Big Fire Law Honored as Best New Law Firm of 2021
Members of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Tribes, the Winnebago Tribe, the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Lead Innovative Tribal Advocacy Firm
OMAHA, October 26, 2021 – Big Fire Law and Policy Group was honored to be the recipient of the 2021 Reisman Award for Best New Law Firm from Clio, the leader in cloud-based legal technology. The Firm was named the winner at the Clio Cloud Conference, held virtually on October 26, 2021. The Reisman Awards aregiven to law firms worldwide who have displayed excellence in their fields and make an impact in their communities. Big Fire was selected from nominations received from law firms in Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
As part of our award, we are excited to be featured in a Clio spotlight commercial that can be seen here.
Big Fire Law and Policy Group is a 100% Native-owned, majority Native woman-owned law firm. The Firm’s founders established Big Fire in 2019 to serve Indian Country based on a philosophy of providing exceptional tribal advocacy with integrity. Since its inception, Big Fire has achieved incredible firm growth, delivered innovative legal experiences, broken down industry barriers, improved the experience for their clients, and provided powerful advocacy for vulnerable populations.
Sheila Corbine, a founding partner and member of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, commented: “I couldn’t be prouder of what we have been able to accomplish in a short period of time thanks to our clients and the staff and associates on our team. It is incredibly rewarding to see our clients succeed.”
Big Fire has been fortunate to stand on the front lines with its clients during a difficult pandemic year and a time of important social and political action in Indian Country. The Firm’s growth has allowed us to be part of the biggest litigation cases in the Native American legal community, such as securing victories in the Dakota Access Pipeline litigation
Nicole Ducheneaux is Chair of Big Fire’s litigation practice group and both a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and a descendant of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Ms. Ducheneaux remarked: “We are so lucky that Big Fire has enabled us to continue the important fights to preserve lands, resources, and heritage that our ancestors started so many years ago so that our children and future generations can thrive.”
As a 100% Native-owned, majority Native woman-owned law firm, Big Fire is unique in the legal industry as a whole, but also in the Indian law community, which historically has been driven by white men. Leonika Charging-Davison, a member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, noted that: “We are blessed to be part of an organization that is led by women and founded in Indigenous cultural values. Native attorneys represent less than one percent of attorneys in the United States, and the number of Native women equity partners is even fewer. Big Fire has created an opportunity for future Native and Native women attorneys to be part of an organization that truly values and respects Indigenous communities and sovereignty of tribal government.”
Big Fire is named in honor of the late grandfather of one of the firm’s other founding partners, Lance Morgan, a member of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. Mr. Harold Big Fire was a professional boxer who possessed the resiliency, determination, and fighting spirit that the Firm was designed to harness. Founding partner, Danelle Smith of the Winnebago Tribe, further commented: “I like to think that our ancestors are smiling down on us.”
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About Big Fire Law & Policy Group
Big Fire Law & Policy Group is a 100 percent Native-owned, majority Native woman owned law firm dedicated to providing tribal advocacy with integrity. Big Fire provides innovative solutions and culturally competent legal representation and policy advocacy for tribal governments, businesses, non-profits and communities.
