Phoenix Office
Tel: (602) 230-5583
Fax: 602-420-5055

Edward J. Hermes

Associate

Ed Hermes practices in the firm's Commercial Litigation and Tribal Law Groups. His recent experience includes:

  • Representing non-profit and governmental entities in breach of contract actions in state and tribal court.
  • Defending tribal entities by asserting sovereign immunity in tribal court litigation.
  • Representing and defending tribal entity before tribal supreme court.
  • Advising employers regarding compliance with tribal employment laws and defending employers in related litigation
  • Assisting clients with interpretation of and compliance with tribal law and federal Indian law regarding economic development projects on tribal lands.

Prior to attending law school, he served on the Arizona Board of Regents, worked as a Legislative and Tribal Liaison for the Arizona Department of Agriculture, and as Dean of Students / government teacher at St. Michael Indian School on the Navajo Nation.

Legal Services

  • Litigation & Dispute Resolution
  • Real Estate
  • Tribal Law

Education and Honors

  • Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University (J.D., magna cum laude, 2013)
  • Indian Legal Program. Order of the Coif (Member). Dean’s Award (Recipient). Order of the Barristers (Member)
  • Arizona State Law Journal (Associate Editor)
  • ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition (Member); William H. Pedrick Scholar
  • Executive Moot Court (Chair); Student Bar Association (Vice-President)
  • Arizona State University (B.A. and B.S., magna cum laude, 2006)
  • Majors: History and Public Policy Advocacy

Bar Admissions

  • Arizona
  • Navajo Nation

Court Admissions

  • Navajo Nation Supreme Court, 2014
  • U.S. District Court, District of Arizona, 2013
  • Gila River Indian Community, 2012

Professional and Civic Activities

  • Native American Bar Association of Arizona (Member)
  • Arizona State Bar (Member, Indian Law Section)
  • Capital School Homeroom Program (Volunteer)
  • Maricopa County Bar Association (Member)
  • Knights of Columbus, Fr. Patterson Council of Chandler (Member)
  • Monsignor Edward J. Ryle Foundation (Board of Directors)
  • Native Vote 2012, 2014 (Coordinator, Volunteer)

Professional Recognition

  • Selected for inclusion in Southwest Super Lawyers® – Rising Stars (2018–present: Native American Law)
  • Selected by Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education as one of the Top 50 Pro Bono Attorneys in Arizona (2017)
  • Listed in "20 People to Know in Law" by the Phoenix Business Journal (2016)

Publications

05/01/17
"The Future of Native American Reserved Water Rights"
Lawtext in The Journal of Water Law

03/21/17
Court Limits Indian Water Rights to Groundwater Underlying Reservation
Environmental Law Alert

06/01/13
Law & Order Tribal Edition: How the Tribal Law and Order Act has Failed to Increase Tribal Court Sentencing Authority
45 Ariz. St. L.J. 611 (2013)