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Simplicity

The practice of law is not a mystical art. It is an organized method of preventing and solving problems. Our approach is to simplify as much of the actual process as possible so that the complexities remain in the determination of legal posture, not the practice itself. Towards this end, we operate with three simple principles in mind whether it is in contract review or complex negotiations.

Gather the facts:
Too many "good" ideas have been lost due to the parties misunderstanding of legal requirements or a realistic expectation of timing or resource commitment. By retrieving the facts on an issue, we are able to save the Tribal leadership the time of considering a project that has not been thoroughly researched for plausibility. Likewise, we serve as a filter for Tribes so that would-be investors are investigated before making presentations or proposals. Since many projects live or die by the details, we make this our first step. Specifically, when dealing with third parties, we follow a "Question and Answer" period to ensure everyone involved has the information necessary to make a sound decision.
Document preparation:
Experience has shown us that while a project may seem feasible and beneficial, many hours are wasted in endless communications requesting information only to be followed by months of delay while a suitable contracting document is prepared. We believe our clients should not waste their time reviewing a document only to send it to us for further review. We review the contract, itemize the terms, seek our client's terms and incorporate them into a counter proposal. This process saves many hours of unnecessary back and forth. Also, we encourage our clients to ask for paper on any given project before a presentation is made. Salesmanship is no substitute for cold, hard facts supporting the viability of a project.
Execution:
Often, the third parties to a project, whether it be a federal contract or a private economic development contract, are not prepared to execute the deal. Sometimes this requires that the Tribe receive good faith funds. Other times it simply means that the party authorized to sign be present. In all cases, we aim to ensure that before a meeting is called or presentation is made, the third parties are able and ready to execute the agreements. Again, our experience has shown us that too often deal brokers try to make the deal and then waste the Tribe's time by trying to sell it to the actual funding sources. We cut through this wasteful process by requiring that the funds for a particular project be either advanced or evidence of the funding be demonstrated.