Washington DC, September 16, 2016 – Miller & Chevalier represented Shee Atiká, Inc. (Shee Atiká) before Congress and the administration in connection with the acquisition by the federal government of approximately 22,000 acres in Cube Cove within the Admiralty Island National Monument Wilderness. On September 16, 2016, the completion of the purchase of the first two segments of the multi-segment land acquisition in Cube Cove was publicly announced by the United States Forest Service (Forest Service) and Shee Atiká.

"This representation involved resolution of a number of unique and precedent-setting appropriations, authorization and budget issues and we are very pleased with the result for our long-standing client," said Marc J. Gerson, Vice Chair of Miller & Chevalier's Tax practice.

In their joint press release announcing the transaction, the Forest Service and Shee Atiká referred to their "landmark purchase agreement" and noted that, upon completion, the purchase will represent the "largest transfer of lands from a private inholding back into Forest Service-managed Wilderness in the history of the agency."

Shee Atiká is a Native Corporation organized under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) for the Alaska Natives historically residing in the vicinity of Sitka, Alaska. The corporation currently has more than 3,300 Alaska Native shareholders. The Cube Cove lands were originally conveyed to Shee Atiká in the early 1980s as part of ANSCA and the return of the land to the federal government represents several years of cooperation among Shee Atiká, the Forest Service and the Alaska congressional delegation.

In recognizing Miller & Chevalier’s role, Dr. Kenneth Cameron, President/CEO and Chairman of Shee Atiká, said, "We have relied on Miller & Chevalier's strategic advice and representation as one of our primary Washington counsel for decades. The firm's combination of substantive expertise and policy strength, along with its thorough understanding of the workings and decision-making processes of Congress and the administration, were essential to the execution of this transaction."

Firm lawyers Marc J. Gerson, Leonard Bickwit, Jr. and Adam P. Feinberg and Senior International Trade Advisor P. Welles Orr represented Shee Atiká.

About Miller & Chevalier

Founded in 1920, Miller & Chevalier is a Washington, DC law firm with a global perspective and leading practices in Tax, Employee Benefits (including ERISA), International Law and Business, White Collar and Internal Investigations, Complex Litigation, and Government Affairs. In an era of big law, Miller & Chevalier is a top-ranked firm sharply focused on targeted areas that interact with the federal government. Over the past three years, the firm's lawyers have represented more than 40 percent of the Fortune 100, one-quarter of the Fortune 500 and approximately 30 percent of the Global 100. Based in Washington, DC, a significant number of firm lawyers have held senior positions in the U.S. government and have written many of the regulations they currently help clients navigate. For more information on the firm, visit www.millerchevalier.com.

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