HEIDI M. STAUDENMAIER
Snell & Wilmer, LLP
Partner, Phoenix, Arizona office 
Indian Law, Gaming Law and Business Litigation
Partner Coordinator of Indian Law Practice Group
One Arizona Center
Phoenix, Arizona 85004-2202
Direct: +1 602 382 6366
Fax: +1 602 382 6070
Cell: +1 602 779 7735
Website:www.swlaw.com
Email:hstaudenmaier@swlaw.com
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Representation of clients involved in gaming, financing, leasing,
taxation, real property, insurance and labor issues involving
Tribes and Tribal entities.
- Representation of clients in dealings with National Indian
Gaming Commission, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land
Management, state gaming agencies, and other regulatory entities
regarding legal issues concerning tribal gaming operations and
other business ventures.
- Experience in preparing/negotiating Management Contracts
and collateral agreements for tribal gaming enterprises, as
well as preparing Tribal Gaming Ordinances and related tribal
documents.
- Experience in acquisition of lands into trust for gaming
and other purposes. Experience in federal recognition process
for Indian tribes.
- Representation of various suppliers, vendors and other businesses
involved in or necessary to gaming operations and other business
ventures in Indian Country.
- Firm Coordinator for Pro Bono representation of the National
Center for American Indian Enterprise Development.
EDUCATION
- J.D. (with distinction), University of Iowa College
of Law, May 1985
- B.A. (with distinction), Journalism and Broadcasting (double major),
University of Iowa, May 1981
COURT ADMISSIONS
- Supreme Court of Arizona
- United States District Court for the District of Arizona
- United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth and Tenth Circuits
- Various Tribal Courts
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ACTIVITIES
- International Masters of Gaming Law, Past President
- International Association of Gaming Attorneys
- GAMING LAW REVIEW, Associate Editor
- Native American Advisory Committee to Greater Arizona Development
Authority
- Native American Bar Association
- American Bar Association:
- Business Law Section, Executive Council and Gaming Law
Committee
- Editorial Board, Business Law Today, Past Editor-in-Chief
- House of Delegates, Past Member
- State Bar of Arizona:
- Indian Law Section, Founding Member and Past Chairperson
- Quality of Life Committee, Past Chairperson
- Maricopa County Bar Association:
- Board of Directors and Past President;
- Past President, Young Lawyers Division
- Judge Pro Tem for Arizona Court of Appeals and Maricopa County
Superior Court
- Arizona Women Lawyers Association
- Iowa Law School Foundation, Board of Directors
INDIAN LAW-RELATED PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS
- Doing Business with Tribal Casinos: A Short Primer, Author, CASINO LAWYER Spring 2005
- "Playing the Class II Game: Bingo, Slot Machines and
Bingosinos," Speaker, International Masters of Gaming Law
and Thomas M. Colley Law School Gaming Law Symposium, Dearborn,
Michigan (May 2005)
- "Technology and the Future of Tribal Gaming," Speaker,
Western Governors Association Summit on Indian Gaming, Denver,
Colorado (March, 2005)
- “Land for Tribal Gaming: To Shop or Not to Shop,”
Speaker and Moderator, 9th Annual National Institute on The
Gaming Law Minefield, American Bar Association, Las Vegas, Nevada
(February, 2005)
- "Indian Gaming Update," Speaker, Gaming Law Conference
2004, Las Vegas, Nevada (November, 2004)
- “Indian Gaming and Off-Reservation Environmental Impacts,”
Speaker, Environmental & Natural Resources Law on the Reservation
Seminar, Mesa, Arizona (September, 2004)
- The Class II Gaming Debate: (PDF) The Johnson Act vs. The Indian
Gaming Regulatory Act, Author, GAMING LAW REVIEW; Volume
8, Number 4 (August 2004) ©Mary Ann Liebert
Inc
- “Tribal Gaming,” Speaker, State Bar of Nevada
Annual Meeting, Coronado Island, California (June, 2004)
- “Doing Business in Indian County: A Primer in Federal
Indian Law and Tribal Courts,” Moderator, Snell &
Wilmer (April, 2004)
- “Hot Topics in Indian Gaming,” Program Co-Chair
and Author, ABA Business Law Section Spring Meeting, Seattle,
Washington (April, 2004)
- “The Gaming Law Minefield,” Moderator, ABA Criminal
Justice Section and Center for Continuing Legal Education and
William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada, Las Vegas,
Nevada (February 2004)
- 4 Misperceptions About Indian Gaming, Author, ARIZONA
CAPITOL TIMES (November 14, 2003)
- Off-Reservation Native American Gaming (PDF): An Examination of
the Legal and Political Hurdles, Author, NEVADA LAW JOURNAL,
William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada, Las Vegas,
Volume 4, Number 2 (Winter 2003/2004)
- “Native American Legal Issues,” Speaker/Moderator,
Cross-Border Issues in Gaming Symposium, University of Nevada,
Las Vegas, William S. Boyd School of Law (September, 2003)
- “Hot Topics in Gaming Law,” Speaker/Moderator,
Global Gaming Expo, Las Vegas, Nevada (September, 2003)
- Tribal Sovereign Immunity: Will These Rights Survive Judicial Review? (PDF) Author, GAMING LAW REVIEW, Volume 7, Number
4 (August 2003) ©Mary
Ann Liebert, Inc
- It's a Fact: Misperceptions about tribal gaming run rampant.
How do you separate myth from reality? Author, GLOBAL GAMING
BUSINESS (April, 2003)
- Tribal Gaming Management Contracts:(PDF) Recent Case Decisions,
Author, THE GAMING LAWYER (Winter, 2003)
- Negotiating Enforceable Tribal Gaming Management Agreements (PDF),
Author, VOLUME 7, NUMBER 1, GAMING LAW REVIEW (February,
2003) ©Mary
Ann Liebert, Inc
- Arizona Blue Skies: Gaming Landscape Becomes Clear in the
Grand Canyon State, Author, GLOBAL GAMING BUSINESS
(December 1, 2002)
- “Gaming Seminar,” Guest Lecturer, Arizona State
University College of Law (December, 2002)
- “International Masters of Gaming Law California 2002
Conference,” Co-Chair, Napa, California (December, 2002)
- Arizona’s Great Casino Controversy (PDF), Author, NATIVE
AMERICAN CASINO (October, 2002)
- Regulation of Tribal Casinos: A Primer, Author, THE GAMING
LAWYER (Summer, 2002)
- A New Dawn in the Desert: Arizona gaming tribes, governor
seek resolve, but will tracks let them have it?, Author, CASINO
JOURNAL, (May, 2002)
- Tribal Gaming Management Contracts and the NIGC, Author, NATIVE
AMERICAN CASINO (April, 2001)
- Tribal Gaming Management Contracts and the NIGC, Author, THE
GAMING LAWYER (Winter, 2001)
- “Regulation of Indian Gaming,” Presentation, WMS
Regional Office, Las Vegas, NV (May, 2000)
- “Lawsuits Arising on Indian Reservations,” Seminar
Co-Chair, State Bar Convention, Phoenix, Arizona (June, 1999)
- To Bolster Success Chance, Become Familiar with Tribal Laws,
Author, ARIZONA JOURNAL, (April, 1999)
- Gambling on the Year 2000, Author, INDIAN GAMING (August, 1998)
- “Financing Indian Gaming Transactions,” Speaker,
Snell & Wilmer (June, 1998)
- “Construction and Related Economic Development Issues
on Indian Reservations,” Seminar Chair, Indian Law Section,
State Bar of Arizona, Phoenix (April, 1998)
- Indian Gaming in Arizona: The Great Casino Controversy Continues,
Author, ARIZONA ATTORNEY (January, 1998)
- Indian Gaming in Arizona: Will the Roller Coaster Ride Ever
End?, Author, INDIAN GAMING (October, 1997)
- “Family Issues on Indian Reservations,” Seminar
Chair, Indian Law Section, State Bar Convention, Phoenix (June,
1997)
- “Opportunities and Pitfalls in Doing Business with Native
American Tribes,” Speaker, Snell & Wilmer (June, 1997)
- Gaming Spurs Indian Country Land Ventures, Author, NATIONAL
LAW JOURNAL (Jan. 20, 1997)
- “Hot Topics in Indian Land Transactions,” Speaker/Author,
State Bar of Arizona (October, 1996)
- Coin of the Realm--Indian Gaming, Author, THE ARIZONA
REPUBLIC (November, 1995)
- Artifacts on Indian Land: Beware of Liabilities, Author, ARIZONA
JOURNAL OF REAL ESTATE & BUSINESS (Nov., 1995)
- Taxation Issues on Indian Land, Author, ARIZONA JOURNAL OF
REAL ESTATE & BUSINESS (July, 1995)
- Exploring Economic Opportunities on Indian Land, ARIZONA
JOURNAL OF REAL ESTATE & BUSINESS (April, 1995)
- Indian Art, Artifacts, Antiquities and Funerary Objects, Seminar
Chair, State Bar of Arizona (March, 1995)
- “The Gaming Industry on American Indian Lands,”
Seminar Chair/Author, Practicing Law Institute, New York City
(December, 1994)
- “Indian Economic Development: Indian Gaming —
Prosperity and Controversy,” Author, Arizona Town Hall
(Fall, 1994)
- “The Arizona Hospitality Industry Outlook — Gaming
in Arizona,” Speaker/Author, Central Arizona CCIM Chapter,
Phoenix (October, 1994)
- “Slots, Ponies and Riverboats: Are They in Your Future?”
A Practical Perspective of Gaming Law Today, Speaker/Author,
ABA Annual Meeting, New Orleans (August, 1994)
- “Doing Business in Indian Country,” Speaker/Author,
Real Property Section, State Bar of Arizona (March, 1994)
- “Economic Impact of Indian Gaming,” Speaker, Arizona
Hotel/Motel Indian Gaming Task Force, Phoenix (March, 1994)
- Doing Business With Tribal Government, Author, ARIZONA
JOURNAL OF REAL ESTATE & BUSINESS (January, 1994)
- “Doing Business in Indian Country,” Speaker/Author,
Arizona Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Group, Phoenix
(December, 1993)
- “Indian Gaming and Off-Reservation Environmental Impacts,”
Speaker, Environmental & Natural Resources Law on the Reservation
Seminar, Mesa, Arizona (September 2004)
- “Saving Sovereignty: Will Big Business Prevail,”
Panel Moderator, Global Gaming Expo, Las Vegas, Nevada (September
2005)
- “Getting Commercial in Indian Country; High-Stakes Tribal
Contractual & Litigation Considerations,” Speaker,
ABA Annual Meeting, Chicago, Illinois (August 2005)
- “Native American Gaming Overview,” Speaker/Moderator,
CasinoFest 2, Barona, California, (September, 2006)
- “NIGC Revises Class II Regulations,” Author, CASINO
LAWYER (Summer 2006)
- “Federal Recognition: Essential Element to Playing the
Game,” Author, CASINO LAWYER (Spring 2006)
- “McCain/Pombo: Stop to Shopping?” Author, Indian
Gaming (April 2006)
- “To Amend IGRA or Not to Amend IGRA: That is the Question,”
Author, CASINO LAWYER (Winter 2006)
- Proposed Johnson Act Amendments Seek to “Clarify”
Distinction Between Class II and Class III Gaming, Author, GAMING
LAW REVIEW, Volume 10, Number 1, (February 2006)
- “The Intersection of Corporate America and Indian Country,”
Moderator/Speaker and Seminar Co-chair, The 10th Annual National
Institute on Gaming Law Minefield, American Bar Association,
Law Vegas, Nevada (February 2006)
- “Overview of Indian Gaming,” Guest Lecturer, William
F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration Gaming Management,
University of Nevada, Law Vegas (February 2006)
- “The Intersection of Corporate America and Indian Country:
Negotiating Successful Business Alliances,” Co-Author,
THOMAS M. COOLEY LAW REVIEW, Volume 22, Number 3, (2005)
- Proposed Johnson Act Amendments Cause Concern and Criticism
in Tribal Gaming Industry, Author, CASINO LAWYER (Winter 2005)
- “Developments in Class II Gaming,” Moderator/Speaker,
Northwest Gaming Law Summit, Seattle, Washington (December 2005)
- Reservation Shopping 101, Author, Gaming Law Review, Volume
9, Number 5 (October 2005)
- “Emergent Regulatory & Policy Issues Surrounding
the $18.5 Billion Indian Gaming Industry,” Speaker, ABA
Annual Meeting, Chicago, Illinois (August 2005)
- Off Reservation Gaming: To Shop or Not to Shop, Author, Casino
Lawyer (Summer 2005)
- “The Class II Gaming Debate: The Johnson Act vs. the
Indian Gaming Regulatory Act,” Author, MISSISSIPPI LAW
JOURNAL, School of Law, The University of Mississippi, Volume
74, Number 3 (Winter 2005)
- Tribal Sovereign Immunity: Will These Rights Survive Judicial
Review? Author, Gaming Law Review, Volume 7, Number 4 (August
2003)
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS AND AWARDS
- First American Leadership Award (National Center for American
Indian Enterprise Development), 2001
- THE BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA©, 2005 - 2006 Native American
Law and Gaming Law
- "Top Ten Great Women of Gaming for 2006" by Casino
Enterprise Magazine
- Best Lawyers in America & Canada 2008 www.bestlawyers.com

Founded in 1938, Snell & Wilmer is one of the
largest law firms in the Western United States, with offices in
Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona; Orange County, California; Salt Lake
City, Utah; Denver, Colorado; and Las Vegas, Nevada. Corporate Board
Member magazine named Snell & Wilmer one of the best law firms
to do business with in Phoenix, based on a survey of 52,000 directors
and general counsel of publicly held companies. This marks the second
year in a row that Snell & Wilmer was named the top Phoenix
firm. The Better Business Bureau of Central/Northern Arizona named
Snell & Wilmer as a finalist for the 2002 BBB Business Ethics
Awards. Snell & Wilmer is ranked the #1 law firm in the Phoenix
2002 Business Journal's Book of Lists. In March of 1999, the firm
received the State's highest arts honor for business, the Governor's
Arts Award in the Corporate Category. Snell & Wilmer was the
first law firm in the nation to receive a Best Practices Award,
winning the 1998 Arizona Best Practices AwardSM for Distinguished
Achievement in Exceeding Customer Expectations and again in 1999
for Outstanding Achievement in Motivating and Retaining Employees. |