Husch Blackwell welcomes Sarah Dotson Mathews as Senior Counsel in the firm’s Kansas City, Mo., office. She joins Husch Blackwell’s Energy team, bringing experience as a former Associate General Counsel for the once publicly traded Midwestern energy utility Aquila Merchant Services Inc. Mathews has deep roots in the energy industry, having been raised in Tulsa, Okla., where her family is entrenched in the international oil and gas sector.
While at Aquila, Mathews acted concurrently as in-house legal counsel and as Environmental Health and Safety Director. She was responsible for the utility’s environmental, health and safety regulatory compliance and due diligence; responded to alleged violations and noncompliance claims; and negotiated resolutions or managed related mediation and litigation. In addition, she negotiated Aquila’s legal contracts for asset, stock, real estate and land acquisitions. Mathews also formerly served as Compliance Director for Kansas City-based campaign finance and public affairs consulting firm The Bespoke Group, and as Chief Executive Officer for the Council on Philanthropy, now known as Nonprofit Connect.
Mathews began her legal career as a law clerk for the Hon. Don W. Kennedy in the U.S. Court of Appeals, Western District of Missouri. After her clerkship, she went on to work for one of Husch Blackwell’s legacy firms, Blackwell Sanders.
Mathews received her J.D. from the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Law (1993), where she was Managing Editor of UMKC Law Review. Prior to law school, Mathews worked as a Management Consultant for the consulting firm Booz Allen & Hamilton in Atlanta, Ga., and Washington, D.C. She received her B.A. from Duke University in Durham, N.C. (1987).
Husch Blackwell represents clients throughout the energy and natural resources sectors, providing a full range of legislative, regulatory, transactional, commercial and litigation services. Members of the firm's Energy group understand the evolving energy and natural resources sectors and help clients take advantage of a constantly changing environment to achieve their strategic goals.