Updates

Four years ago, the Department of Interior published a regulation allowing Alaska tribes to place lands into trust status. On June 29, 2018, the Department of Interior changed course, withdrawing guidance supporting the regulation, placing pending trust land applications on hold, and jeopardizing the future of trust land acquisitions in Alaska. Anna Crary appeared on…

LBB is pleased to announce that Benjamin W. Spiess joined the firm’s Anchorage office in June. Ben has practiced law in the Pacific Northwest since 2010. His detailed knowledge of complex business and real-estate transactions in the region make Ben a welcome addition to the firm’s real estate and corporate transactional practice. At LBB, Ben will…

Matt Mead presented Local Revenue Development, an overview of municipal revenue opportunities around Arctic mining, as part of the Institute of the North’s Week of the Arctic Economic Development Summit focused on responsible mining in the Arctic region. Matt’s presentation included an overview of municipal taxing authority and severance taxes structured around arctic mining. institutenorth.org/engage/events/development-dialogue/ This presentation…

The Anchorage office of LBB is pleased to announce that Leslie R. Need has become a partner of the firm as of January 2018. Leslie has been an associate with the firm since 2013 and practices municipal law, Alaska Native Law, environmental and natural resources law, civil litigation, and business law. Outside of the office, Leslie…

The Alaska Legal Services Corporation (ALSC), a nonprofit that provides free general civil legal aid for low-income and vulnerable Alaskans, selected Lauren Sommer Boskofsky as their Volunteer of the Month for December, 2017.  From the ALSC: We are extremely grateful to have Lauren as a pro bono volunteer because she always goes the extra mile…

The law firm of Landye Bennett Blumstein LLP is pleased to announce that Michelle Boutin has joined the firm’s Anchorage office as an attorney. Michelle has been practicing in Alaska since 1986, and focuses on commercial litigation, lender representation, and creditor’s rights in complex bankruptcy matters. She received a Bachelor of Arts, with honors, from University…

Matt Mead will present the following on November 15, 2017, at the Alaska Municipal League’s Annual Conference: Getting the Best Deal for Your Citizens: The Keys to Negotiating with MultiNational Resource Companies.  Fresh on the heels of helping the Northwest Arctic Borough (NAB) successfully negotiate a Payment in Lieu of Tax agreement with Teck Alaska, we will…

LBB is a proud sponsor of the Alaska Federation of Natives’ Annual Convention.  Please stop by and visit us in the Exhibitor Hall. http://www.nativefederation.org/annual-convention/

Matt Mead will present at the 33rd Annual Alaska Native Law Conference on October 17. Read more at AlaskaBar.com.  

Landye Bennett Blumstein LLP is pleased to announce that Jennifer M. Coughlin has joined the firm as a partner. Coughlin will focus her practice on Civil Litigation, Appellate Law, Administrative Law and Employment. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Riverside and her Juris Doctor from the University of California, Berkeley School of…

Landye Bennett Blumstein LLP is pleased to announce that Andrew B. Erickson has joined the firm’s Anchorage office as an associate attorney. Erickson will focus his practice on Alaska Native law, litigation and bankruptcy.  He received a Bachelor of Arts from The University of Montana, a Master of Science in environmental policy the University of…

LBB attorney Elizabeth Saagulik Hensley contributed the following article to the Our Arctic Nation project, a U.S. Arctic Council Chairmanship initiative. The project showcases 50 American voices from 50 U.S. states sharing how the United States is connected to the Arctic. Read Paġlaġipsi Means Welcome in Iñupiaq: An Alaskan Shares What It Means to Call the U.S. Arctic…