Birnie Named Partner at Conner & Winters
Conner & Winters is excited to announce C. Austin Birnie as the firm’s newest partner. Since joining the firm in 2014, Birnie has developed a practice in American Indian/Native American law, which includes litigation on behalf of Tribes in federal, tribal, and state courts, as well as transactional matters with an emphasis on Indian country financings and gaming developments. He also maintains an active general commercial litigation practice, serving clients across a broad range of industries, including banking, energy, and real estate, with a particular focus on trusts and estates disputes.
“It is an honor and a privilege to join the ranks of the partnership at Conner & Winters,” said Birnie. “The firm has given me so many generous opportunities to develop as a lawyer. The ability to collaborate with attorneys from our many diverse practice groups has greatly enriched my own practice. This is especially true in our American Indian/Native American group, where I have brought my litigation experience to several high-profile cases, and have expanded my practice into transactional matters such as gaming and tribal financings. Recently, this work has included coordinating and handling all aspects of a major financing of a new casino resort.”
“Austin is such a valued team member in the firm through his American Indian/Native American law and litigation work. He is a highly talented attorney, and we are proud of him,” said Scott Hathaway, president of Conner & Winters.
Birnie earned his law degree from the Duke University School of Law in 2014 and received a B.A. cum laude in economics and philosophy from the University of Chicago in 2009. While in law school, he served as lead editor for the Duke Journal of Comparative & International Law, interned for the Honorable Sam Glasscock, Vice Chancellor of the Delaware Court of Chancery, and worked for a boutique firm that specializes in high stakes corporate litigation in the Delaware Court of Chancery and Delaware Supreme Court.
He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Tulsa County Bar Association and the Tulsa Opera, and maintains an active membership with the Oklahoma Bar Association and Tulsa County Bar Association.