Pago Pago, American Samoa Attorneys
Providing Legal Counsel & Litigation Services to Businesses
As American Samoa’s leading commercial law practice, Mooney Wieland Warren and its predecessor firm, Rose Joneson Vargas (RJV), have many years of experience helping local, U.S., and international clients get business done in the territory’s unique legal, economic, and regulatory environment. Our practice is often critical to “off-island” entities looking to establish or expand operations into the Pacific region, and our commercial litigators have expertise in handling local commercial disputes, collections, admiralty/maritime claims, insurance and tort defense, and other matters in the territorial High Court and administrative tribunals.
Many aspects of life in American Samoa are strongly influenced by the traditional culture, known as the Fa’a Samoa (The Samoan Way). The land tenure system, which vests “ownership” of most lands in extended families headed by chiefs, is inextricably tied to the Fa’a Samoa. The Fa’a Samoa is a strong and active influence in not only weddings and funerals and allocation of land, but also in other areas, such as government and religion.
American Samoa is a bi-lingual society, and many residents are fluent in both Samoan and English. Both languages are used by broadcast media and newspapers, and both languages are used in commerce, government, and daily use. Churches and religion are another dominant force in the territory, and American Samoa shares that characteristic with other South Pacific nations. Missionaries brought Christianity to the Samoan islands in the 19th century, and various Christian faiths maintain a strong presence there.
What We Can Do for Our Clients
Mooney Wieland Warren’s American Samoa business and litigation attorneys are prepared to assist corporate, organizational, and other clients with legal matters involving the following and more:
- Admiralty/Maritime Law
- Arbitrations
- Arbitrations
- Banking and Bank Regulation
- Commercial Litigation
- Class Actions and Multidistrict Litigation
- Corporate and Business Law
- Corporate Tax
- Creditors’ Rights and Collections
- Employment Law and Litigation
- HR Counseling and Risk Management
- Insurance and Tort Defense
- Insurance Coverage
- Insurance Regulation
- Intellectual Property Law and Litigation
- Local Counsel
- Marine Casualty Investigations
- OSHA Proceedings
- Professional Liability Litigation
- Real Property Law and Litigation
From entity formation and governmental licensing to complex contract negotiations and commercial litigation, we provide the full range of legal services required to navigate the challenges presented by this unincorporated and unorganized territory of the United States.
Additionally, Mooney Wieland Warren often serves as American Samoa local counsel for stateside and international attorneys, and we can expand our skillset when necessary through our strategic relationship with Davis Wright Tremaine LLP’s extensive network of 500 attorneys in the U.S. and abroad.
Why Work With Us?
At Mooney Wieland Warren, our American Samoa business and litigation attorneys have decades of combined local experience, which we leverage on a daily basis to help clients—wherever they are—overcome their legal challenges and obstacles in the territory.
When you engage Mooney Wieland Warren to assist with your business law matter, you’ll gain a dedicated legal advocate and counselor who can efficiently and effectively help you achieve a favorable result. Whether it’s providing proactive legal solutions to avoid a dispute or resolving a contentious dispute in litigation, our attorneys are here to advocate and help you understand your legal options each step of the way.