Best Lawyers in America for Native American Law
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State
Philip Baker-Shenk is a partner in our firm's Indian Law Practice Group and our Entertainment Law Practice Group. He provides legal and policy representation to dozens of Native American Indian Tribal governments as well as Tribal organizations and companies doing business with Indian Tribes. Mr. Baker-Shenk began working on behalf of Indian Tribes in our Nation's capital in 1976. For half a decade, he served as staff in the U.S. Senate, including two years as Majority General Counsel to Indi...
Rob Roy Edward Stuart Smith is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Native American Law. Rob Roy Edward Stuart, who practices law in Seattle, Washington, has been recognized since 2013. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Rob Roy Edward Stuart is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Christopher Babbitt represents clients in litigation and enforcement matters involving the federal government. He also advises clients on a range of compliance issues involving their interactions with federal officials and participation in the political process. Mr. Babbitt joined the firm in 2007 and is a member of the Government & Regulatory Litigation and Strategic Response practice groups.
Sarah Stevenson is a shareholder in the Natural Resources Department and a litigator representing public entities and private businesses. Her natural resources experience focuses on water law, including water adjudications and interstate water compacts, and Native American law, including natural resource development projects on Native American land. She has advised clients developing projects on Native American land on issues regarding indigenous rights, jurisdiction, and contract formation. ...
Donna M. Connolly is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Native American Law. Donna M., who practices law in Santa Fe, New Mexico, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Donna M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Kaighn Smith Jr. has been fighting for Tribal Nations and their enterprises in the tribal, federal, and state courts and before federal administrative agencies across the country for over 30 years. He has garnered a national reputation for his committed advocacy for tribal sovereignty, winning cases in a wide range of areas, including jurisdiction disputes, gaming matters, labor and employment relations, and land-in-trust and environmental matters. He regularly teaches federal Indian law as a...
Mr. Tobin joined the Firm in 1968 and became a partner in 1970. His involvement in a number of prominent cases at both the state and federal level during this time helped to expand the Firm’s litigation practice. Today, he practices extensively in the areas of corporate, commercial, gaming and Indian law, appellate, personal injury and wrongful death and general litigation. Mr. Tobin has lectured before the Connecticut Bar Association and is a Connecticut Superior Court Trial Referee.
Lynn Slade serves clients’ needs addressing Federal Indian law and Native American law, energy, natural resources, environmental law, project development, complex litigation and transactions for over 30 years. In his Indian law practice, Lynn advises and counsels natural resource and energy developers, financial institutions, utilities, and other businesses in transactions and project development, including extensive involvement with renewable energy projects. He also leads litigation t...
Bill is a member of the Financial Services Practice Group and has significant experience in public financing, commercial and investment real estate lending and bankruptcy law. He represents financial institutions in a variety of commercial loans with Native American borrowers and has experience with related commercial lending issues such as waivers of sovereign immunity, submission to jurisdiction, governing law and trust lands.
Daniel Volchok's practice focuses on appellate litigation involving various areas of federal and state law, including arbitration, bankruptcy, civil rights, contracts, criminal law, due process, free speech, intellectual property, military law, Native American issues, preemption and tax. Mr. Volchok has filed numerous merits and amicus briefs in the US Supreme Court as well as state and federal appellate courts, and also participated in successful efforts to obtain or oppose certiorari.
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.