In May 1999, the Albany Times-Union published an Associated Press¹ story that described the 30-year representation of the Oneida Indian Nation by law firm Bond, Schoeneck & King in the Oneida Nation’s land claim in Central New York. The story told of a 1966 retainer agreement that “may be worth hundreds of millions of dollars as the Oneida Indian Nation presses its fight against New York State.”

According to the story, the agreement calls for the firm to collect 20 percent of any settlement up to $1 million and 10 percent of any amount above $1 million.

Bond, Schoeneck & King lawyer George C. Shattuck (now retired) told the Associated Press that the firm agreed to take the case if the potential fee would be large enough. The story referred to an earlier interview Mr. Shattuck gave the Post-Standard in which he told the newspaper, “Without our work, there would be no recovery for the Oneidas.”

In 1991, Mr. Shattuck wrote a book titled, “The Oneida Land Claims: A Legal History,” that describes his legal strategies developed in pursuit of representing the Oneida Indian Nation with its land claim.