Praised for their ‘excellent communication skills’, the Minneapolis-based lawyers at Robins Kaplan LLP specialize in representing tribes in complex contentious cases in federal, state, and tribal courts. Core areas of focus for the group include litigation relating to tribal sovereignty, energy extraction, tribal lending, cannabis, and gaming. A recent highlight saw the team represent 28 Tribal Nations based in the Great Plains, Upper Midwest, and the West Coast in litigation relating to the opioid crisis, successfully securing a $589m settlement from major pharmaceutical companies. The group is co-directed by ex-US Attorney for the District of South Dakota Brendan Johnson, who focuses on litigating cases of tribal sovereignty. Co-leading alongside him, ex-US Attorney for the District of North Dakota Tim Purdon majors on energy extraction and civils rights-related litigation. Additional key figures include litigators Tim Billion and associate Casey Matthiesen.
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Excellent listening skills; excellent communication skills; fair billing.’
‘The lawyers really care about the client.’
Key clients
- National Tribal Opioid Litigation: 28 Tribal Nations
- Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana Tribal Lending Regulatory Commission
Work highlights
- Represented 28 Tribal Nations in litigation, securing a $589m in total proposed settlements in the national multidistrict litigation against major opioid distributors.
- Sued the federal government on behalf of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services closed the only emergency room on the Rosebud Reservation.