Karin Jacoby Joins Real Estate Group
Husch Blackwell welcomes Senior Counsel Karin M. Jacoby, P.E., as an attorney to its Kansas City, Mo., office. Jacoby will concentrate her practice on Levee & Flood Protection matters as a member the firm’s Real Estate, Development & Construction industry group. She brings 25 years of experience in water resources and public works, as well as national-level policy expertise.
Jacoby is a member of the National Committee on Levee Safety. She was appointed by the Assistant Secretary of the Army of Civil Works to represent local/regional interests on the Committee, which was created by Congress in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. She also served on the National Academy of Sciences levee committee that authored the recently released report for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Levees and the National Flood Insurance Program: Improving Policies and Practices.
Jacoby has been the Executive Director of the Missouri and Associated Rivers Coalition (MOARC) since 2001. This long-standing nonprofit was formed following the ravaging local floods of 1951 to advocate for flood control and water conservation, and continues with that mission today.
In 2009, Jacoby founded Spica Consulting LLC, an engineering and flood-risk management firm. A professional engineer registered in both Missouri and Illinois, she was previously employed by the City of Kansas City, Mo., as an Assistant City Engineer and Division Manager. Jacoby led the City’s waterways program, working closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on projects such as the Blue River Channel Modification, Turkey Creek/Tunnel, and Brush Creek Flood Control and Beautification. While working for the City of Kansas City, Jacoby earned her J.D. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law (2006)) and her Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Missouri-Kansas City (1999). Initially upon receiving her B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla, now known as Missouri University of Science and Technology (1985), Jacoby worked as a Design Engineer and Project Manager for the St. Louis-based firm Booker Associates Inc. (1986-1995).
Since 1929, Husch Blackwell has represented clients in levee and flood protection matters, including the planning, financing and construction of public infrastructure and flood control systems. The firm’s Levee & Flood Protection team has a unique understanding of the legal and legislative issues surrounding levee and drainage facilities and the entities that build and manage them. Through numerous critical projects, Husch Blackwell attorneys have consistently and successfully partnered with clients, engineers, financial advisors, the USACE, FEMA and other state and local governments, to develop legal strategies and solve complex legal matters in a cost-effective manner.