Mike McBride III is a trial, appellate and business lawyer with more than three decades of experience advising tribal government executive and legislative branch leaders, commissions, agencies, corporations, economic development arms, investment funds, fortune 500 companies and individuals on matters involving federal Indian law, gaming, litigation and complex transactions. He is widely recognized as a trusted advisor in Indian Country and has extensive experience handling gaming regulatory matters, “bet-the-tribe” litigation, tribal government matters, renewable energy, economic development initiatives and regulatory issues.
What Clients Say about Mike
“Michael McBride is my go-to guy on all Native American tribal issues.” “We are truly grateful for his ability to relate to all levels of people; he is able to explain the process in detail without speaking over your head and is approachable and always available to help.”
“Michael is a great communicator. He is quick to respond and his service to his clients goes beyond what is expected.”
“He is a very good lawyer who has his clients’ best interest in mind.”
Mike has tried more than 50 cases to conclusion in federal, tribal and state courts, including numerous jury trials. In addition to his litigation experience, he has served as both a judge and justice, adjudicating numerous matters and authoring published decisions. Corporations, investment funds and individuals retain him as a consultant and expert witness in federal and state court cases involving Indian gaming and tribal regulatory matters.
For the past two decades, Mike has chaired Crowe Dunlevy’s Indian Law & Gaming Practice Group, one of the region’s most established practices focused on tribal law and gaming. His professional peers consistently recognize him among the leading lawyers in the field. He is ranked Band 1 in Native American Law by Chambers USA (2009–2012, 2019–present) and was named a “Star Individual” (2013–2018)—the publication’s highest distinction for attorneys with exceptional recommendations in their field.*
Mike is also recognized in Oklahoma Super Lawyers for Indian law, gaming, political law and business litigation, and in Best Lawyers in America for Native American law and gaming law for more than a decade.* He holds an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, reflecting the highest level of professional excellence and ethical standards.*
Throughout his career, Mike has served in key leadership roles within tribal governments and the broader legal community. He served five terms as Attorney General for the Seminole Nation, and he is a former Attorney General for the Sac and Fox Nation. He served more than six terms as Tribal Attorney for the Comanche Nation. From 2003 to 2012, he served variously as Justice of the Pawnee Nation Supreme Court and the Kaw Nation Supreme Court. Over the course of his career, he has represented more than 40 tribal governments and their enterprises and agencies, as well as numerous corporations and individuals doing business with tribes.
Mike is one of only two of Oklahoma lawyers who are general members of the International Masters of Gaming Law (IMGL), a global organization of leading gaming law practitioners. He served as an officer and member of the IMGL executive committee for a decade and was honored with the President’s Cup Award in Vienna, Austria, in recognition of his outstanding service and contributions to the organization.
Active in national legal leadership, Mike served as Chair of the Federal Bar Association’s Indian Law Section (2006–2008), the largest Indian law organization in the United States. In 2008, he was appointed General Counsel to the Federal Bar Association’s national Board of Directors. The FBA has recognized his service with several honors, including the Indian Law Section Distinguished Service Award (2009) and Outstanding Section Chair Awards (2007 and 2008).
He has also been honored by the American Inns of Court in Tulsa with the John S. Athens Award, recognizing leadership, professionalism and ethical excellence in the practice of law.
Mike regularly speaks at conferences and symposia throughout the United States and internationally and has authored more than 50 published articles on Indian law and gaming issues. He has served as an adjunct professor of law at the University of Tulsa and as an adjunct settlement judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma. He has also held numerous leadership roles within the American Bar Association.
Mike earned his B.A. from Trinity University in 1989 and his J.D. from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1993, where he received multiple academic honors and distinctions including serving as an editor of the American Indian Law Review and research assistant to Professors Frederick Miller and Osbourne “Mac” Reynolds.
Representative Transactions:
Mike regularly advises tribal governments and business entities on complex commercial and regulatory matters, including:
- Gaming management, development and financial agreements
- Multimillion-dollar loan transactions and loan restructurings
- Tribal economic development and joint venture agreements
- Operating agreements and gaming leases
- Guaranty and indemnity agreements
- Tribal revenue allocation plans
- Children’s and minor trust structures
- Tribal corporation codes and uniform commercial codes
- Tribal court codes and procedures
- Agreements relating to sacred sites, cemeteries and historic places
- Tribal-state gaming, tobacco and law enforcement compacts
*Crowe Dunlevy has no input in the rating methodologies used by Chambers USA, Oklahoma Super Lawyers or Best Lawyers.
