Mediator Resume

Van Norman Law, PLLC - Founder/Owner

Attorney, Arbitrator, Mediator

Founder/Owner, Van Norman Law PLLC, 2018-Present; Associate Judge, Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Tribal Court, 2019; Partner, Davis Law Office PLLC, 2017-2018; Shareholder/Associate Attorney, Jacobson Magnuson Anderson & Halloran P.C., 2007-2017; Associate Attorney, Faegre & Benson LLP, 2004-2007.

Over 20 years of civil transactional and litigation experience, with emphasis on construction law and Native American law. Construction Law: Represent contractors and owners in construction mediation and arbitration proceedings in connection with disputes over delays, payment, design and construction defects, and other matters, with an emphasis on Indian Country construction. Negotiate numerous construction and design contracts on behalf of developers, general contractors, and owners on projects including government buildings, casinos, health clinics, housing, and other matters. Before law school, worked as technical editor for treatise Bruner & O’Connor on Construction Law. Native American Law: Extensive transactional and litigation experience in tribal environmental, regulatory, energy, and right of way (oil, gas, electrical, telecommunications, and road), along with treaty rights, tribal governance, intergovernmental relations, and diverse business matters. Represent clients in state, tribal, federal, and related administrative matters. Experience working for and with over 50 federally recognized Indian tribes.

Qualified Neutral under Rule 114 of the Minnesota Rules of General Practice. Selected settlement and mediation experience: have handled mediations of business, construction, consumer, civil rights, and ICWA matters. Facilitated settlement between tribe and company over oil pipeline right-of-way across tribal lands, one of the largest construction projects in Minnesota state history. Successfully resolved long-running, multi-jurisdictional dispute over off-reservation, tribal casino revenue-sharing agreements. Represented tribe in federal declaratory action dispute over reservation boundaries and tribal jurisdiction, negotiating set of 11 settlement agreements between tribe and city, county, and state entities. Have represented contractors and owners (including tribal governments) in construction mediation and arbitration proceedings in connection with disputes over delays, payment, design and construction defects, and other matters. High level of experience with Indian Country/tribal construction. Total number of cases mediated: 5 Years of practice as a mediator: 7 Mediation References: Leif Rasmussen, leif@steffensandrasmussen.com, 952.345.8265; Areti Georgopoulous, areti@harmonylawfirm.com, 612.206.3711

Have represented contractors and owners (including tribal governments) in construction mediation and arbitration proceedings in connection with disputes over delays, payment, design and construction defects, and other matters, with an emphasis on Indian Country construction. Selected settlement and mediation experience: Have handled mediations of construction, commercial, consumer, and ICWA matters. Facilitated settlement between tribe and company over oil pipeline right-of-way across tribal lands, one of the largest construction projects in Minnesota state history. Successfully resolved long-running, multi-jurisdictional dispute over off-reservation, tribal casino revenue-sharing agreements. Represented tribe in federal declaratory action dispute over reservation boundaries and tribal jurisdiction, negotiating set of 11 settlement agreements between tribe and city, county, and state entities.

In all my mediations, I use both facilitative and evaluative approaches, adapting to meet the needs of a particular matter. I am a proactive mediator. This means that I work with parties even before mediation sessions to understand the dispute, facilitate realistic case evaluation, and ensure parties come to mediation sessions prepared. Throughout the process, I work to build trust with each party through respectful communication and careful handling of information, while still working hard to break impasses and moderate extreme positions. I also regularly navigate disputes that require cultural competence to bridge gaps between parties. My goal is to encourage full, fair, smart, and sometimes creative resolutions.

University of Minnesota Law School (JD, cum laude - 2004); University of Minnesota - Twin Cities (BA Spanish, summa cum laude - 1999). Queens University of Charlotte (Master of Fine Arts, Creative Writing - 2024).

Admitted to the Bar: Minnesota (2004); U.S. District Court: District of Minnesota; Eastern District of Michigan; U.S. Court of Appeals: Eighth Circuit, D.C. Circuit; Court of Federal Claims. Tribal court admissions: Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Court, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Court, Lower Sioux Indian Community Court, Red Lake Nation Tribal Court, Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribal Court, Stockbridge-Munsee Tribal Court (pending).

American Bar Association (Forum on Construction and ADR Sections); Minnesota State Bar Association (Construction and ADR Sections); Minnesota Lavender Bar Association; Minnesota American Indian Bar Association (Special Member).

Guest speaker, Land Back Projects (Native America Calling, online, May 13, 2024); Starting a Law Firm When Everything is On Fire (MinnCLE, Minneapolis, MN June 20, 2022); Environmental Justice in Indian Country: A View from Mni Sota Makoce, Environmental Justice & Climate Change and Adaptation Webinar Series (Dept. of Justice ENRD Section, on-line May 17, 2022); Tribal Practice: Perspectives from Tribal Judges and Practitioners (U. of M. Law School, on-line, Apr. 22, 2021); Construction in Indian Country: Labor and Employment Issues (MSBA 2021); The Tyranny of Maps:  Tribal Perceptions of Space and Place in Energy Project Development (MinnCLE 2020, Minnesota Envt'l Institute 2020); Stolen Lands (ABA State and Local Gov't Section Talk, 2019); Doing Business with Tribes (ABA State and Local Gov’t Section, 2019); Interrelationship of Tribal Environmental and Cultural Resources (MSBA/MAIBA, 2019); Spotlight on the Construction Industry (MinnCLE, 2019); Successful Indian Country Construction: Negotiating Effective Tribal Contracts and Navigating Disputes (MSBA 2018 Construction Law Symposium, 2018); Tribal Environmental Issues: Water, Wild Rice & Mining (MinnCLE/MAIBA, 2018); Ramsey County Bar Association, Indian Child Welfare Act: Current Issues (2016); Tribal Court Assessments, BIA Tribal Justice Support (2014); Nat’l Tribal Land Assoc., Rights-of-Way on Indian Lands (2014); Law Seminars, Inc., Energy Law 101, Environmental Law 101, and Indian Law 101: How the Three Interact for Tribal Resource Development (2014); “Protecting Off-Reservation Tribal Resources from State and Federal Projects,” in Emerging Issues in Tribal-State Relations (Thomson Reuters/Aspatore: 2013). Regular speaker at law school and Master of Tribal Administration and Governance classes on federal Indian law, tribal environmental regulation, and wild rice law (U. of M. Law School, Minneapolis, MN; U. of M., Duluth, MN, 2020-presen

Twin Cities Metro Area (Minneapolis, St. Paul, and surrounding), Minnesota

Hourly Rate: $325.00 Daily Rate: Not provided Study Rate: $325.00/hr Cancellation: Not provided Cancellation Period: Not provided Comment: Lump-sum or other fee arrangements may be available on a case-by-case basis.

English; Spanish

United States of America

Minneapolis, Minnesota