Best & Flanagan LLP - Native American Law

Native American Law

ATTORNEYS

NATIVE AMERICAN LAW
SUBSPECIALTIES:

Business development corporations

Business law, taxes, contracts & tribal financing

Employment

Family law

Federal Indian law

Gaming

Indian housing

Investments

Litigation

Real estate

Regulatory matters

Tribal court services

Tribal election representation

Tribal governance, constitutions & ordinances

Tribal government & inter-governmental relations

Trusts & estates

The Native American Law Section (NALS) at Best & Flanagan provides tribes the full range of legal services and extensive Indian law expertise they need to achieve their economic goals and further the well-being of their members.

Several of our attorneys have in-house tribal government experience (encompassing both legal work and corporate positions of executive director and HR director), bringing to the team valuable insight into issues unique to Indian country. The group includes enrolled members of the Lower Sioux Dakota Community and Yurok Tribe and a descendant of the Nez Perce, Washoe and Paiute tribes. In addition, the section’s chair, Lenor Scheffler, retired in fall 2006 as chief judge of the Upper Sioux Community Tribal Court after serving the Community for five years.

NALS attorneys have a wide range of experience in gaming and regulatory matters, complex business transactions, finance, governance, white collar crime, public safety and other areas critical to tribal clients. These areas require special understanding of tribal immunity and law principles as applied to a domestic sovereign nation. Our attorneys serve as general and special counsel to tribes and tribal entities, represent tribes in gaming-related contracts and provide advice and support to in-house counsel. The group also includes former U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota, Thomas Heffelfinger.

We also draw from other groups within Best & Flanagan, when appropriate, to effectively address any issue a tribal client may have. The firm has been on the cutting edge of obtaining favorable tax solutions for beneficiaries of tribal minors’ trusts and for tribal members participating in tribal housing and other social benefit programs. We have also developed programs for investing tribal funds, educational assistance for tribal members and sophisticated financing for tribal projects.

Best & Flanagan welcomes the opportunity to serve tribes and tribal entities in reaching their goals. For more information, contact Lenor Scheffler at 612-349-5687 or lscheffler@bestlaw.com.