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Practice Areas :
Native American Affairs
Patton Boggs has a long tradition of providing quality legal services to American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and their organizations. This tradition is born of our genuine commitment to assist Tribes, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians, their business entities, and their members gain the full benefit of the federal treaties, laws, and administrative regulations to protect tribal sovereignty and to promote self-determination and financial well-being. The firm also assists non-Indian entities desiring to do business with Tribes and Alaska Native and Hawaiian Native Corporations. We play an important role in helping foster economic development in Indian Country through facilitation of responsible and culturally sensitive outside investment.
The unusual strength of Patton Boggs’ Native American Affairs Practice lies in the firm’s ability to offer clients access to a unique combination of attorney resources. Our professionals are among the most highly respected in the country, including lawyers who have argued before the Supreme Court, testified before Congress, and served in key positions at the Department of the Interior, the Department of Justice, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Where appropriate, our Native American law practitioners work closely with other Patton Boggs legal experts, providing clients with access to a team of professionals with specialized skills in a wide range of legal subject matter areas.
Patton Boggs’ clients benefit from the strategic and substantive advice only available from “lawyer’s lawyers,” who have direct and hands-on experience with the issues facing Indian Country today, including:
- Fee-to-Trust Acquisitions (gaming and non-gaming)
- Compliance with all aspects of the Section 20 of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (“Two-Part” Determinations, Restored Lands Analyses, Initial Reservation Proclamations, and Land claim Settlements)
- Tribal-State Compact Negotiations
- Restored Lands Determinations
- Initial Reservation Proclamations
- Treaty Rights Protection—Land Claims, Water Rights, Hunting and Fishing
- Federal Recognition—Legislative and Office of Federal Acknowledgement
- Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act—all facets and issues
- Land Exchanges, Leases, and Conservation Easements
- Management and Development Contracts (gaming and non-gaming)
- Corporate and Organizational Governance Advice and Representation
- Government Contracting
- Indian Health Services
- Cultural Preservation (Indian Arts and Crafts Act, the Native American Graves
- and Protection Act, and the Archeological Resources protection Act)
Representative Matters:
- Assisted a southeastern tribe obtain the only “Two-Part Determination” issued by the Department of the Interior in the Bush Administration.
- Assisted a California Tribe obtain one of the very few “restored lands” determinations from the National Indian Gaming Commission, thereby allowing that restored tribe to develop a gaming facility on the subject land.
- Assisted several newly recognized tribes apply for trust land and petition for initial reservation proclamation and/or restored lands status for those lands.
- Assisted several Alaska Native Corporations restructure their organizations to provide their governing boards with greater control over operations, thereby increasing accountability for results and reducing risks.
- Facilitated economic investment and development in Indian Country by assisting various non-Indian businesses tailor their products and business relationships to meet the needs of their tribal partners.
- Assisted numerous tribes, Alaska Native Corporations and Indian-owned businesses benefit from the procurement preferences available to Native American contractors (with a special emphasis on those certified under the Small Business Administration’s “8(a)” program).
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