Live Interactive Webinars

Alexandra Houle works together with her business partner Elena Houle at My Medicare Solutions, a family company in Auburn, Washington. The company has been in business for 17 years and has served clients in all of Washington state as well as 10+ other states. As a Medicare broker, Ms. Houle is able to represent and compare all the highly rated and recognized insurance companies providing all available Medicare products. The goal of My Medicare Solution is to assist each client in finding an insurance solution that fits their unique needs and make sure that they understand their options and choose a plan that works for them through one-on-one meetings and group presentations. She also provides support for her members all throughout the year and continues to make sure their plan fits year after year.

Brian Isaacson is an attorney with Washington Elder Law PLLC in Edmonds. Mr. Isaacson is a native of the Pacific Northwest and has been practicing law for over 20 years. He focuses on the areas of elder law, Medicaid planning, estate planning, IRA planning, tax planning, and stock option planning. Holding a masters of law degree in Taxation, he is a certified Attorney/CPA, and he is highly respected nationwide in the legal and tax community for his extensive and sophisticated work in tax litigation. An active member of the American Academy of Attorney-CPAs and president of its Washington State chapter, Mr. Isaacson approaches his work with great energy and serves his clients with respect and compassion. He is a member of the American Bar Association Tax Section, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, and Lawyers With Purpose. Mr. Isaacson is a sought-after speaker and has coauthored several books on wealth preservation, including Don’t Go Broke in a Nursing Home; Protect Your IRA—Avoid the 5 Common Mistakes; and Tax Free Money For Long-Term Care.

Aaron Paker follows a trinitarian (not Trinitarian) approach to life based around a core value of Love, including in his legal work. This approach can best be summarized as an overarching belief in Ubuntu (“I am because you are”); an interpersonal commitment to love everyone; and an intrapersonal faith in the value of a “Givers Gain” mentality. His family life, friendships, social services, and legal work are all centered on this idea of treating everyone with respect and love and doing all that he can to improve their lives. To Mr. Paker, a client is not a source of income or another face in the crowd. He prides himself on patiently listening to stories that are completely unrelated to the work he is doing, but that are important for the client to share with someone; keeping in touch after the work is done and ensuring that he puts the extra mile in, even at the expense of the profit margin. It is this need to improve lives that drew him to specialize in Crisis cases, typically Medicaid or Medicaid alternatives and Probate. Mr. Paker has been doing Medicaid work for about 10 years, starting as a paralegal and working his way through Seattle University School of Law as a part-time evening student. He graduated cum laude, with special honors, in his Elder Law and Advanced Elder Law classes, has self-published a guide to Medicaid with over 1,300 copies distributed in the first 2 years, and has successfully filed over 1,000 Medicaid applications.

Travis Pierce is an attorney with Inland Northwest Estate Planning and Elder Law, PLLC, in Spokane Valley. His practice focuses exclusively on elder law and estate planning. He has been an attorney since 1998 and practicing in the state of Washington since 2014. Mr. Pierce is a graduate of Lewis and Clark School of Law in Portland, Oregon. In addition to his JD degree, he earned an LLM (Masters in Law) with Distinction in Elder Law from Stetson University. Mr. Pierce is an active member of the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys and the Washington Association of Elder Law Attorneys.

Scott Terry is an attorney with Terry Law firm in Sumner. His main areas of practice are estate planning and personal injury. Mr. Terry is a local attorney who grew up in Des Moines, Washington. After graduating from Brigham Young University in 1986, he attended Seattle University School of Law. Mr. Terry has worked as a legal analyst on NW Cable News, as a pro tem judge, and has represented clients in more than 40 jury trials. With more than 30 years of practicing law, he is confident in the legal services he provides in Washington.

Cecily Barclay advises clients on land use and entitlements, real estate acquisition and development, and local government law matters. She assists with land use application processing, drafting and negotiating purchase and sale agreements, and negotiating and securing the approval of development agreements. She also handles general plan amendments, annexations, initiatives and referendums, and tentative and final subdivision maps. Ms. Barclay’s projects include redevelopment of land for market rate and affordable housing, life science campuses, hotels and resorts, and transit-oriented mixed-use development projects. She has significant experience in processing entitlements for redevelopment and expansion of regional retail centers, resort hotels, entertainment centers, biotech/R&D campuses, large mixed-use master-planned communities, and multifaceted reuse of former military facilities and other infill development sites. Her work involves advising on land use initiatives, negotiating school fee mitigation agreements, preparing conservation easements to mitigate for loss of biological resources, and drafting affordable housing programs, Williamson Act contracts, and related issues pertaining to agricultural properties. Ms. Barclay works with local agencies on drafting ordinances relating to updating general plans and housing elements, planned development zoning, specific plans, mitigation fees, affordable housing, and growth management. She focuses on how agencies and developers can apply state housing laws, particularly antiNIMBY (Housing Accountability Act) and density bonus laws. Ms. Barclay is a lead author of Curtin’s California Land Use & Planning Law, a publication summarizing the major provisions of California’s land use and planning laws. She also co-authored Development by Agreement, an ABA publication providing a national analysis of laws and practices concerning various forms of development agreements. Ms. Barclay regularly speaks and writes on topics involving land use and local government law, including programs and articles for the American Bar Association, American Planning Association, Urban Land Institute, and other state and national associations and conferences.

Ms. Graham has practiced law in the area of real estate transactions and litigation for over 30 years, and has served as a mediator for over 15 years. Her law practice focuses on transactional real estate law and civil appeals. Ms. Graham’s mediation practice emphasizes business and real estate matters. She has also mediated personal injury, unlawful detainer and civil harassment disputes. Ms. Graham is an author of a chapter of the CEB treatise Neighbor Disputes: Law and Litigation, which she continues to update annually. She also edits chapters CEB’s California Easements and Boundaries: Law and Litigation. Ms. Graham has been a panelist at various California State Bar and local bar events on the topics of easements, neighbor disputes, contract issues, elimination of bias and advanced negotiation skills. Ms. Graham has a background in title insurance and liability insurance. She litigated an insurance bad faith matter which ultimately went to the California Supreme Court. She served as a mediator for the Los Angeles Superior Court Alternative Dispute Resolution Panel, serving on both its pro bono and pay panels during which time she mediated contract, business, real estate, unlawful detainer, personal injury and civil harassment matters, as well as private mediations. Ms. Graham has served as a member of the Executive Committee of the California State Bar Real Property Section and as a member of the Board of Trustees of Santa Monica Bar Association. She is an active member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association Small Firms and Solo Section and presently serves on its executive committee. Ms. Graham trained as a mediator with the Strauss Institute for Dispute Resolution of Pepperdine University School of Law. She holds a B.A. degree in English from UCLA and a J.D. degree from Loyola Law School.

Lauren Layne is a shareholder at Baker Manock & Jensen, PC, in Fresno, where she chairs the firm’s Business Department and leads the firm’s Water Law and Public Agency practice groups. Her law practice focuses on general water and environmental law, including CEQA and NEPA compliance, and includes various business transactional matters in the areas of water rights, water quality, public agency law, agribusiness, and real property. She also assists clients with land acquisitions and eminent domain proceedings. In addition to representing private farming clients, she serves as general counsel to various irrigation and water districts, flood control districts, and a number of groundwater sustainability agencies. Ms. Layne attended California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, where she majored in Soil Science, and earned her J.D. degree, with distinction, from McGeorge School of Law. She is a native of Porterville and has an agricultural background that includes farming and raising sheep. She was very involved in both 4-H and FFA, is a past 4-H Leader, and received her American FFA Degree. She is currently serving as vice chair of the Dean’s Advisory Council for the Cal Poly College of Agriculture Food and Environmental Sciences and as immediate past president to both the Cal Poly Alumni Association and the McGeorge School of Law Alumni Association. She is the chair of the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) State Legislative Committee and serves on the ACWA Legal Affairs Committee. Ms. Layne is co-chair of the Fresno County Bar Association Ag Law Section and is a member of Fresno County Farm Bureau.

Mr. Offord graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 2005. Thereafter, he remained in Santa Barbara to work at a general litigation firm before attending law school at Santa Clara University and earning his J.D. degree in 2009. As a student at Santa Clara, he was named top of his class (receiving the CALI or the Witkin Award) in four of his courses, in addition to graduating on the Dean’s List. Mr. Offord joined the firm in 2009 after clerking for a law practice that primarily focused on real estate litigation and transactions. His experience includes law and motion practice and all stages of civil trials, including serving as lead counsel in many bench and jury trials. He has participated in State and Federal trials. He is heavily involved in the local real estate community, with an active role in several local real estate associations. He has also obtained his Real Estate Broker’s License from the California Department of Real Estate. He is regularly asked to be a speaker for local real estate organizations and brokerages, including SILVAR, Santa Clara County Association of Realtors®, and San Mateo County Association of Realtors®. He has also guest lectured at Menlo College for the Real Estate Law and Introduction to Law courses. In addition, Mr. Offord has been a speaker for both the Santa Clara County and San Mateo County Bar Associations. At Brewer Offord & Pedersen LLP, Mr. Offord works on matters representing real estate professionals and homeowners involved in neighbor and property disputes, as well as on commercial leasing matters and homeowner association issues. 

Pallamary & Associates is owned and operated by Michael J. Pallamary, a professional land surveyor licensed by the State of California. Mr. Pallamary has 42 years experience in the land surveying, land planning, land use consultation and engineering professions. He is a nationally recognized authority on land surveying and local land development regulations. Mr. Pallamary is a founding member of the Land Surveyors Advisory Council on Technical Standards (LSACTS). He writes a regular column for The American Surveyor magazine. He owned and operated Precision Survey & Mapping from 1983 to 1999. Mr. Pallamary has also been the owner and president of Land Survey Service of La Jolla since 1983. He is recognized as the preeminent authority on the redevelopment of property in La Jolla and San Diego’s coastal regions. Mr. Pallamary is also the owner and operator of www.tiepoints.com, the state of California’s premiere Land Surveyor Resource and Research Site. This site is also used as a tool to locate City of San Diego Tie Points. Pallamary & Associates specializes in land use litigation and the processing of complex land use permits, land planning, discretionary permits and coastal development permits issued by the City of San Diego and the California Coastal Commission. The company also provide project management services and land development consultation services for conventional projects and also in connection with insurance matters. As the owner of Land Survey Service of La Jolla, Mr. Pallamary owns the largest private collection of property records and survey maps of La Jolla properties. Mr. Pallamary is also a former member of the City of San Diego’s Board of Zoning Appeals in addition to having spent many years as a member of a variety of planning organizations including a term as the elected chairman of the Clairemont Mesa Planning Group, an elected member of the North Bay Project Area Committee and an appointed member of the Mission Bay Park Committee and Mission Bay Park Planners. In these capacities, he has co-authored the Mission Bay Park Master Plan, the Clairemont Mesa Community Plan and the North Bay Redevelopment Master Plan. Mr. Pallamary is also a co-author of the City of San Diego’s Mapping and Land Title Document Preparation Manual.

Mr. Barger’s practice focuses on environmental, land use, natural resources, regulatory, and zoning law. He has experience representing clients both in court and before administrative agencies such as the Ohio EPA and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Prior work experience includes employment by companies in the mining and gas industries. Mr. Barger is a member of the National Stone Sand & Gravel Association’s Council of Counsels, the Ohio Aggregates and Industrial Minerals Association, the Ohio Farm Bureau’s Healthy Water Ohio work group, the Ohio Forestry Association, the Ohio Water Resources Advisory Group and the American, Ohio State and Columbus Bar Associations.

John Gardella is a co-owner of CMBG3 Law and a trial attorney with over 19 years of environmental litigation experience and over 75 cases tried to verdict. He is chair of the firm’s PFAS practice group and represents companies in PFAS litigation, including class action, pollution, injury and medical monitoring cases. He represents a defendant in the AFFF MDL, as well as companies involved in PFAS litigation in state and federal courts. For his work in environmental and PFAS related matters, Mr. Gardella was recognized in 2023 as one of the top 20 environmental lawyers in Massachusetts. In addition to his litigation work, Mr. Gardella guides companies through PFAS compliance needs, including compliance with state-level product reporting obligations, TSCA and TRI reporting, and numerous other U.S. federal, state and E.U. specific PFAS regulations. He assists companies with risk assessment efforts related to PFAS, including developing diligence programs internally to minimize future compliance and litigation risks. Mr. Gardella is a frequent speaker and author on the subject of PFAS, and is regularly sought after for his thought leadership by media, including Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post.

Dr. Sawyer is a professor with The Ohio State University, School of Earth Sciences. Her main areas of expertise include hydrogeology, surface water-groundwater interactions, and coastal hydrology. Dr. Sawyer and her research group focus on understanding interactions between surface water and groundwater in streams, rivers, estuaries, and coasts. The team also focuses on determining hydrologic controls on the movement of nutrients, contaminants, and heat in watersheds. Dr. Sawyer earned her Ph.D. from the University of Texas-Austin.

Mr. Smith’s interest in ground water (groundwater) dates back to his teenage years when, while pulling and setting pumps for his father’s rural Ohio plumbing business, he literally had the black and brown products of well microorganisms on his hands. Later, that experience led to his pioneering work in the application of biofouling testing methods in groundwater system analysis. He also listened to the water cascading in the rock wells of his Ohio home country and wondered about the flow of water underground. Today, Mr. Smith is one the nation’s foremost experts on the diagnosis and treatment of well problems and performance deterioration, and well and wellfield asset management. He is a Certified Ground Water Professional (CGWP) by the National Ground Water Association, a Registered Geologist with the Commonwealth of Kentucky (he would have an Ohio registration if there were one), and has been consulting in the ground water field since 1983. In addition to his consulting career, he has also worked for the National Water Well Association (now NGWA), developed the curriculum and instructed ground water science and technology at Wright State University (where he developed portions of the WSU IRIS distance-learning hydrogeology training program), and taught biology courses and advised hydrogeological engineering projects at Ohio Northern University. Mr. Smith has spoken on well maintenance and asset management, rehabilitation, and microbiology topics in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, England, Tanzania, Slovenia, Jordan, and throughout North America. In recent years, he has become active in the effort to equip professional water sector capabilities and to develop water supplies in Tanzania and other developing countries. He is currently also a partner in a water management and construction company, Ground+Water Tanzania Ltd. and its Ohio-corporation affiliate Earth Water Services Africa LLC. Mr. Smith is the author or co-author of numerous works, including contributions to well maintenance and rehabilitation practice, most recently in book form, he and Allen Comeskey have contributed Sustainable Wells: Maintenance, Problem Prevention, and Rehabilitation (CRC Press). He is also a coauthor of both the 1992 Australian Drilling Manual and the 1997 edition of its successor, Drilling (CRC Press), a major contributor to AWWA’s Manual M21, Groundwater (two editions) and ASCE’s recent Hydraulics of Wells text, and a principal author-editor of NGWA’s Manual of Water Well Construction Practices, as well as contributing to the Water Well Journal, National Driller, GeoDrilling International and other publications. Mr. Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree with majors in Biology and Earth Science from Wittenberg University in 1977 and a Master of Science (MS) degree from The Ohio State University in 1984.

Ms. Al-Nimri counsels clients on complex business litigation across a diverse range of areas including environmental, construction, real estate, securities and shareholder disputes, and commercial disputes. She has successfully litigated and resolved matters in a variety of industries including construction, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, education, hospitality, and financial services. Ms. Al-Nimri’s practice includes business disputes, environmental, construction and real estate and securities and shareholder litigation. In her environmental practice, she represents clients in environmental disputes, including enforcement actions, investigations, permit appeals and other administrative actions involving state and national agencies, and litigation of water rights matters, indemnification obligations, and toxic tort claims. She is actively involved in the firm’s pro bono initiatives, devoting her time to assisting with civil rights matters and adoptions. Ms. Al-Nimri earned her law degree from Emory University School of Law and received a B.A. degree in Economics and Global Studies from Providence College.

Mr. Dawson focuses his practice on environmental law. Prior to attending law school, he had a successful career as a civil and environmental engineer. He incorporates this knowledge base and past experience into his practice, providing him a unique insight into his clients’ interests and goals. Mr. Dawson’s practice includes Environmental and Construction & Real Estate. In his environmental practice, He represents industries, utilities, and municipalities in environmental disputes and regulatory enforcement actions, as well as environmental permitting and compliance, related to water and wastewater treatment, storm water management, air emissions, site remediation, hazardous waste and materials management, and water use rights, as well as representing clients in corporate and real estate transactions. In his Construction & Real Estate practice he represents owners, developers, contractors, and designers in various construction and real estate transactions and disputes; preparing and negotiating construction agreements. Mr. Dawson is a contributing author of the Water Quality Control Handbook, and an article summarizing his thesis on reaeration in rivers and streams was published in the Journal of Environmental Engineering.

Mr. Hopkins is a Senior Environmental Scientist based out of TTL’s office in Nashville, Tennessee. He earned a biology-focused bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and, later, a master’s degree in environmental studies at the College of Charleston. Mr. Hopkins’ career began with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation in 2000 before transitioning to private environmental consulting and, eventually, joining TTL in 2007. Throughout his career, he has performed a variety of natural resource services including hundreds of wetland and stream delineations throughout east, west, and middle Tennessee, and he has assisted numerous clients with obtaining water quality permits from TDEC and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Most recently, Mr. Hopkins has been applying his technical expertise to develop best practices for avoiding and minimizing impacts to water resources throughout the southern United States.

Mr. McClanahan is a proud native born Tennessean and the third generation to live on his family’s farm. His roots trace back to his ancestor and the first governor of the state of Tennessee, John Sevier. While at the University of Tennessee College of Law, he concentrated his studies on advocacy and dispute resolution. Prior to law school, he worked as an agent with Farm Bureau Insurance of Tennessee. Mr. McClanahan understands the importance of communication, honesty, hard work, determination, and treating people the way you would want to be treated. He is honored to serve the legal needs of individuals and companies with interests in and throughout Tennessee. Mr. McClanahan is a member of the Order of Barristers, serves as a member of the Agricultural Foundation for Tennessee Tech University, is a former president of the Knoxville Chapter of the Federalist Society, is a member of the Knoxville Estate Planning Council, and is a member of the board of directors for Tennessee Parks & Greenways, serving as East Tennessee vice president.

Mr. Penny has a wide range of environmental legal experience at the federal, state and local levels. He focuses primarily on advice and litigation regarding natural resource law, wetlands, water quality, and mining. Mr. Penny also represents clients in CERCLA litigation, RCRA matters, and brownfield redevelopment. He has represented numerous utilities and individuals in federal and state citizen complaints. Mr. Penny regularly counsels clients on environmental compliance issues and represents businesses in permit appeals, enforcement, and advocacy before federal and state environmental boards and agencies, including the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He was one of the founders and was the first chair of the Environmental Law Section of the Tennessee Bar Association, and in 2013 he was elected Chair of ABA’s Section on Environment, Energy & Resources (“SEER”). Mr. Penny was the first general counsel for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and served as general counsel for the former Department of Health and Environment for many years. He is rated “AV Preeminent© Peer Review Rating” in Martindale-Hubbell. Mr. Penny is recognized in Chambers USA, since 2010 as tier 1 for environmental law. He was listed in The Best Lawyers in America® since 2005 for Environmental Litigation and Environmental Law, and was named as “Lawyer of the Year” on four occasions, including 2025. Mr. Penny has been named by Mid-South Super Lawyers since 2006 and was listed in the publication in either the top 50 or 100 lawyers in Tennessee numerous times. The Nashville Business Journal, named him “Best of the Bar” at least 10 times since 2006. The Nashville Post listed him as “In Charge: Legal” at least 8 times.

ForeSight Consulting, LLC, a professional services firm established in 2004 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. ForeSight offers comprehensive civil engineering and land surveying services to the construction and building sectors. He manages the firm’s operations, directs its growth strategy, mentors team members, and continues to oversee engineering and surveying projects of various sizes throughout Indiana. A graduate of Purdue University, Mr. Bauer holds a bachelor of science degree in Civil Engineering Technology. He is a licensed professional engineer and professional surveyor in Indiana and has previously held professional licenses in several other states. In addition, he has served as an adjunct faculty member at Purdue University Fort Wayne, where he taught courses in elementary surveying, route survey and design, land survey and subdivision, and hydraulics and drainage. Mr. Bauer has played an active role in the Indiana Society of Professional Surveyors (ISPLS), serving on its board of directors from 2006 to 2015 and again from 2018 to 2020. He was honored with the President’s Award in 2010 for his contributions to the society, and the profession of land surveying. He served as president of ISPLS in 2019 and continues his involvement with the society on the Government Affairs Committee. Additionally, Mr. Bauer has served in leadership positions within the Northeast Chapter of ISPLS, including serving as chapter president on three occasions. He is regularly called upon to handle complex surveying cases and has served as an expert witness in matters involving boundaries, easements, and riparian rights. Known as a trusted resource for developers, title companies, and real estate attorneys, he has delivered continuing education presentations on professional surveying topics, including “Professional Surveyor’s Reports,” “Locating Land Boundaries: On Paper and On the Ground,” and “Conducting Due Diligence for a Purchase-Sale Agreement” through the American Bar Association.

Ms. Davisis a research hydrogeologist at Indiana Geological and Water Survey, working to understand and share information of surface and ground water resources in Indiana. She previously worked at Soil and Water Conservation Districts, as a hydrogeologist with DNR Division of Water, as
a consultant along with a geology professor at IvyTech. Ms. Davis has her master’s degrees in both Geology and Civil Engineering from Indiana University and Norwich University, respectively, focused on water resource management, treatment, characterization, and modeling. She currently sits on the AWWA Source Water Protection Committee and holds professional certifications in sediment and erosion control, floodplain management, watershed leadership, and natural resource training.

Ms. Schroeder brings a variety of skills to the complexities of today’s agriculture. She grew up on a farm in Northeast Indiana, so her insight is grounded in experience. Ms. Schroeder works with the agricultural industry as she provides expertise such as litigating complicated environmental matters, drafting contracts for agribusinesses, and helping livestock farms navigate regulatory compliance. She has a diverse group of clients including farmers, rural landowners, agricultural companies, and industry groups. Ms. Schroeder has worked at firms in Indianapolis and Chicago, with her perspective including experience in complex litigation, civil defense, property liability, environmental law, and insurance coverage. She is licensed in Indiana and Illinois. Along with her thriving law practice, Ms. Schroeder is committed to sharing insight with the industry as a sought-after speaker and author. She has authored numerous articles and given presentations on a variety of agricultural, environmental, and legal topics, including the Right to Farm Act, zoning, renewable energy, sustainability, the Clean Water Act, employment law, agritourism, farm security, and insurance coverage. Ms. Schroeder earned her B.A. degree, cum laude, from Carthage College, her M.S. degree from Valparaiso University and her J.D. degree, magna cum laude, from Valparaiso University School of Law.

Mr. Schroeder is an attorney who helps people with environmental law-related issues or have had their insurance claim denied. He helps clients who have environmental law issues, including those arising from Indiana statutes (ELA, Flood Control Act, etc.), federal statutes (RCRA, CERCLA, etc.), regulatory bodies (IDEM, EPA, etc.), common law (negligence, trespass, nuisance, etc.) and more. Mr. Schroeder earned his J.D. degree from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.

Mr. Walker has been working for or with the State of Indiana since 2012. He started working in the Groundwater Section in 2015 and became Section Chief in 2021. Mr. Walker helped develop and provide the Surface Water Threat Minimization and Response Plans for all the community drinking water systems that use surface water as their source. He orchestrated a voluntary PFAS sampling project for all community drinking water systems, ahead of an expected EPA rule. Mr. Walker graduated with a BA in Geography (Geographic Information Science) and Anthropology (Physical Anthropology) from Indiana University.

Ms. Costa is a descendant of the Round Valley Indian Tribes and the Sherwood Valley Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians. She is a Senior Associate at Berkey Williams LLP, a firm that represents exclusively Native American tribes and tribal organizations throughout the United States with its home office in Davis. Ms. Costa’s interest in the intersection between law and Native American rights stems from her childhood growing up on the reservation and her family’s participation in tribal government and community improvement. She earned her B.A. from UC Davis and her J.D. from UCLA School of Law where she received her specialization in Critical Race Studies with an emphasis on Native American rights. In law school she was the Executive Editor of the Indigenous People’s Journal of Law, Culture & Resistance and the Vice-President and Recruitment Coordinator of NALSA. Ms. Costa formerly served as President of the California Indian Law Association, Inc., and currently serves on the Advisory Committee for the California Truth and Healing Fund, a fund established to support the engagement of California Native Americans in the work of the California Truth and Healing Council. She previously worked for the Tribal Law and Policy Institute, the Wishtoyo Foundation, and the Yurok Tribe’s Office of the Tribal Attorney. As a Senior Associate at Berkey Williams LLP, Ms. Costa serves tribal clients in many areas of the law, including water rights, natural and cultural resources protection, governmental affairs, litigation, and Indian child dependency.

For over 15 years, Mr. Fite has supported clients in the natural resource and energy sectors as they manage the complexities of environmental regulation, compliance, and permitting, as well as related litigation. He has significant experience helping clients navigate the legal intricacies required in renewable energy development, forestland management, and endangered species and public lands concerns. Mr. Fite’s clients include resource owners, developers, and associations who pursue responsible use of these resources. He is a seasoned litigator who has argued numerous cases in state and federal trial and appellate courts, including ten cases before the Ninth Circuit. Mr. Fite has also testified before Congress on matters concerning proposed reforms to resource management, the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Prior to joining Schwabe, he practiced at a boutique law firm that specializes in environmental, energy, and natural resource issues. Mr. Fite began his legal career at the U.S. Department of Justice working on endangered species and wildlife matters. He earned his B.A. degree, cum laude, from Harvard University and his J.D. degree from Harvard Law School.

Mr. Holth works closely with tribal governments and enterprises on a daily basis to resolve problems, mitigate risk, and advance tribal sovereignty in decision making. His practice is centered on providing tailored, accessible, and timely advice to clients on all areas of the law impacting tribes, including tribal governance, natural resources protection and management, land tenure, code development, cultural resource protection, jurisdiction, transactions, employment, and grant compliance. Mr. Holth also engages in a robust litigation practice, having secured several victories for tribal clients on matters involving sovereign immunity, application of federal laws, treaty rights, and tribal exhaustion. He prides himself on building long-lasting client relationships in Indian Country built on trust, mutual respect, and zealous advocacy. Mr. Holth earned his J.D. degree, summa cum laude, from William Mitchell College of Law.

Ms. Mattson practices in LGN’s environmental, political, business, antitrust, employment, mediation, government representation, and complex litigation practice groups, representing numerous public entities, businesses, tribal governments, and individual plaintiffs in complex litigation and transactional matters in state and federal court. She earned her J.D. degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Minnesota Law School. Ms. Mattson also holds a PhD in Geography, Environment, and Society from the University of Minnesota and a MS in Development Studies from the University of London. Her PhD research focused on expansions of American Indian Tribal jurisdiction over resource policy and water regulation. While in law school she served as Lead Outside Articles Editor for Law & Inequality: A Journal of Theory and Practice and as a Clinic Director for the Human Rights Litigation and International Legal Advocacy Clinic. She currently serves as a Council Member for the Minnesota State Bar Association’s Environmental, Natural Resources and Energy Law Section. Ms. Mattson has taught courses at the University of Minnesota Law School and College of Liberal Arts and has published in the areas of treaty law, environmental law, international law, and natural resource policy.

Mr. Thompson is a tribal attorney focused on resolving complex real estate, natural resource management, and environmental matters. After a successful career working with The Nature Conservancy and working in private practice in New York and the lower Midwest, he received a Masters of Law in Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy from the University of Arizona and began a practice with a concentration in Federal Indian Law and tribal natural resource management. Mr. Thompson is sought after as a speaker and lecturer. Early in his career, he served as an adjunct faculty member at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and in recent years, he has routinely spoken and lectured on Federal Indian Law and tribal natural resource management at conferences and in the university setting. He uses his unique blend of experience to assist tribes in positioning themselves to achieve optimal outcomes in existing and developing natural resource management projects and partnerships. Mr. Thompson helps obtain funding for tribal natural resource enterprises, navigates regulatory challenges in Indian Country, and assists tribes in defending against activities that encroach upon tribal interests and rights. He also advises corporate clients who wish to understand and respect tribal rights, and who are committed to adhering to the highest standards of corporate social responsibility in their interactions with tribes. Mr. Thompson operates with the utmost level of integrity and is respectful, focused, and responsive in his representation of clients.

Ms. Van Norman has been in private practice for 20 years, working almost exclusively in Indian Country. She handles diverse business, construction, environmental, and regulatory matters for tribes and people doing business with them. Ms. Van Norman also represents tribal governments in matters involving treaty rights, governance, elections, intergovernmental relations, and more. She has worked for and with over 50 federally recognized Indian tribes. In addition, Ms. Van Norman is a mediator and arbitrator, and a former tribal court judge for the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate in South Dakota. More information about Van Norman Law is available online at svn.legal.

Ms. Wagner practices primarily in LGN’s antitrust, generative AI, data breach, and tribal government representation groups, representing consumers, small businesses, and tribes in complex litigation throughout the United States. Her tribal government representation practice includes experience in the areas of Federal Indian Law, tribal sovereign immunity and environmental law and regulations. Ms. Wagner is the Treasurer and Past President of the Minnesota Native American Bar Association. She sits on the Foundation Board for the National Native American Bar Association, and on the Executive Board of Twin Cities Diversity in Practice. Ms. Wagner is from the Lake Vermilion Reservation in Tower, Minnesota. She is an enrolled citizen of the Bois Forte Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.

Jeffrey W. Berkman, Esq., LL.M. focuses his practice on corporate and securities law matters. He represents entrepreneurs, domestic and international companies, closely-held businesses, family offices, investors, and not-for-profit organizations in connection with business structuring, domestic and cross-border transactions, mergers & acquisitions, venture capital, private equity, secured financing, joint ventures, investment fund structuring, securities law matters, commercial transactions/contracts, and a wide-variety of other business law matters. Mr. Berkman has practiced law for over thirty years, working with entrepreneurs, investors, companies, investment funds, and joint ventures in various industries, including venture capital, private equity, technology, Internet, telecommunications, healthcare, food services, retail, fashion, management consulting, manufacturing, engineering, goods and services providers, professional practices, entertainment/film, and emerging media. He was previously General Counsel of a multimillion dollar venture capital firm with operations in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. He has served on the Board of Directors of both public and private companies. Mr. Berkman was a Judicial Law Clerk for Judge Rodger Miner (dec.), 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals. He is an Adjunct Professor at Touro College – Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center, teaching Drafting Commercial Documents (and previously Business Organizations II). Mr. Berkman is a lecturer for continuing legal education classes and a presenter at a variety of seminars and business workshops. He earned his B.A. degree, cum laude, from Middlebury College, his J.D. degree from New York Law School, and his LL.M. degree from New York University School of Law.

Mr. Black is a member with FRB’s Corporate and Securities Group. He has over 35 years of experience in corporate and government compliance, government contracts, trade regulation, and information technology. Mr. Black has been in-house counsel for most of his career, including Northrop Grumman’s Data and Information Division, CA Technologies, where he served as Vice President, Senior Counsel, and Associate Chief Compliance Officer, and at Overseas Military Sales Group where he was General Counsel and Chief Compliance. Immediately prior to joining FRB, he was a partner at Silverman Acampora, where he led their Government Contracts and Compliance Group. As counsel to several large government contractors, in various manufacturing and development industries, Mr. Black’s experience has included creating export compliance protocols, and managing multimillion dollar bid and proposal processes from the initial steps of government requests for information through the entire proposal procedure to final contract negotiation and award. For example, he created, launched, and managed a worldwide export compliance protocol for a major software company with more than 1,000 products sold worldwide. He has also successfully negotiated with the Department of Defense to avoid the suspension of his client’s contracts as part of a larger government-wide settlement. Mr. Black has created Codes of Conduct and established compliance help lines for his clients. This includes review of all submissions, investigation of each incident, and reports to executive management and Board Audit Committees. He can develop customized government and corporate compliance programs as well as training courses for company personnel on key compliance issues. Mr. Black’s expertise extends to corporate tax strategy, enhancing clients’ financial approaches. He also assists non-profit organizations, ensuring compliance with legal mandates as they pursue their goals. In addition, he has experience in dealing with issues related to privacy, especially the EU General Data Privacy Regulation (GDPR) and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) as well as other government acquisition and trade rules and regulations. A frequent lecturer on corporate and government compliance issues, Mr. Black is an adjunct professor at the Maurice Deane School of Law where he teaches Corporate Compliance and Ethics and has served as a visiting professor at the Naval Postgraduate School, where he taught courses in Government Contracts. He is a member of the American, New York and Nassau County Bar Associations. Mr. Black is a member of the New York State Bar Association Committee on Attorney Professionalism and the Nassau County Bar Association Ethics Committee. He earned his B.A. degree from Hofstra University and his J.D. degree from Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University.

Mr. Lawrence’s practice is focused on corporate and private securities matters, serving clients as lead counsel on all types of corporate transactions including private placements, mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate finance, planning and strategies, licensing, manufacturing, supply, and distribution arrangements. He provides dedicated hands-on personal support to clients from negotiation to closing and beyond. Mr. Lawrence regularly represents clients in a wide range of industries including telecommunications, food and nutraceutical manufacturing and distribution, restaurants, emerging technologies, retail, light manufacturing, commercial and private lending, architecture and software development. He also regularly advises private issuers and principals with respect to operations and compliance matters in his active private equity practice. In mergers and acquisitions transactions, Mr. Lawrence has regularly represented both buyers and sellers of businesses. Over the past 15 years, he has successfully closed numerous deals with business owners selling their businesses to strategic buyers, private equity funds, and private equity-backed strategic buyers both domestically and internationally. With respect to securities offering and financing transactions, he has significant experience representing both issuers and founders on the one hand, and investors on the other hand, giving him years of experience related to private securities offerings, venture capital, and similar startup financings, and FINRA and SEC regulatory issues. As part of the firm’s Digital Assets Practice Group, his practice has expanded to include advising companies on blockchain, cryptocurrency, Web3, and NFT matters, with a focus on how the corporate and securities matters affect these types of projects. Mr. Lawrence earned his B.A. degree from Tulane University and his J.D. degree from Hofstra University.

Mr. Rappaport chairs FRB’s Taxation and Private Client Groups. He concentrates his practice in Taxation as it relates to Real Estate, Closely Held Businesses, Private Equity Funds, Family Offices and Trusts & Estates. Mr. Rappaport advises clients regarding tax planning, structuring, and compliance for commercial real estate projects, all stages of the business life cycle, generational wealth transfer, family business succession, and executive compensation. He also collaborates with other attorneys, accountants, financial advisors, bankers, and insurance professionals when they encounter matters requiring a threshold level of tax law expertise. Mr. Rappaport is known for his work on complex deals involving advanced tax considerations, such as Section 1031 Exchanges, the Qualified Opportunity Zone Program, Freeze Partnerships, Private Equity Mergers & Acquisitions, and Qualified Small Business Stock. He has served as a trusted advisor for prominent real estate funds, executives of multinational corporations, venture capitalists, successful startup businesses, ultra-high net worth families, and clients seeking creative solutions to seemingly intractable problems requiring tax-focused analysis. Mr. Rappaport earned his J.D. degree from Georgetown University Law Center and his LL.M. in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center.

 Mr. Sechter has determined the value of closely held securities of companies and partnerships in a wide variety of industries. He has prepared valuations of closely held operating companies, asset holding companies, as well as other equities such as undivided interests in real estate, closely held common and preferred stock. In support of the foregoing, he has prepared documented valuation analyses for presentation to management, directors, members, and stockholders of client companies, as well as to attorneys, accountants, other fiduciaries, and the Internal Revenue Service. Mr. Sechter has been court appointed as a neutral financial expert and has testified as an expert witness in various courts and jurisdictions. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants BV Committee Member, and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.