Her Story
About Katie
Katherine “Katie” Nagel, Esq., is a dynamic legal executive and transformational leader specializing in commercial contracting, digital transformation, and enterprise legal operations. Currently serving as Assistant General Counsel at Brown & Brown, Inc.
, Katie leads a high-performing commercial contracts team supporting multiple organizations across the insurance brokerage industry, including Accession Risk Management Group, Risk Strategies, and One80 Intermediaries. Known for her grit, tenacity, and strategic mindset, she has built a career focused on creating scalable, client-focused legal solutions that drive operational efficiency and long-term business success. Her expertise in contract lifecycle management, corporate governance, and enterprise integration has positioned her as a respected leader in the in-house legal space.
Since graduating from the University of St. Thomas School of Law
in 2014 and becoming licensed through the Minnesota State Bar, Katie has dedicated her career to in-house corporate legal work, particularly in commercial contracting and transactions. Prior to joining Brown & Brown, she held leadership roles at Accession Risk Management and U.S. Bank
, where she managed large-scale contract negotiations, strategic business initiatives, and digital transformation projects. One of her most notable achievements was implementing a contract lifecycle management platform in under eight weeks, generating substantial organizational savings and dramatically improving scalability and efficiency. Throughout her career, Katie has consistently combined legal expertise with innovation, helping organizations modernize complex processes while maintaining a strong focus on integrity and collaboration.
Beyond her legal accomplishments, Katie is deeply passionate about advancing women in the workplace and creating opportunities for future leaders. Since 2018, she has served as an inaugural chair, co-founder, and co-chair of several women’s Employee Resource Groups, advocating for networking, mentorship, and leadership development for women across corporate environments. She is also an active member of the Association of Corporate Counsel
and volunteers her time mentoring law students through her alma mater, helping aspiring attorneys gain practical insight into the realities of legal practice. With a leadership philosophy grounded in empathy, integrity, and innovation, Katie continues to make a meaningful impact both within the legal profession and in the broader business community.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Katie
01What do you attribute your success to?
My mom. My mom, she has been incredibly influential throughout my life, and has instilled just an amazing work ethic. And, you know, not only work ethic to get the work done, but a work ethic to understand the people that are behind the work, too, and to have empathy towards the situation that may be arising, right? And especially in law, you know, contracting or legal issues, especially in-house, people are coming to you with a problem to resolve. And it may not always be a good one that they really want to deal with, and you need to be there to provide them, you know, with the right guidance, with comfort, with expertise, and whatnot, so she's really been an incredible guiding force in my life.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
You are your best advocate. So, as uncomfortable as conversations around negotiating salary, boundaries around roles and responsibilities, expansion into new opportunities, nobody else is going to do that for you, but you. You have to take control of your career in that aspect.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell them to be, don't be afraid to step into your power. Don't be afraid, don't let somebody dim your light, and step in your power and shine.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The predominance of AI, right? I'm sure you're ready for that one. But the predominance of AI and the distinction between, you know, in particularly when it comes to the overlap of AI and the law, and how you are as an attorney, how your clients may be using it. Are they giving up privilege relative to the information your clients are even putting in there, right? There's a lot of ethical considerations in the use of responsible use of AI and to understand it fully. You know, I'm a proponent to, you know, not be afraid and give it a try in low-stakes environments before you fully understand what's going to happen in a high-stakes situation. But of course, you never want to be the case for sales that we're seeing across the, you know, United States at the moment, where big-time law firms are using AI to generate motions, and they are getting caught in court, and they are getting sanctioned.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Having an unwavering level of integrity, right? And to really always put your best foot forward, understanding, too, that on every day, but your best foot might not be 100% of who you are. Sometimes, 100% out of 40% is still 100%, right? Sometimes we can't all give everything all the time and go full throttle. We gotta recognize, too, that there are careers where your best might just be a little different that day.
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