Katie Brossy Selected Among Law360’s 2017 Rising Stars

August 7, 2017

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(Washington, D.C.) — Katie Brossy, senior counsel in the American Indian practice at Akin Gump, has been named by Law360 as one of its “Rising Stars,” an annual look at the top lawyers under 40 who have demonstrated outstanding career accomplishments. Ms. Brossy was one of three Native American law practitioners selected, with Law360 noting that she has worked on some of the biggest Indian water rights deals in history.

A member of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, Ms. Brossy represents tribal clients on issues regarding federal, state and tribal tax laws, Indian water and gaming laws and tribal college accreditation, among other crucial tribal issues. She was part of an Akin Gump team that helped the Crow Tribe reach one of the largest ever Indian water rights settlements in U.S. history, which provides roughly $460 million to the tribe to rehabilitate a dilapidated irrigation project and to build a drinking water system.

Through her work, she told Law360, she tries “to make the legal environment better for tribal governments and their tribal members. To me, it’s not just a client, it’s someone I feel very invested in.”

In addition to the Crow Tribe settlement, Ms. Brossy was also part of an Akin Gump team that assisted the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians in sealing a water rights agreement that provides the tribe with $28.5 million for infrastructure needed to guarantee a permanent water supply. She also assisted the Gila River Indian Community in settling claims that the federal government mismanaged its land base and other trust assets—an agreement under which the tribe receives $12.5 million and roughly 3500 acres in replacement land. In addition, Ms. Brossy has been representing the Ponca Tribe pro bono as it seeks to pass through Congress a bill that would designate as a historical landmark the Chief Standing Bear National Historic Trail.

Ms. Brossy told Law360 that the kind of cases her practice is focused on tend to drag on for many years, as it takes a long time to first settle the claims and then to pass requisite related federal legislation. “It can be frustrating at times when you know the right result should be that they should pass and that tribes should have access to clean drinking water, a basic human right, but that because of the process, because of politics or whatever else is going on, it takes longer than you would obviously like,” she said. “You just have to be very persistent and dedicated and willing to see the big picture and stick in for the long haul.”

To read the full profile of Ms. Brossy, please click here.

Founded in 1945, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a leading international law firm with more than 900 lawyers in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

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