Education
- Stanford Law School (J.D., 1986)
- Stanford Law Review, Associate Editor, 1983-1986
- Stanford University (B.A., 1983)
- International Relations, with Distinction
Bonnie Paskvan structures transactions, drafts legislation, and serves as outside general counsel, so that Alaska Native Corporations, Tribes, municipalities, and telecom companies get strategic legal leadership without the cost of a full in-house team.
Bonnie brings decades of combined in-house and private practice experience to clients who need a lawyer who understands their business and values as deeply as their legal challenges. She serves as outside general counsel and City Attorney to Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs), Tribes, municipalities, and telecommunications companies — stepping into the role of a trusted institutional partner on commercial, corporate, and regulatory matters across Alaska, across many states and to Puerto Rico.
For ANC clients, Bonnie's work spans the full range of corporate life: drafting annual proxy packages, structuring Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) settlement trusts, managing Descendant enrollment and Elder stock issuances, creating election rules and director candidate application packages, and advising boards on fiduciary duties and corporate governance. She has facilitated enterprise risk management surveys across multi-entity ANC families and co-created board-level reporting tools — including "traffic light" board self-assessments, corporate goals, and metrics matrixes — that give directors clear, crisp and understandable visibility into organizational performance.
In telecommunications, Bonnie has deep experience with complex terrestrial and subsea build outs, commercial lending, and capital markets transactions. She has served as lead and local counsel on multiple large international M&A and participation loans for major Alaska telecom companies, including senior credit facilities ranging from $70 million to $625 million with as many as 17 participating lenders. She has also served as chief legal officer for a startup wholesale wireless telecommunications company and as corporate counsel for Alaska's largest telecommunications and technology company.
Bonnie's municipal practice includes serving as City Attorney for multiple Alaska municipalities, advising on open meetings requirements, ethics and conflicts of interest, elections, effective governance, and the interplay between municipal government and state law. She has presented to city councils on roles and responsibilities of public officials, including on Robert's Rules of Order.
Her legislative advocacy has produced positive, functional, and permanent change. Bonnie initiated the introduction of the Alaska Model Entities Transaction Act, and co-initiated SB 24 — the bill permitting virtual and hybrid corporate shareholder and nonprofit member meetings — both of which were enacted into Alaska Statutes. When COVID-19 threatened to prevent Alaska corporations from holding required annual meetings, she and her Dorsey colleagues obtained an emergency order suspending the in-person meeting requirement, directly enabling continuity for ANC shareholders across the state.
Teaming with her Dorsey colleagues, Bonnie advises on government contracting matters, including SBA 8(a) program eligibility and regulatory changes affecting ANCs.
Select Experience
- Lead the transition services agreement work stream on $2 billion M&A acquisition of wireless assets.
- Drafted annual proxy packages for Alaska Native Corporation clients, including shareholder approval of ANCSA settlement trusts, Descendant enrollment, and Elder stock issuances.
- Investigated and resolved Code of Conduct complaints and breaches of confidentiality for an ANC client, achieving unanimous Board approval of results.
- Initiated the Alaska Model Entities Transaction Act, subsequently enacted into Alaska Statutes.
Charitable & Civic Involvement
- Co-Chair, Alaska State Bar, Corporate Counsel Section.
- Director, Girl Scouts of Alaska Board.
- Initiated Alaska Model Entities Transaction Act – Enacted into Alaska Statutes.
- Co-initiated, drafted, testified, and lobbied for unanimous passage of the Virtual and Hybrid meeting provisions – Enacted into Alaska Statutes for for-profit, non-profit and Alaska Native Corporations.
- President, Turnagain Elementary PTA & Chair, Turnagain Legislative Advocacy Committee – raised $220,000 in State Appropriations, transformed school into robust wireless environment, deployed computers in classes and interactive white boards in all classes; survived two Governor’s vetoes with extensive lobbying efforts.
- Co-Chair, Read-a-Thon, Turnagain Elementary PTA – students read over 300,000 pages annually in 30 days; significant funding source, encouraging student literacy.
- Member, UAA Truman Scholarship Nominee Panel (annually for over 20 years).
- Director, Secretary, Treasurer – The Aleut Foundation.
Bar Admissions
- Alaska
Accolades
- Chambers USA, Corporate/M&A
- Native American Law, Alaska, 2025 – 2026
- Best Lawyers in America®, 2026
- Martindale-Hubbell®, Rated Distinguished, 2026
- Alaska Super Lawyers®, 2026
- Consistently providing pro bono legal assistance to those in need through Dorsey’s Pro Bono program
- Forbes, Best In-State Lawyers List, Alaskan Native Law in Alaska, 2025
- Alaska Business Legal Elite, Alaska Native Law, 2023 – 2026
- Harry S. Truman Scholar For Alaska – National Competition
- $20,000 Scholarship for Academic Excellence and Service
- GCI/UUI Terra Southwest Award – “In recognition of your outstanding project leadership and contributions"
- GCI Terra Northwest Award – “In recognition of your contributions and to honor the tremendous accomplishments of all involved with the historic completion of Phase 1 of Terra Northwest"
- Kodiak Kenai Cable Co. Recognition – For support of the Kodiak Kenai Fiber Link Project
- Miss Manners Award – From “The Staff” at Hartig, Rhodes, Norman, Mahoney & Edwards, PC
- Dorsey & Whitney – Scales of Justice Team Award (Alaska Virtual Meeting Law), 2021
Select Presentations
- Co-presenter, Caselaw Update, Alaska Municipal Attorneys Association Annual Conference
- Co-panelist, Dorsey's Glass Smasher's Lab, Through the Ceiling and Behind the Doors; Navigating the Board Room
- Co-presenter, Alaska Municipal Attorneys Association Annual Conference – Interesting Alaska Municipal Law Decisions
- Co-presenter, Insurance Requirements, Additional Insureds, Waivers of Subrogation, Oh My . . . What Does It All Mean for Agreements with Providers and Vendors?
- Co-presenter, Force Majeure Clauses (in a post-COVID litigation world)
- Co-presenter, Alaska Bar Association CLE – The Accidental Lawyer: Terms of Engagement How to Stay Out of Trouble When You Are Out of the Office
- Numerous presentations on Officer and Director Fiduciary Duties for various private employers
- Presenter, City Council Workshop on Effective Governance – Roles & Responsibilities of Public Officials; Robert’s Rules and Professionalism; Open Meetings Act; Ethics and Conflicts of Interest; Municipal Governments & Religion
- Presenter, Committee Chair Orientation: Chairs’ Roles & Responsibilities
- Presenter, Employment Preferences – Alaska Native Corporations’ Limited Exception from the Civil Rights Act Title VII
- Presenter, Federal Bar Association Minnesota & New Mexico Chapters Indian Law Seminar – Yellen v. Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation: Alaska Native Corporations’ Access to CARES Act Funding
- Presenter, The Aleutian Marketplace – Legal Aspects of Starting a Business
- Presenter, Anchorage Association of Women Lawyers – Practical Tips for Negotiating Salaries, Benefits, and Perks
- Presenter, Cyber Threats: Scoping the Project, Contract Provisions, and Responses, Alaska State Bar Association CLE
- Presenter, First National Bank of Alaska Annual Lenders’ Conference- The Hidden Costs of Sexual Harassment
- Presenter, Alaska Bar Association CLE – The Hidden Costs of Sexual Harassment
- Moderator, Alaska Bar Association CLE – The Many Hats of In-House Counsel - Understanding & Safeguarding the Attorney-Client Privilege
- Presenter, National Bank of Alaska to Commercial Lending Officers – Creation and Perfection of Liens on Collateral
- Presenter, National Business Institute – Liens and Credit Issues Affecting Real Estate – Advanced Real Estate Law in Alaska
- Presenter, Alaska Natives: From Settlers Across the Bering Strait to Global Economic Powerhouses
