Indian Law & Policy
We provide a 360-degree look at the legal and strategic issues that help your tribal nation achieve its long-term goals
Capabilities at a glance
- Advice born of experience related to tribal land and natural resource management, which helps clients draft tribal laws, regulations and policies.
- Counsel that can help your nation grow and prosper economically, based on an understanding of your needs and local demands.
- Experience representing clients before federal agencies, members of Congress, congressional committees and agencies through federal lobbying services.
- Our team will help you create a solid legal infrastructure, including everything from energy regulation to corporate formation.
Tribal law, governance and economic development
Indian law lies at the crossroads of many unique and complex legal, historical, cultural and economic issues. Our attorneys understand that tribal sovereignty, federal and state law, and tribal laws and traditions all play a role in achieving the objectives of tribal governments and businesses — and those who do business with them. Our Indian Law & Policy Practice Group provides legal counsel on the full range of issues affecting the business operation, self-governance and economic development of tribes, including extensive work on tribal lands and natural resources, energy, infrastructure development and housing. Our experience and acumen on tribal law, case law, federal statutes, and federal and state agency regulations will help your tribe create a solid legal infrastructure in support of your long-term goals.
Dedicated support on a wide range of Indian law and policy issues
Our dedicated Indian Law & Policy Practice Group has a diverse range of experience representing clients on a wide range of matters, which can broadly be placed into the following categories:
- Energy and infrastructure development, including project development and financing, federal and state energy regulatory, programs and policy efforts, and federal requirements for tribal lands development
- Economic development and business operations, including corporate formation, gaming compact negotiations and casino work, housing, negotiation of agreements, distribution and franchising, intellectual property and tax
- Tribal governance: We serve as general counsel for several tribes, Section 17 corporations and other tribal entities — advising on tribal codes, governance, labor and employment matters and COVID relief programs, among other issues.
- Tribal lands and natural resources: We have advised many tribal nations on a range of tribal property and environmental matters, including complex regulatory, litigation, government and transactional matters related to protecting tribal air, water and lands.
- Governmental relations, including advising on government contracting, SBA and 8(a) work, lobbying, ethics, campaign finance and anti-corruption matters arising locally at the federal level
Successes
- Successfully represented an Oklahoma-based Native American nation in a lawsuit against the Department of Treasury related to the unfair distribution of CARES Act funding.
- Representation of the housing entity of a large Arizona landowner tribe in five Arizona Department of Housing Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC)-financed housing projects on the tribe's reservation. Representation involved securing BIA-approved master leases of tribal trust land and LIHTC project subleases for project site control requirements.
- Representation in all phases and successful closings of five Arizona Department of Housing LIHTC-financed housing projects on the tribe's reservation on behalf of the Tohono O'odham Ki:Ki Association, the Tribally Designated Housing Entity of the Tohono O'odham Nation, a federal recognized Indian tribe. Representation also involved securing BIA-approved master leases of tribal trust land for each project between the Tohono O'odham Nation and the client, and LIHTC project subleases for project site control requirements.
