Attorneys
Kate Corrigan, a former prosecutor, is a member of Corrigan & Welbourn, APLC. Her firm’s practice is limited to criminal defense and is dedicated to the representation of individuals and businesses facing criminal investigation and / or prosecution in state and federal court. Kate and the firm are AV-Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and Kate is listed in the Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers.
Kate’s practice is primarily focused on federal criminal cases that range from complex white collar crime to drug trafficking and RICO cases. She also maintains a strong practice in the state criminal courts.
Kate is currently serving her second term as President of the Orange County Criminal Defense Bar Association and is a founding board member of the association. She is also serving as an officer of the Federal Bar Association – Orange County Chapter (Treasurer). In addition, Kate is serving her third year as an Attorney Representative for the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Judicial Conference. She also serves as a CJA Federal Trial Panel attorney for the Central District of California.
Kate is a sought after speaker and panelist and has enjoyed speaking around the country about complex federal criminal trial issues and has served as a faculty member of the Trial Skills Academy which is designed for federal criminal trial lawyers. In addition, she also participates in programs and panels discussing federal and state criminal law issues and policies.
Kate received her law degree from Pepperdine School of Law and her undergraduate education at University of California, Irvine, where she earned a B.A. in Political Science. She is admitted to the State Bar of California (1987-Present), United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, United States District Court for the Central District of California, United States District Court for the Southern District of California, United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, and United States District Court for the Northern District of California.
Prior becoming a Criminal Defense Attorney, Ed Welbourn was employed as a Deputy District Attorney for the County of Orange. During that time, he personally prosecuted hundreds of cases ranging from misdemeanor offenses such as Driving under the Influence of Alcohol, Assault with Deadly Weapons, Domestic Violence to Felony cases such as Drug Possession and Sales, Domestic Violence, Gang Offenses and Attempted Murder. Mr. Welbourn knew that to better serve his future clients as a defense attorney, he needed to understand the inter-workings and operations of the prosecution.
After several years, Mr. Welbourn left the Orange County District Attorney’s Office and began his career as a criminal defense attorney. Mr. Welbourn’s practice focuses primarily on individuals charged with misdemeanor and/or felony crimes in both State and Federal Courts. During that time, Mr. Welbourn has successfully tried and defended hundreds of misdemeanor and felony cases ranging from Driving Under The Influence of Alcohol, Drug Possession and Sales and Domestic Violence. In addition, Mr. Welbourn has defended clients charged with the most serious and violent felonies including Murder, Gang Crimes and Assault With Deadly Weapons. Mr. Welbourn has personally represented several high profile clients in Special Circumstance Death Penalty cases including People v. Deleon, People v.Tony Hernandez and People v. Lewis Gray. Mr. Welbourn also represents individuals charged with federal crimes.
Mr. Welbourn is an active member of the Orange County Bar Association where he regularly speaks to newly admitted members of the California Bar. In addition, Mr. Welbourn has been a keynote speaker at the swearing in of several sitting Orange County judges.
The reasons for his great success are his strong trial and advocacy skills, negotiation ability, and integrity and client service. These talents are reflective of his invaluable range of experience, which he relies upon and applies to each case to obtain great results and success for his clients.
Mr. Welbourn earned his bachelor degree in Psychology from the Claremont Colleges located in Southern California. Thereafter, he attended California Western School of Law located in San Diego, California and earned his Juris Doctor. While in law school, Mr. Welbourn was a Judicial Clerk for the Federal District Court, Southern District of California. Additionally, Mr. Welbourn worked for the San Diego District Attorney Office in their Special Operations division where he gained experience handling large drug cases and political corruption prosecution.
