Attorney
GIFFORD LAW, PLLC
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73101
Robert Don Gifford represents clientele in a broad range of complex civil and white collar criminal litigation, Native American law, and military law in courts of all jurisdictions. He represents companies in preparing criminal compliance guidelines and corporate criminal risk assessments, as well as individuals charged with state and federal violations. A tribal member of the Cherokee Nation, "Judge" Gifford is also a tribal court judge to seven Native American Tribes.
Prior to going into private practice, Mr. Gifford worked for the U.S. Department of Justice as an Assistant United States Attorney doing both trial and appellate work, where over time he served as the Tribal Liaison, Human Trafficking Coordinator, Anti-Terrorism Coordinator, and Project Safe Neighborhoods Coordinator. During his career with the Department of Justice, Mr. Gifford has been honored for outstanding performance by the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (2006 & 2015), Director of the United States Marshal’s Service (2008), and the United States Department of Agriculture (2004).
Mr. Gifford began his legal career for the Cherokee Nation under Chief Wilma Mankiller, served as an Assistant District Attorney in Tulsa and as an active duty Army Lawyer as an Army Judge Advocate at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Fort Knox, Kentucky, and in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Now a Colonel in the Army Reserves, Gifford has served in the Army for over twenty years on active duty and as a Reservist. In 2007-08, Colonel Gifford mobilized back onto active duty to the “War Courts” at Guantanamo Bay where he served as the Legal Spokesman to the world-wide media and Deputy Director of Legal Operations.
Mr. Gifford earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Oklahoma College of Law where he served as an Editor on the American Indian Law Review. Mr. Gifford graduated with honors from Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas where he lettered four years in both football and track, and he also holds a Masters in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Gifford has previously served as the Chair of the Criminal Law Section (2018) of the Oklahoma Bar Association, a fellow of the Oklahoma Bar Foundation, the founder and five-time past chair of the Military & Veterans Law Section, and previously served on the Board of Governors for the 17,000 members of the Oklahoma Bar Association. The Oklahoma Bar Association’s Criminal Law Section named Mr. Gifford “Professional Advocate of the Year” in 2013 and recognized him with the Justice Cardozo "Golden Quill" Award in 2016 and again in 2023. The Cherokee Nation recognized Mr. Gifford for his military service and continued service to veterans with the Cherokee Nation's Patriot Award.
