Native American & Tribal Law
Barr Law Group is proud of the extensive work performed on behalf of Native American clients seeking to develop tribal opportunities and resources to benefit their communities. We have vigorously defended tribal sovereignty in a range of circumstances against private organizations and governments.
We have assisted a federally recognized tribe to develop a patent technology and research sector as part of its overall diversification strategy.
We have represented a federally recognized tribe in a range of employment-related matters concerning hiring, employee benefits and wrongful termination litigation, including issues surrounding the applicability of federal and state employment-related laws to tribal employers.
We successfully represented a federally recognized tribe before the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs in a challenge to the federal government’s recognition of the tribal chiefs, and separately assisted in the structuring of highly sensitive agreements between its tribal police department and state law enforcement.
Barr Law Group has served as counsel in state and federal litigation involving Native American tribes, including cases involving tribal sovereignty and treaty rights, tribal governance issues, and federal and state regulatory claims. We have handled matters involving the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) as well as various state and federal agencies, and served as counsel in a precedent-setting federal case, in which we successfully invoked sovereign immunity to defeat third-party civil subpoenas served on a federally recognized Native American tribe’s chiefs.
We have also served as counsel in a range of gaming matters, including matters involving the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), tribal-state gaming compacts and tribal gaming commissions. This work includes Class II and Class III gaming, such as casino table games, slot machines and bingo.
Barr Law Group also served as counsel in connection with financing for a range of projects, including bank financing for a large expansion of a reservation-based casino, construction of a hotel and construction of a supermarket.
Intellectual Property
Barr Law Group has represented many individuals and small businesses in connection with trademarks, domain names, patents, copyrights and trade secrets. We understand that intellectual property is among the most valuable assets to a business, and we have protected our clients’ interests in acquisitions, sales and disputes of all sizes.
We have helped our clients obtain numerous trademarks to build their brands and enhance their business’s attractiveness as an acquisition target. We have significant experience with trademark licensing and co-exist agreements, and have worked with outside counsel on specialized patent matters.
Barr Law Group also represents businesses with trade secrets, and has drafted agreements with employees, vendors and other counterparties to protect these trade secrets. We have extensive knowledge regarding state trade secret statutes.
We have also assisted clients in asserting their trademark and other intellectual property rights against infringers, including through cease-and-desist letters, opposition to pending trademarks, petitions to cancel existing trademarks, and other protective measures.
Labor & Employment Law
Barr Law Group has represented employers and executives in navigating employment laws and regulations and negotiating employment terms and compensation.
We have advised companies and individuals in a range of issues such as non-competition, non-solicitation and confidentiality agreements as well as retaliation, harassment, discrimination, wage and hour violations, and wrongful termination disputes.
Barr Law Group has extensive experience drafting and negotiating employment agreements, including provisions concerning compensation matters, non-competition, non-solicitation, confidentiality, bonus arrangements, deferred compensation, severance arrangements and equity-based compensation.
We assist companies in navigating the complex regulatory and compliance requirements of state and federal employment laws, and have represented clients before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and State of Vermont Attorney General’s Public Protection Division.
We have also had success in mitigating employment disputes through counseling and negotiation. When these efforts do not bring resolution, our attorneys have the experience and resources to prosecute or defend any resulting litigation.
Oil & Gas
Barr Law Group has represented businesses within the oil and gas industry in connection with legal issues arising from international offshore oil production, supply logistics and foreign nation relationships with offshore platforms.
Estate Planning & Administration Services
Barr Law Group goes the extra mile to educate and advise our clients about estate planning options that may benefit our clients and their families. We provide a full range of services, including drafting wills and trusts, and administering estates.
Estate planning seeks to eliminate uncertainties in the administration of an estate, maximize the value of an estate, and provide for the care of minor children, executors for the administration of the estate, and trustees for the careful and prudent investment and distribution of trust assets. A carefully drafted will or trust that addresses the matters above is the first step to estate planning.
Barr Law Group has also served as counsel to numerous executors, administrators, trustees and beneficiaries to ensure the proper and smooth distribution of assets in accordance with estate documents and state law.
Real Estate
Barr Law Group has served as counsel to individuals, businesses lenders, brokers and investors for over two decades in connection with the sale and purchase of properties as well as the planning, development, construction, operation, and financing of real estate projects.
We represent both buyers and sellers of residential and commercial real estate, and have closed hundreds of transactions. Barr Law Group has successfully drafted and negotiated purchase and sales contracts, options, lease-to-own agreements, rights of first refusal, development contracts, and many other types of contracts involving real estate. We have also drafted and negotiated commercial and residential leases from both the landlord and tenant perspective.
We have extensive experience with negotiating financing transactions for residential and commercial real estate, including conventional mortgages, VEDA, SBA business loans, modifications and workouts, and refinancing of existing debt. We have also assisted debtors in restructuring and/or modifying their loan terms, increasing cash flow and returning businesses to profitability.
Barr Law Group has extensive experience in condominium law, and has represented developers, homeowners’ associations, condo-hotels and homeowners in connection with a range of condominium law issues. We have drafted covenants, declarations and bylaws, and have prepared Public Offering Statements, working with surveyors and permit specialists, and forming and advising homeowners’ associations.
We have significant expertise in drafting and negotiating construction contracts for both the builders and property owners. We also can help resolve construction-related issues that arise during the course of a project. We seek to avoid litigation, and have an excellent track record in doing so. However, if litigation or arbitration is required, Barr Law Group has obtained favorable results for our clients.
We have prepared federal and state regulatory filings for developers, including Vermont public offering statements, New York offering plans, and statements of record pursuant to the federal Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act. We have also assisted clients with permit compliance, including representation at Development Review Board hearings and permit appeals in the Environmental Court and Act 250 Natural Resources Board.