- Affirmative Recovery
- American Indian Law and Policy
- Antitrust and Trade Regulation
- Appellate Advocacy and Guidance
- Business Litigation
- Civil Rights and Police Misconduct
- Class Action Litigation
- Commercial/Project Finance and Real Estate
- Corporate Governance and Special Situations
- Corporate Restructuring and Bankruptcy
- Domestic and International Arbitration
- Health Care Litigation
- Insurance and Catastrophic Loss
- Intellectual Property and Technology Litigation
- Litigation Support Services
- Mass Tort Attorneys
- Medical Malpractice Attorneys
- Personal Injury Attorneys
- Telecommunications Litigation and Arbitration
- Wealth Planning, Administration, and Disputes
-
April 16, 2021Ronald Schutz Named 2021 Lawdragon Legend
-
April 14, 2021Robins Kaplan Secures Asylum, Relative Petition for Somali Journalist
-
April 12, 2021Robins Kaplan Executives Recognized by Twin Cities Business
-
April 28, 2021Creating the Audit Clause for Today’s Compliance Review
-
April 29, 2021International Intellectual Property: Challenges of Cross-Border Litigation
-
April 29, 2021Breakthrough Greater Boston Reflections on Resilience Virtual Gala
-
April 13, 2021US Antitrust Regulators Should Foster Climate Collaboration
-
April 2, 2021Prepare For Minn. Privacy Law To Catch Up To Calif., Wash.
-
Spring 2021Fiduciary or Foe? Revisiting Meinhard v. Salmon
-
April 16, 2021Financial Daily Dose 4.16.2021 | Top Story: Lower Jobless Claims and Big U.S. Retail Sales Power Dow Above 34,000
-
April 15, 2021Financial Daily Dose 4.15.2021 | Top Story: Big Banks Deliver Huge Q1 Profits, Economic Optimism Despite Ongoing Challenges
-
April 14, 2021Financial Daily Dose 4.14.2021 | Top Story: Crypto Exchange Coinbase Makes Public Debut on Nasdaq
Katie Bennett

Katie Bennett
Partner

Experience
Katie Bennett is a civil trial lawyer with an active practice in federal and state courts. A skillful advocate at all stages of the proceedings, she focuses her practice on the prosecution of federal civil rights matters, including jail suicides, police shootings, and excessive force cases, as well as personal injury actions where individuals have suffered serious injury or death.
In 2014, Katie was named an “Attorney of the Year” by Minnesota Lawyer for her role on the Kucera Trial Team. She was also named a “Rising Star” from 2015-2019 by Super Lawyers. In 2019, Katie played an integral role in the multi-million dollar settlement in the Rusczcyk v. Noor matter.
A four-time letter winner and former captain of the St. Olaf College hockey team, Katie likes to mix it up. She is successful both in and out of court and has been instrumental in securing millions of dollars for deserving clients. Katie is always looking for new challenges both on and off the ice.
$20 million; Ruszczyk v. Noor, et al. U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota (2019): On July 15, 2017, Justine Maia Ruszczyk was murdered by Mohamed Mohamed Noor, a Minneapolis Police officer. Justine had called 911 to report a possible sexual assault in the alleyway behind her home in the Fulton neighborhood of Minneapolis. Justine was murdered in the same alleyway. She was barefoot and wearing pink pajamas. She had not committed any crime. She had not displayed any aggression. She was unarmed. She posed no threat to Noor or his partner, Matthew Harrity, or anyone else on the scene. (Prior to joining Robins Kaplan LLP)
$2 million; Nass v. Cass County U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota (2019): Federal civil rights wrongful death regarding the suicide of Darren H. Benais, Sr. who ingested windshield washer fluid while in a Cass County transport van – a fact known by numerous Cass County correctional officers. Despite the knowledge, none of the COs did anything to address Mr. Benais’s ingestion of the toxic fluid. Instead, Mr. Benais was left where he fell on the floor of his cell, writhing in pain until his death. (Prior to joining Robins Kaplan LLP)
$350,000; Olsen v. Roddy U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota (2018): Trevor Olesen suffered a prolonged police K9 attack on May 26, 2016 that resulted in gaping wounds to his right leg. A portion of the K9 attack was captured by drone. The drone video shows Olesen being viciously attacked by K9 Jax, who was deployed on Olesen by Defendant Roddy, a K9 handler and police officer with the City of Fridley. (Prior to joining Robins Kaplan LLP)
$2 million; Baker v. City of St. Paul, et al. U. S. District Court, District of Minnesota (2017): On June 25, 2016, Frank Baker was viciously attacked by Paul Police officer Ficcadenti’s police K9 and kicked three times in the ribs by officer Palkowitsch, while he was trying to comply with the officers’ orders. (Prior to joining Robins Kaplan LLP)
$1.75 million; Sieff v. City of Chaska, et al. U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota (2017): On February 7, 2014 Dawn Marie Pfister was shot and killed by Brady Juell of the Chaska Police Department after obtaining a small folding knife with a 3 ¼ inch blade from Matthew Serbus who had held her hostage and menaced her with the same knife. (Prior to joining Robins Kaplan LLP)
$1.45 million; Baxter-Knutson v Stearns County & MEnD Correctional Care, et al. U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota (2016): Federal civil rights action brought on behalf of the next of kin of Kyle Allan Baxter-Jensen, who committed suicide at the Stearns County Jail in December of 2010 after previously attempting suicide within the same period of confinement and through the same means – self-inflicted neck wounds using a jail-issued razor. (Prior to joining Robins Kaplan LLP)

- Named to Law360's Access to Justice Editorial Advisory Board (2021)
- Named Attorney of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer (2014)
- Named a “Minnesota Rising Star” by Super Lawyers (2015-2020)
- Minnesota
- U.S. District Court, Minnesota
- U.S. District Court, North Dakota
- William Mitchell College of Law, J.D.
- St. Olaf College, B.A. in English
- Minnesota Women Lawyers (Leadership Committee 2014-2015; Equity Committee 2016-2019; Co-Chair of Equity Committee 2019)
- Minnesota State Bar Association
- Hennepin County Bar Association
- “$2 million settlement reached in Cass Count inmate death,” KSTP (March 7, 2019)
- “Anoka County Commissioners Settle Lawsuit Over Police K-9 Bite,” KSTP (September 17, 2018)
- Police Misconduct Litigation: Overcoming Lies and Unchecked Police Power to Get Justice
Panelist, Minnesota Association for Justice 38th Annual Meeting and Virtual Convention (August 13, 2020)
RESOURCES
If you are interested in having us represent you, you should call us so we can determine whether the matter is one for which we are willing or able to accept professional responsibility. We will not make this determination by e-mail communication. The telephone numbers and addresses for our offices are listed on this page. We reserve the right to decline any representation. We may be required to decline representation if it would create a conflict of interest with our other clients.
By accepting these terms, you are confirming that you have read and understood this important notice.