United Tribes ) Michigan - Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians

INDIAN NATIONS
Litigation
When other means of dispute resolution are unsuccessful, litigation is sometimes necessary to protect tribal
sovereignty. Godfrey & Kahn has attorneys experienced in all types of civil and criminal litigation in tribal, state and
federal courts. Bar admissions include state and federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court, and
various tribal courts. Two of the firm's litigators are past presidents of the Seventh Circuit Bar Association.
Our attorneys' Indian country litigation experience includes:
• Federal court litigation to protect the right of Chippewa spear fishers to exercise rights reserved under treaties
of 1837, 1842 and 1854, resulting in a permanent injunction prohibiting interference with treaty-reserved
rights. Lac du Flambeau v. Stop Treaty Abuse-Wisconsin, et al., 41 F.3d 449 (7th Cir. 1994), cert. denied 514
U.S. 1096 (1995).
• Federal court litigation to prevent state taxing authorities from attempting to exercise jurisdiction in Indian
country in violation of federal law, resulting in a permanent injunction prohibiting efforts to tax tribal member
residing on reservation with respect to income earned outside state. Lac du Flambeau v. Zeuske, 145
F.Supp.2d 969 (W.D.Wis. 2000).
• Representation of tribes in state courts in connection with a wide variety of business, commercial disputes and
governmental disputes.
• Representation of tribes in tribal courts in a wide variety of matters involving tribal constitutional issue,
governmental affairs and commercial matters.
The firm's experience includes matters involving joint tribal-state jurisdiction and consultation between state and
tribal court judges to allocate jurisdiction pursuant to principles established by the Wisconsin Supreme Court's ruling
in Teague v. Bad River Band, 2003 WI 118.
13