Stacey Mitchell and Don Pongrace Named NLJ D.C. Trailblazers

(Washington, D.C.) – The National Law Journal has named Akin Gump partners Stacey Mitchell and Don Pongrace to its inaugural list of D.C. Trailblazers.

Ms. Mitchell was noted for her practice that covers “disparate areas of the law: wildlife trafficking and national security, environmental degradation and white-collar crime,” though she told the publication that much of her work is ultimately focused on sustainability. As a former Chief of the Environmental Crimes Section at the Department of Justice, she prosecuted pollution cases nationwide.

The NLJ reports that Ms. Mitchell also served as Deputy General Counsel at the Environmental Protection Agency, where she prosecuted executives of companies accused of violating environmental laws. Since moving to private practice, NLJ says Ms. Mitchell has blazed trails that include helping secure an acquittal of Bijan Rafiekian, a former business partner of ex-National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, who was accused of acting as a Turkish foreign agent. (Click here to learn more.)

Looking ahead, Ms. Mitchell, a leader in the firm’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) practice, said she thinks climate change will be “the next frontier as far as corporate responsibility goes.” She also predicted that companies will have to focus on the vulnerability of their supply chains, which have been threatened by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as by extreme weather conditions and climate change.

Mr. Pongrace, who founded and leads Akin Gump’s American Indian law and policy practice, was praised for his pioneer spirit representing the Gila River Indian Community in its bid to settle a 20-year water rights dispute. NLJ notes that the 2004 settlement was the largest of its kind in U.S. history. (Click here to learn more.)

Looking ahead, Mr. Pongrace predicts that issues related to sustainable self-governance will take on growing importance as tribes take over functions previously administered by the federal government. He said Akin Gump will assist tribes in these matters, such as innovative financing for school construction, transportation matters and healthcare. “There will always be a connection between Indian country and Washington,” he noted. “Indian Country is to Washington as the empire was to Rome.”

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a leading international law firm with more than 900 lawyers and advisors in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Founded in 1945, the firm is proudly celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2020. #AkinGump75

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