Brian Pierson leads Godfrey & Kahn's Indian Nations Law Team. Brian clerked for federal district judge Myron L. Gordon before entering private practice. Brian has more than 20 years experience representing Indian tribes, beginning with his successful representation of Chippewa Indians in federal court litigation to prevent racially-motivated interference with treaty-reserved, off-reservation fishing rights.
As leader of the firm's Indian Nations team, Brian's primary objective is to draw on the knowledge and experience of G&K's attorneys to assist tribes in formulating and implementing strategies that strengthen tribal sovereignty, with a particular focus on business development, environmental protection, renewable energy and housing development. Brian also frequently advises tribes on tribal constitutional, ordinance and governance matters. Brian has worked on Indian land title records reform with the National Congress of American Indians and leasing reform with the National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC). A frequent conference speaker and author on Indian law issues, Brian's 2010 articles on Indian country housing development and the Indian Nonintercourse Act were published in the American Bar Association's Affordable Housing Journal and the Federal Lawyer Magazine, respectively. He is the author of the NAIHC's Indian Country Housing Development Handbook.
More Legal and Business Bylines From Brian L. Pierson
- Washington Supreme Court Rejects Sovereign Immunity Defense in Quiet Title Action - (Posted On Tuesday, March 21, 2017)
- Indian Nations Law Update - February 2017: Ninth Circuit Rejects Tribal Online Lenders’ “Co-Regulator” Argument - (Posted On Friday, February 17, 2017)
- Indian Nations Law Update - January 2017: California Sets Standards For Tribal Subsidiaries’ Sovereign Immunity - (Posted On Tuesday, January 24, 2017)
- Several Indian Country Bills Enacted into Law: Indian Nations Law Update December 2016 - (Posted On Monday, December 19, 2016)
- Supreme Court Agrees To Review Sovereign Immunity Decision: Indian Nations Law Update - October 2016 - (Posted On Wednesday, October 19, 2016)
- The Ninth Circuit Rules On Jury Trial Right Under Indian Civil Rights Act - (Posted On Monday, September 12, 2016)
- Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community v. Jewell and Other Selected Cases: Indian Nations Law Update August - (Posted On Thursday, August 18, 2016)
- Department of the Interior Issues Indian Child Welfare Act Regulations - (Posted On Wednesday, July 13, 2016)
- New Wage and Hour Regulations May Impact Tribes - (Posted On Thursday, June 09, 2016)
- New Right-of-Way Regulations Take Effect - (Posted On Monday, May 09, 2016)
Brian L. Pierson is a shareholder with Godfrey Kahn, and is the leader of their Indian Nations Law Team. He was chosen as a 2019 National Law Review Go-To Thought Leader for his analysis of Tribal law litigation, and he provides Review readers with a monthly overview of litigation impacting the tribal and reservation landscape. Mr. Pierson has years of experience in this area, and his analysis reflects the depth of his knowledge.
The National Law Review recognizes John L. Clancy , Brian L. Pierson and Todd M. Cleary of Godfrey and Kahn law firm's Indian Nations Practice Group as 2021 Go-To Thought leaders for their insights on lawsuits and regulatory actions in their monthly Tribal Law updates. Analyzing legal development in diverse areas impacting tribal members ranging from the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA), the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) to Tribal sovereign immunity rights, the talented professionals in Godfrey & Kahn's Indian Nations Practice Group break down the nuances of federal Indian and tribal law, into usable and actionable news.