Samuel Gottstein’s practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, with particular expertise in appeals, state constitutional law, and election law.

At the start of his career, Sam worked as an assistant public defender in the criminal trial unit in Anchorage, where he represented hundreds of clients through all phases of the criminal trial process. Since going into private practice, Sam has been involved in a number of high-profile complex civil cases, including the following notable cases:

• Prevailing in child custody and other family law disputes before the Alaska Supreme Court. Robert A. v. Tatiana D., 474 P.3d 651 (Alaska 2020); Mohammed S. v. Abeir E., S- 18393 (Alaska Aug. 9, 2023).

• Saving the Power Cost Equalization Endowment Fund, valued at over $1 billion, which is used to assist over 80,000 rural Alaskans in nearly 200 communities contend with high energy costs. Alaska Federation of Natives, et al. v. Governor Dunleavy, et al., 3AN-21- 06737CI (Alaska Super. Aug. 11, 2021).

• Confirming that an elected official had been an Alaska resident for three years before filing for public office. Vazquez v. State of Alaska, 544 P.3d 1178 (Alaska 2024).

• Securing a favorable jury verdict in a medical malpractice case. Page Parish v. Petersburg Medical Center, 1PE-17-00048CI (Alaska Super. Sept. 1, 2023).

• Succeeding in placing election reforms on the general election ballot, Kevin Meyer et al. v. Alaskans for Better Elections, Inc., 465 P.3d 477 (Alaska 2020), and later protecting those popularly-enacted reforms from a constitutional challenge. Kohlhaas, et al. v. State of Alaska, et al., 518 P.3d 1095 (Alaska 2022)..

• Defending Alaska’s prohibitions against “Dark Money” before the federal district court in Alaska, the Ninth Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Smith v. Helzer, 614 F. Supp. 3d 668 (D. Alaska 2022); Smith v. Helzer, 95 F.4th 1207 (9th Cir. 2024), cert. denied, Smith v. Stillie, 145 S. Ct. 567 (2024).
• Appearing before the Alaska Public Offices Commission and helping clients comply with Alaska’s election laws.
• Providing assistance with general corporate formation and compliance, including for ANCSA corporations, nonprofits, and municipal governments.

Sam is a lifelong Alaskan who began his legal career clerking, first for Judge Catherine M. Easter of the Alaska Superior Court in Anchorage, Alaska, and then for Justice Daniel E. Winfree of the Alaska Supreme Court in Fairbanks, Alaska. Prior to clerking, Sam had interned for the Alaska Department of Law in the Oil, Gas, and Mining Section, externed with Judge Timothy M. Burgess of the U.S. District Court in Anchorage, and served as a legislative aide in Juneau for two legislative sessions. Sam was named one of Alaska’s Top Forty Under 40 by the Alaska Journal of Commerce in 2025.