Professional Profile

William R. Norman, Jr.

Partner

A partner with Hobbs, Straus, Dean & Walker, LLP since January 2000, William Norman joined the Firm in 1994, following a two-year clerkship with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia, PA. Mr. Norman’s practice focuses on promoting and defending the rights of Indian tribes and tribal organizations. He advises tribal governments, their agencies, and enterprises on developing, implementing, operating, and regulating tribal governmental and business enterprise infrastructure, from drafting tribal laws to negotiating complex financing transactions. William has wide-ranging experience as a trusted legal advisor and counselor to tribal leadership on matters spanning from assisting leaders in improving tribal citizen/member services to advocating at the highest levels of federal and state government on their behalf. He also has extensive tribal gaming/enterprise experience on the operational and regulatory front, including tribal gaming ordinance development, class II game development and advocacy, gaming and hotel facility financing/development/management contract negotiation and federal approval, NIGC enforcement defense, tribal gaming commission licensing hearings and appeals representation, and tribal compact arbitration and litigation. A few of William’s most cherished professional accomplishments include:

  • The successful multi-year effort as a lead-negotiator of the Oklahoma tribal gaming compact and participation in the litigation effort to secure enforcement of its original terms for renewal;
  • Protection of the sacred Medicine Bluffs from development and corresponding desecration through combined litigation and negotiation with the United States;
  • The longstanding effort on behalf of a number of Tribes to reclaim and reaffirm sovereign authority and control over tribal lands through acquisition and litigation.

William received his J.D. degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1992, and his B.B.A. degree from the University of Central Oklahoma in 1989. He is a member of the Oklahoma and District of Columbia bars, the Oklahoma Indian Bar Association, and various tribal bars, serves as a Vice Chair of the ABA Native American Resources Committee, and is listed as a Super Lawyer in Oklahoma in the area of Native American Law. William regularly presents and authors articles on a variety of tribal legal matters. William is of Mvskoke (Creek) descent.

Professional Organizations

Board Member, United American Indians of Delaware Valley (1993-1994)
Board Member, United American Indians of Delaware Valley (1993-1994)
Board Member, Oklahoma Indian Legal Services (2004-2008)
Board Member, SHINE Foundation (2007-2015)
Oklahoma Indian Bar Association
American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Oklahoma

Education

University of Oklahoma, J.D., 1992
University of Central Oklahoma, B.B.A., 1989

Bar Admissions

United States Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
U.S. District Court - Northern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Oklahoma
U.S. District Court - Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Oklahoma
District of Columbia
Pennsylvania (inactive)
Multiple Tribal Courts and Bar Associations

Practice Concentration:

Self-Determination and Self-Governance Agreements
Tribal Affairs
Programs & Services
Gaming
Economic Development
Oklahoma Issues
Tribal Counseling & Advocacy