Kehl Van Winkle
Kehl Van Winkle is a partner at mctlaw and heads up the firm’s Indian Law Group. He represents tribal governments in litigation, gaming, cannabis regulation, economic development, allotment disputes, trust disputes, and tribal governance. He helps tribal leaders pursue their goals, defend their authority, and navigate the legal challenges that come with exercising sovereignty.
Office:
Seattle, WA 
Bio
As a partner and mctlaw’s Indian Law Group Manager, Kehl Van Winkle brings the perspective of both an in-house tribal attorney and outside counsel to his work. Based in the firm’s Seattle office, he listens to tribal leaders, learns what is at stake for their communities, and develops a legal approach grounded in their priorities.
Mr. Van Winkle has successfully defended a tribe in federal gaming compact litigation and negotiated a Class III gaming compact amendment. He has also worked on gaming compliance for a tribal casino on an Alaska Native allotment. In Minnesota, he represents tribal cannabis regulators as they navigate the legal landscape following legalization.
His work extends beyond individual disputes. Mr. Van Winkle has drafted tribal court codes and policies, gaming ordinances and policies, criminal codes, and rules for tribal housing departments. He has appeared in tribal courts around the country. Whether he is defending a tribe in court or helping build the laws that govern its programs, he brings careful preparation and a firm grasp of the legal issues to the work.
Before joining mctlaw, Mr. Van Winkle served as in-house counsel for the Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe. He represented the Tribe on economic development projects, including the opening of a casino and a marijuana dispensary. He also represented the Tribe in state and tribal court in Indian Child Welfare Act cases and served as a Tribal Court Prosecutor. That experience gave him a direct understanding of the demands tribal governments face when legal decisions affect their operations and citizens.
Mr. Van Winkle writes and speaks nationally on legal issues affecting Indian Country. The American Intellectual Property Law Association published his article, “Tribal Sovereign Immunity and Piracy: From Blackbeard to Copyright.” He has presented on tribal intellectual property and traditional knowledge, employment law, cannabis regulation, and mobile gaming.
Mr. Van Winkle earned his law degree from Lewis & Clark Law School and his bachelor’s degree in linguistics from the University of Oregon. Early in his career, he completed judicial externships with Judge Rebecca Duncan of the Oregon Court of Appeals and Judge Michael H. Simon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon.
Outside of work, he holds a leadership position at his church, has coached high school and collegiate debate, and enjoys kayaking, hiking, and camping. His first name, Kehl, rhymes with “mail” and “sail.”
Bar Admissions
- Washington
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
- Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe
- Squaxin Island Tribe
- United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma
- Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohican Indians
Education
- Lewis & Clark Law School, Juris Doctor (Indian Law Program)
- University of Oregon, Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics
Publications
The American Intellectual Property Law Association published his article, “Tribal Sovereign Immunity and Piracy: From Blackbeard to Copyright.“
Presentations
Reservation Economic Summit 2024, “Tools to Protect Intellectual Property and Traditional Knowledge.”
Native Nation Events, Native American HR Conference 2024, “Employment Law Update.”
Midwest Alliance of Sovereign Tribes, Fall 2024, “Breaking the Grass Ceiling: Tribal Cannabis in 2024.”
Practice Areas
Academic Involvements
- Associate Editor, Lewis & Clark Law Review
- Debate, University of Oregon
