Jennifer Weddle

Jennifer Weddle is the Co-Chair of the firm's American Indian Law Practice and has wide-ranging experience in complex regulatory and jurisdictional issues, with a focus in Indian law, handling a variety of matters for tribal and non-tribal clients. She has a dynamic, inter-disciplinary practice that centers on providing strategies for resolving complex jurisdictional problems. Much of her practice focuses in the areas of tribal economic development and natural resources development. Jennifer also has U.S. Supreme Court experience, including serving as one of the attorneys for the respondent in Nevada v. Hicks (2001) and representing the petitioners in Ute Mountain Ute Tribe v. Padilla (2012) and Grand Canyon Skywalk Development, LLC v. Grand Canyon Resort Corporation (2013) and cert stage amici in Saginaw-Chippewa Tribe v. NLRB (2016) and United States v. Cooley (2020) and amici on the merits in Lewis v. Clarke (2017), U.S. v. Washington (2018), Carpenter v. Murphy (2018), McGirt v. Oklahoma (2020), United States v. Cooley (2020), Denezpi v. United States (2021), Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta (2022), Navajo Nation v. United States (2023), and Becerra v. San Carlos Apache Tribe and Northern Arapaho Tribe (2024).

Jennifer's work also includes negotiations for mineral leasing, employment matters, and representation before federal agencies. She has also been involved in civil litigation, working on numerous complex federal, state and tribal litigation matters, including class action tort litigation and large commercial disputes. Jennifer also has securities litigation experience and products liability litigation experience, and her transactional experience includes oil and gas and renewables projects throughout the west, as well as Endangered Species Act work.

Jennifer has broad trial and appellate litigation experience (more than 40 trials), and frequently litigates jurisdictional issues. She is also experienced in sovereign models for consumer lending and energy development. Jennifer frequently assists tribes, banks and non-bank entities with financing and regulatory matters with Indian law components.

Jennifer has wide-ranging project siting experience, including the application of NEPA, NHPA, and other environmental laws on tribal and public lands, including with respect to large linear multi-state energy and infrastructure projects.

Jennifer has deep transactional, regulatory and litigation experience involving very complex matters with both legal and policy components.

Concentrations

•Litigation
•Indian/Native American law
•Environmental and natural resources
•Oil and gas
•Tribal energy development
•Securities litigation
•Alternative dispute resolution
•Consumer finance
•Financial institutions

Recognition & Leadership

Awards & Accolades

•Team Member, a Law360 “Environmental Practice Group of the Year,” 2022
•Listed, The Best Lawyers in America
•Native American Law, 2010-2026
•Listed, Chambers USA Guide, 2010-2025
•Listed, 5280 The Denver Magazine, “Top Lawyers, Native American Law,” 2015-2026
•Listed, Super Lawyers magazine, Colorado Super Lawyers, 2010-2025
•Listed, 'Top 50 Women Lawyers in Colorado'
•Listed, 'Top 100 Lawyers in Colorado'
•Listed, 'Rising Star,' 2010-2013
•Team Member, The American Lawyer’s “Products Liability Litigation Department of the Year,” 2018
•Listed, Thomson Reuters, 'Stand-Out Lawyers,' 2025
•Listed, Euromoney’s Expert Guide to the World’s Leading Experts in Energy Law, 2016-2021
•Team Member, '2016 Hot List: Indian Law Practitioners,' Indian Country Today, Summer, 2016
•Team Member, U.S. News - Best Lawyers, Best Law Firms Edition, 'Law Firm of the Year,' Environmental Law, 2016