Tribal Nations Law

Practice Overview

Drummond Woodsum’s nationally recognized Tribal Nations Practice Group provides the highest quality services to tribal nations and their enterprises and to companies that do business with tribes across the country. Our lawyers have served some of the country’s most successful tribal nations and enterprises for over 35 years. We have the highest peer-rated credentials, including listings in Chambers USA and Best Lawyers in America for our excellence in Native American Law.

Our Full-Service Approach to Tribal Representation

We are not myopic in our representation of our tribal clients. We are part of a full-service law firm. This allows us to team lawyers with deep knowledge of federal Indian law and tribal law with other specialists to meet our clients’ needs.

For example, we pair our specialists in federal Indian law with:

business and commercial lawyers for gaming and other economic development work;
trial and appellate practitioners for litigation in federal, tribal, or state courts;
labor specialists for personnel and employment matters;
school lawyers for education-related matters; and
tax and affordable housing specialists to address tribal housing needs.

We are nimble and able to tailor legal services to meet the particular needs of our clients.

Representative Clients

Amerind Risk
Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (MI)
Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse (NY)
Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe (WA)
The Klamath Tribes (OR)
Little River Band of Ottawa Indians and Little River Casino Resort (MI)
Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians (MI)
Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, Foxwoods Resort Casino (CT)
Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut (CT)
Passamaquoddy Tribe, Passamaquoddy Wild Blueberry Company (ME)
Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians, Rolling Hills Casino, Rolling Hills Clinic and Tepa, LLC (CA)
Penobscot Nation and Penobscot Indian Nation Enterprises (ME)
Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians and Four Winds Casino Resort (MI)
Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe (WA)
Pueblo of Laguna Department of Education (NM)
Pueblo of Zia (NM)
Rappahannock Tribe (VA)
Seminole Tribe of Florida (FL)
Squaxin Island Tribe (WA)
St. Regis Mohawk Tribe (NY)
Suquamish Tribe (WA)
Tribal First
Turtle Mountain Chippewa Housing Authorities (ND)

Tribal Practice Areas

Business, Finance and Economic Development

Complex gaming and other tribal business transactions
Loan and other financing transactions; we have closed over $2.5 billion in tribal financings
Loan restructurings and workout transactions
National Indian Gaming Commission and tribal gaming regulatory work
Leasing transactions on tribal lands
Tribal enterprise and economic development, including New Markets Tax Credits, 8(a) and federal contracting, joint ventures, and strategies and consultation
Construction agreements and disputes

Litigation in Federal, State and Tribal Courts

Transactional and business disputes
Sovereignty and jurisdiction disputes; we work regularly with the NCAI/NARF Supreme Court Project
Employment and labor relations, including proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission, the Department of Labor, and the National Labor Relations Board
Alternative dispute resolution, including arbitration and mediation
Civil rights
Land, water, fishing, and water hunting rights
Reservation boundary disputes

Labor and Employment Relations