LMWF | Press Release

BARRY W. BRANDON, FORMER GENERAL COUNSEL FOR SENECA GAMING CORPORATION
JOINS LIPPES MATHIAS WEXLER FRIEDMAN LLP

Barry W. Brandon, one of the country's most distinguished practitioners of federal Indian law and policy, has joined the Buffalo law firm, Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman LLP as Of Counsel. Mr. Brandon has more than 20 years of experience in the area of federal Indian law an Indian law specialist, policy strategist, corporate executive, litigator and expert witness. Scott Friedman, a managing partner at Lippes Mathias said, “Barry brings a well deserved national reputation to our firm and we look forward to working with him as we emphasize our collective expertise as we market our partnership in WNY and nationally.”

Brandon has a broad background in both the public and private sectors. Prior to joining Lippes he was the President of Hvmken Consulting, a firm specializing in representing tribes and those doing business with tribes and in Indian country. His clients include a company that develops and manages hotels and casinos around the world as well as one of the largest video gaming machine manufacturers in the country. He also currently represents national commercial lenders in litigation as an expert witness.

He joined the Seneca Gaming Corporation in 2004 as the Senior Vice-President and General Counsel where he oversaw the legal, compliance and risk management departments of the parent corporation and its three operating subsidiaries. Brandon came to Seneca Gaming from Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, one of the country’s largest law firms where he was a partner. While at Akin Gump the Senecas hired Barry to assist in negotiating their Tribal-State gaming compact and retained him to help create the Seneca Gaming Corporation. He played a key role in developing the company as a legal, policy and political strategist. Further, while at Akin Gump, Barry helped create the firm’s American Indian Law and Policy Practice Group, which was listed by Chambers USA as the number one American Indian legal practice in the country.

His career with the federal government included serving as general counsel and chief of staff at the National Indian Gaming Commission, the federal regulatory agency responsible for the oversight of the $26 billion a year American Indian gaming industry. He also served as a senior trial attorney at the United States Department of Justice and an advisor on federal Indian law and policy in the Secretary’s Office at the United States Department of the Interior.

Brandon has served on numerous boards for public and private entities. In 2008, he was appointed to the board of the Erie County Industrial Development Agency by County Executive Chris Collins. He has also spoken numerous times at major universities, professional gatherings and trade shows.

An enrolled member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and an adopted member of the Seneca Nation of Indians, Brandon received his undergraduate degree in political science at Western Washington University (Bellingham, WA) and his law degree at the University of Washington (Seattle, WA.)