our Clients

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