Timothy Q. Purdon Partner; Co-Chair, American Indian Law and Policy Group; Co-Chair, Government and Internal Investigations Group Robins Kaplan LLP 800 LaSalle Avenue 2800 LaSalle Plaza Minneapolis, MN 55402-2015 701.255.3000 (tel) 612.339.4181 (fax) [email protected]
FOCUS OF PRACTICE American Indian Law and Policy Business Litigation Government and Internal Investigations Medical Malpractice Personal Injury
EXPERIENCE Former United States Attorney for the District of North Dakota, Tim Purdon has made his career leading complex criminal investigations and high stakes civil litigation from both the plaintiff and defense counsel’s table. His path has uniquely positioned him to rewrite the odds for businesses facing government investigations, for real people caught up in “once-in-a-lifetime” lawsuits with powerful interests, and for American Indian Tribes embroiled in complex historic disputes. Tim has a twenty-year track record in private practice and in public service as a passionate champion for his clients and as an incisive strategic thinker. The essence of who Tim is as a lawyer was captured in 2011 by the editorial page of his hometown newspaper. Reflecting on Tim’s relentless fight as U.S. Attorney for increased public safety in Indian Country, they wrote that Tim’s efforts “confirmed Purdon's passion and seriousness about trying to make a difference for those less fortunate, for the voices of so many that have been muted for years….” “State’s Largest Minority has Huge Impact,” Bismarck Tribune (March 20, 2011).
TIMOTHY Q. PURDON, continued
EXPERIENCE (Cont.) Prior to joining Robins Kaplan LLP, Tim served as North Dakota’s U.S. Attorney from 2010-2015. In that role, he was the chief federal law enforcement official in North Dakota with responsibility for prosecuting all federal crimes in North Dakota and defending the United States in civil litigation. As U.S. Attorney, Tim placed special emphasis on the issues of increasing public safety on the American Indian reservations in North Dakota and on working with law enforcement partners to counter the new threat from organized crime that emerged as a result of the oil boom in western North Dakota’s Bakken region. Prior to becoming U.S. Attorney, Tim spent 15 years representing North Dakotans -- trying cases across the state, leading class actions lawsuits, and arguing complex appeals. In 2007 and 2009, Tim was named a “Great Plains Super Lawyer” in the practice area of Criminal Defense by Minnesota Law & Politics Magazine.
Tim was called on to assume leadership roles at the Department of Justice while he was U.S. Attorney. In 2014, Attorney General Eric Holder tapped Tim to be a member of the select Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (“AGAC”). The AGAC advises the Attorney General on criminal justice matters and serves as the voice of the United States Attorney community in setting Department of Justice policies. In 2013, Attorney General Eric Holder appointed Tim the Chair of the Attorney General’s Native American Issues subcommittee (“NAIS”). The NAIS is responsible for making policy recommendations to the Attorney General regarding public safety and legal issues that impact tribal communities. While Chair of NAIS, Tim represented the Department of Justice in testimony before the United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. When Tim left the Justice Department, Attorney General Holder praised his tenure as U.S. Attorney for North Dakota stating that, “Tim Purdon has been an outstanding United States Attorney, a fierce advocate for the people of North Dakota and a strong national leader whose efforts to improve public safety in Indian Country have made a profound difference – and touched countless lives.” TIMOTHY Q. PURDON, continued
SELECTED CASES* American Indian Law and Policy:
Chairman David Archambault II and Councilman Dana Yellow Fat, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe: In the fall of 2016, Tribal opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) resulted in widespread protests against DAPL that drove the issue on to the national stage. In connection with the protests against the DAPL, Robins Kaplan was retained by Standing Rock Sioux Chairman Dave Archambault and Councilman Dana Yellow Fat to represent them after they were sued in federal court by Energy Transfer Partners (ETP). ETP obtained a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) preventing Chairman Archambault from “illegally” protesting DAPL. Robins Kaplan was successful in getting the TRO dissolved and the lawsuit against Chairman Dave Archambault and Councilman Dana Yellow Fat dismissed.
Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin: The Robins Kaplan American Indian Law and Policy Group represented the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin in its declaratory judgment lawsuit against the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Department of Justice over the DEA’s raid of the Tribe’s 2015 industrial hemp crop. The lawsuit sought a judicial determination of the Tribe’s right to grow industrial hemp under the 2014 Farm Bill.
North Dakota Class Actions (Class Counsel):
Hanson v. Acceleration Life: United States District Court, District of North Dakota. Class Counsel for a class of approximately 2,000 North Dakota Long-Term Care insurance policyholders on fraud claims. (Prior to joining Robins Kaplan LLP)
Rose v. United Equitable: United States District Court, District of North Dakota, Cass County. Class Counsel for class of approximately 8,000 North Dakota Long-Term Care insurance policyholders on fraud claims. (Prior to joining Robins Kaplan LLP)
TIMOTHY Q. PURDON, continued
SELECTED CASES Sauby v. City of Fargo: United States District (Cont.) Court, District of North Dakota. Class Counsel class of approximately 54,000 citizens on Civil Rights claims that they had paid traffic fines in excess of those allowed by state law. (Prior to joining Robins Kaplan LLP)
North Dakotan v. Large Bank: United States District Court, District of North Dakota. Class Counsel for class of approximately 25,000 North Dakota bank customers on claims of data privacy violations. (Prior to joining Robins Kaplan LLP)
Tim has briefed and/or personally argued many cases before the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and the North Dakota Supreme Court including (prior to joining Robins Kaplan LLP):
United States v. LaMorie, 100 F.3d 547 (8th Cir. 1996)
United States v. Balanga, 109 F.3d 1299 (8th Cir.
1997)
Tabert v. D.O.T., 560 N.W.2d 883 (N.D. 1997)
Larson v. D.O.T., 564 N.W.2d 628 (N.D. 1998)
State v. Gwyther, 589 N.W.2d 575 (N.D. 1999)
Morrell v. D.O.T., 598 N.W.2d 111 (N.D. 1999)
Hurt v. Freeland, 589 N.W.2d 551 (N.D. 1999)
Kreidt v. B.N.S.F., 615 N.W.2d 153 (N.D. 2000)
Hopkins v. North Dakota, 625 N.W.2d 528 (N.D. 2001)
Hansen v. Scott, 645 N.W.2d 218 (N.D. 2002)
Howes v. Kelly Services, 649 N.W.2d 218 (N.D. 2002)
Howes v. Kelly Services, 654 N.W.2d 422 (N.D.
2002)
Rose v. United Equitable, 632 N.W.2d 429 (N.D. 2001)
Rose v. United Equitable, 651 N.W.2d 683 (N.D.
2002)
TIMOTHY Q. PURDON, continued
SELECTED CASES Wetsch v. D.O.T., 679 N.W.2d 282 (N.D. 2004) (Cont.) Jaste v. Gailfus, 679 N.W.2d 257 (N.D. 2004)
Azure v. Belcourt School Dist., 681 N.W.2d 816 (N.D. 2004) Hansen v. Scott, 687 N.W.2d 247 (N.D. 2004) Doll v. D.O.T., 693 N.W.2d 627 (N.D. 2005) Bollin v. D.O.T., 696 N.W.2d 527 (N.D. 2005) Bartch v. D.O.T., 743 N.W.2d 109 (N.D. 2007) State v. Friedt, 735 N.W.2d 848 (N.D. 2007) Sauby v. City of Fargo, 747 N.W.2d 65 (N.D. 2007) United States v. Quintero, 648 F.3d 660 (8th Cir. 2011) United States v. Raysor, 661 F.3d 987 (8th Cir. 2011) United States v. Anderson, 664 F.3d 758 (8th Cir. 2011) United States v. Boyle, 700 F.3d 1138 (8th Cir. 2013) United States v. Banks, 706 F.3d 901 (8th Cir. 2013) United States v. Hager, 710 F.3d 830 (8th Cir. 2013)
* Past results are reported to provide the reader with an indication of the type of litigation in which we practice and does not and should not be construed to create an expectation of result in any other case as all cases are dependent upon their own unique fact situation and applicable law
MEDIA MENTIONS “Stepping into the Shoes of the Department of Justice: The Unusual, Necessary, and Hopeful Path the Illinois Attorney General Took to Require Police Reform in Chicago,” Northwestern Law Journal of Law and Social Policy (Winter 2020)
BAR ADMISSIONS North Dakota Montana Minnesota
TIMOTHY Q. PURDON, continued
PUBLICATIONS “DAPL: Storm Clouds on the Horizon in Indian Country,” The Federal Lawyer (June 2017)
“Sanctuary Cities and Secure Communities,” Minnesota Lawyer (March 6, 2017)
“FAA Regs For Small Drones — A Step In The Right Direction,” Law360 (July 12, 2016)
“DOJ Takes On Tribal Lending: Inside The Indictments,” Law360 (April 20, 2016)
“BNA Insights: Securities Litigation Canary in the Coal Mine: Investigation of Peabody Energy Corporation by the New York State Attorney General,” Bloomberg BNA (April 18, 2016)
“For the Real Impact of the Yates Memo, Look to the Heartland,” Corporate Counselor (December 3, 2015)
“Industrial Help as an Agricultural Product in Indian Country,” Panel, National Congress of American Indians, St. Paul, Minnesota (June 30, 2015)
“A New Paradigm for Industrial Hemp Farming on Tribal Lands,” Law360 (April 20, 2015)
“Reentry Programming in Indian Country: Building the Third Leg of the Stool,” United States Attorney Bulletin (July 2014)
“The North Dakota United States Attorney’s Office’s Anti-Violence Strategy for Tribal Communities: Working to Make Reservations Safer Through Enforcement, Crime Prevention and Reentry Programs,” North Dakota Law Review, Vol. 88, No. 4 (2012)
SPEAKING “Industrial Hemp Opportunities in Indian ENGAGEMENTS/ Country,” MHA Nation Tribal Taxation Conference, TIMOTHY Q. PURDON, continued
LECTURES Las Vegas, Nevada (December 4, 2019)
“Opioid Litigation: Tribal Perspectives and Responses,” Washington State Bar Association Indian Law Section, Seattle, Washington (May 17, 2018) SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS/ LECTURES (Cont.)
“The Department of Justice under President Trump: Cannabis and Other Priorities Impacting Indian Country,” National Indian Gaming Association Convention, Las Vegas, Nevada (April 18, 2018)
“Understanding the Opioid Epidemic and its Impact on Litigation,” MNAJ and MDLA 2018 Medical Malpractice Conference, Minneapolis, Minnesota (April 12, 2018)
“Working with a New Administration on Tribal Issues,” D.C. Indian Law Conference, Federal Bar Association, Washington, D.C. (November 3, 2017)
“Legal Implications of Protests at Standing Rock,” Indian Law Section of Wisconsin State Bar, Red Cliff, Wisconsin (September 29, 2017)
“Native American Voting Rights Coalition: Field Hearing,” UTTC Tribal Leaders Summit, Bismarck, North Dakota (September 5, 2017)
“Overview of Rosebud Sioux Tribe Lawsuit Against the Indian Health Service,” Coalition of Large Tribes (COLT) Flagstaff, Arizona (July 24, 2017)
“The Holder DOJ in Indian Country: People, Policies and New Priorities,” University of Minnesota Duluth Masters of Tribal Administration and Government Program, Duluth, Minnesota (April 22, 2017)
“A Legal Tale: The Politics & Policies of Cannabis in Indian Country,” National Indian Gaming Association Convention, San Diego, California (April 11, 2017)
TIMOTHY Q. PURDON, continued
“Sharing Power: Tribal, Local, State, and Federal Cooperation,” Federal Bar Association Indian Law Conference, Scottsdale, Arizona (April 6, 2017)
“Legal Implications of the Protests at Standing Rock,” Minnesota Association for Justice Mid- SPEAKING Winter Meeting, Duluth, Minnesota (February 24, ENGAGEMENTS/ 2017) LECTURES (Cont.)
“DAPL Protests at Standing Rock,” Panelist, University of Minnesota Duluth Summit on Equity, Race, and Multiculturalism, Duluth, Minnesota (February 22, 2017)
“Cannon Ball: Bobby Kennedy, Holder’s DOJ, Water Protectors and Me,” Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota (February 16, 2017)
“Tribal Cannabis: State of Play,” Victor Strategies Tribal Cannabis & Hemp Symposium, Tulalip Reservation, Seattle, Washington (November 2, 2016)
“Methamphetamine and the Reservations— Developing a Tribal, State, and Federal Response,” South Dakota Legislature’s Substance Abuse Prevention Interim Study Committee, Pierre, South Dakota (August 17, 2016)
“Tribal Cannabis (Marijuana and Hemp): Evolution and Challenges of an Emerging Industry,” Panelist, National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development, Tulsa, Oklahoma (July 12, 2016)
“Drone Technology and Privacy: Evolving Regulation,” Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics, Minneapolis, Minnesota (March 11, 2016)
“Eric Holder’s Justice Department: People, Process, and Policies,” Mitchell Hamline Alumni CLE, St. Paul, Minnesota (March 10, 2016)
“Eric Holder’s Justice Department: People, Process, and Policies,” Minnesota DFL Lawyers, Minneapolis, Minnesota (March 9, 2016)
TIMOTHY Q. PURDON, continued
“Eric Holder’s Justice Department: People, Process, and Policies,” Mitchell Hamline School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota (March 8, 2016)
“Panel Discussion: Incentivizing Prosecutors to Reduce Crime and Incarceration,” The Aleph SPEAKING Institute’s Alternative Sentencing Key ENGAGEMENTS/ Stakeholder Summit, Georgetown Law School, LECTURES (Cont.) Washington DC (March 7, 2016)
“Tribal Cannabis: A Year in Review,” Indigenous Farming Conference, White Earth, Minnesota (March 4th, 2016)
“Human Trafficking in North Dakota,” North Dakota Indian Child Welfare and Wellness Conference, Mandan, North Dakota (February 19, 2016)
“Drone Law: Regulation Up in the Air,” Emerging Prairie: Drone Focus Monthly Meetup, Fargo, North Dakota (October 28, 2015)
“Eric Holder’s Justice Department: People and Policies,” Massachusetts Bar Association, Boston, Massachusetts (October 6, 2015)
“Current Legal Issues for Tribal Nations,” Panelist, United Tribes Technical College Tribal Leaders Summit, Bismarck, North Dakota (September 9, 2015)
“Senator Heidi Heitkamp’s Human Trafficking Roundtable Featuring Cindy McCain,” Panel, U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp, Bismarck, North Dakota (June 26, 2015)
“Human Trafficking in North Dakota: Victims Services,” State Bar Association of North Dakota, Bismarck, North Dakota (June 18, 2015)
“Industrial Hemp Production in Indian Country,” National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development, Washington, D.C. (June 15, 2015)
“Marijuana in Indian Country,” Native American Finance Officers Association, Austin, Texas (April 21, 2015)
TIMOTHY Q. PURDON, continued
“The Fight Against Human Trafficking in North Dakota,” North Dakota Historical Society, Bismarck, North Dakota (April 18, 2015)
“Safeguarding the Next Generation: Child Protection and Juvenile Justice in Indian Country,” Panel, Federal Bar Association Indian Law Section, Scottsdale, Arizona (April 9, 2015)
MEDIA APPEARANCES “Lawmakers Seek Answers for Why Native American Women Vanish,” New York Times (September 5, 2018)
“Rural America Can’t Escape Drug Problems,” The Bismarck Tribune (January 10, 2018)
“3 S.D. Indian Tribes Sue Drugmakers over Opioid Addiction,” The Washington Post (January 9, 2018)
“Native American Tribes File Federal Lawsuit Against Opioid Industry,” The Bismarck Tribune (January 8, 2018)
“South Dakota Tribes Sue Drugmakers Over Opioid Painkillers,” Argus Leader (January 8, 2018)
“Law360 Native American Editorial Advisory Board,” Law360 (February 27, 2017)
“Standing Rock Tribal Leaders Represented by Former U.S. Attorney,” INFORUM (August 22, 2016)
“US Supreme Court to Decide Whether Tribal Convictions Count,” ABC News (December 15, 2015)
“Former US Attorneys Discuss Most Pressing Issues in Indian Country,” Indian Country Today Media Network (April 8, 2015)
“Forum Editorial: Purdon’s Service Exemplary,” Inforum, (March 11, 2015)
CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS United States Sentencing Commission’s Tribal Issues Advisory Group, Voting Member TIMOTHY Q. PURDON, continued
Infinity Project, Board Member
Prevent Child Abuse North Dakota, Board Member
Native American Development Center, Pro Bono Counsel
RECOGNITION** Named a "Notable Practitioner in Native American Law," Chambers USA (2019 - 2020)
Listed in The Best Lawyers in America (2019)
Named to Indian Country Business Today’s “Hot List” (2016)
"Alumnus of the Year,” North Dakota State College of Science (2014)
"Great Plains Super Lawyer - Criminal Defense,” Minnesota Law & Politics (2007, 2009)
**Being named to the list or receiving the award is not intended and should not be viewed as comparative to other lawyers or to create an expectation about results that might be achieved in a future matter.
EDUCATION Hamline University School of Law, J.D.(1994)
Minnesota State University – Moorhead, B.A., English (1991)
North Dakota State College of Science, A.A. (1989)