Heidi McNeil Staudenmaier

As a general principle in Federal Indian Law, tribal sovereign immunity extends to tribal officials acting in their representative capacities and within the scope of their authority. However, a recent Ninth Circuit decision...more Recently, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held that tribal officials could not claim sovereign immunity or qualified immunity from potential liability for failure to remit taxes on cigarette sales to the State of...more A recent decision by the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado in Southern Ute Indian Tribe et al. v. Polis et al., provides clarification on the extent of state authority to regulate online sports betting...more On October 9, 2025, the Washington Supreme Court held that tribal sovereign immunity cannot be abrogated through in rem jurisdiction over tribally owned non-reservation lands to vest the court with subject matter jurisdiction...more