Rising Star: Jenner & Block's Kali Bracey

Another quality that separates Bracey from the masses, Mathias said, is the fact that she regularly takes the time
to publish scholarly articles and speak at conferences around the country.
Some of Bracey's recent successes for clients include her successful representation of Bovis Construction in a
coverage suit against its insurer over issues related to mold in luxury residences in Washington.
In addition, she represented Arkansas Glass Container Corp., a midsize glass container manufacturer, in insurance
litigation over fire damage — an experience she called “very rewarding.”
“The claim happened right as the recession was hitting and deepening, and these were just good, nice people and I
wanted to help them,” she said. “It was classic work for people in the heartland.”
The case, Bracey said, called on all of her professional skills as an insurance litigator. She had to learn about the
glassmaking business, as well as issues like accounting.`
All of her insurance cases require getting to know her clients' business, she added, and doing so in a thoughtful,
comprehensive way is one strategy that has led to her success.
“As lawyers, we tend to think of ourselves as purely on the legal side of things, but we're serving the client's entire
business,” Bracey said. “You need to get into the weeds of why they bought a particular policy, and why the insurer
doesn't want to write a check.”
While it often feels like an uphill battle, she said, “you have to persevere and be patient, but you also have to know
when to turn up the heat.”
For junior attorneys looking to emulate her impressive career trajectory, Bracey said to focus on asking as many
questions as possible.
“One mistake I made was to sometimes choose deadline over quality,” she said. “Sometimes you need to admit
your work might be better if you have more time to work on it.”
Mathias, for his part, said any purported mistakes in Bracey's early years at the firm had been overshadowed by
her tremendous work ethic.
“She works very hard at this and gives it her best efforts, and she's done extremely well in a very short period of
time,” he said. “She's a brilliant, shining star. You'll be hearing a lot more of Kali Bracey.”
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