Mr. Atkerson brings a decade of experience in federal Indian law, natural resources and water rights, data and technology compliance, and tribal governance to the practice. A member of the Osage Nation and a sitting Appellate Justice for the Northern California Tribal Court Coalition, he draws on his deep understanding of tribal sovereignty and the right to self-determination to craft practical legal strategies for his clients’ governmental and business challenges.

He advises tribes and tribal enterprises across a broad range of matters, including land-into-trust acquisitions, water rights, right-of-way and easement negotiations, data privacy, federal compliance and tribal governance. Mr. Atkerson has experience drafting and negotiating tribal-enterprise contracts, supporting litigation efforts in state and federal court, delivering legal opinions on constitutional and separation-of-powers questions, conducting training on data and tribal sovereignty, and guiding clients through federal grant administration and regulatory compliance.

Mr. Atkerson supports tribal economic development and business entities on transactional and compliance matters and has served as in-house general counsel overseeing legal administration for grant-funded programs at the federal level.

A dedicated researcher and advocate, Mr. Atkerson led the development of the California Indian Legal Services Federal Indian Water Rights Study, published at water.calindian.org, and is a former Board Member of the Sacramento Native American Health Center.