PatrickR.Bergin
Patrick Bergin has been involved in many aspects of tribal business development, including organizational structuring, transactions, human resources, governmental affairs, agency negotiations, and litigation.
Mr. Bergin has been particularly active in the firm’s gaming practice, counseling clients on the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, casino development, Indian lands determinations, and Tribal-State compact negotiations. He has successfully litigated management contracts and gaming compact cases.
In addition, Mr. Bergin has counseled tribal government clients with respect to resolving purported leadership disputes, as well as defense planning and implementation.
Before locating to the firm’s California office in 2010, Mr. Bergin was based in in Washington, D.C. and represented tribal clients before Congress and federal agencies.
PRACTICE AREAS:
Economic Development, Gaming, and Litigation.
ADMISSIONS:
California; New York; Utah and the District of Columbia; U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second, Fourth, Eighth, Ninth and D.C. Circuits; U.S. District Courts for the Central, Eastern, Northern and Southern Districts of California, the District of Columbia, the Northern and Western Districts of New York, and the District of Utah. Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribal Court and the Intertribal Court of Southern California; Fort Berthold District Court.
EDUCATION:
University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law (J.D., 2002); California State University, Sacramento (B.A., 1996). While in law school, Mr. Bergin was Chief Editor of the California Initiative Review.
PRIOR LEGAL EXPERIENCE:
Partner, Anderson Tuell LLP (2007-2010); Associate, Monteau & Peebles LLP (2005-2007); Attorney, Bergin Law Firm (2003-2005); Associate, Anderson & Holland. PC (2002-2003); and Legislative Consultant, California State Legislature (1997-2002).
REPRESENTATIVE CASES:
- Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians v. Dept. of the Interior, 2022 WL 4598687, (D.D.C. 2022) (Negative Indian Lands Opinion);
- Brownstone LLC v. Big Sandy Rancheria of Western Mono Indians, 2018 WL 6697175 (C.D.C.A. 2018) (Gaming Consulting Agreement);
- Bettor Racing, Inc. v. Nat’l Indian Gaming Commission, 812 F.3d 648 (8th Cir. 2016) (Gaming Management Contract Dispute);
- Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe v. State of South Dakota, 2011 WL 2551379, (D.S.D. 2011) (Good Faith Gaming Compact Negotiations).
ASSOCIATIONS:
California Indian Law Association; Republican National Lawyers Association; and Federalist Society.
LEGAL AUTHORSHIP:
Co-Author, Carcieri: One Year Later, Tribal Government Gaming (March 2010); Author, Proposition 42 (2002): Turning Highway Robbery into Highway Relief, Cal. Init. Rev., (Spring 2002).
HONORS:
The Best Lawyers in America Listing, Native American Law (2015-2021); Witkin Award for Academic Excellence, Election Law (2001).
PatrickR.Bergin
