W. Gustin Vandiford Photo
  • Bio

W. Gustin Vandiford

Attorney

Gustin is a civil litigator with experience representing both corporate and municipal clients in a wide variety of areas, including insurance, employment, creditor's rights, and contractual disputes. A former Assistant Attorney General in the Territory, Gustin also uses an intimate understanding of the American Samoa Government to advise local and international businesses on regulatory compliance and navigating the bureaucracy.

Beginning his career in Minnesota, Gustin defended corporate clients in products liability, insurance defense, and insurance coverage matters. Later, he moved to American Samoa to serve as an assistant attorney general. There he defended the government against a diverse array of civil and administrative claims such as workers' compensation, procurement disputes, personal injury, medical malpractice, and wrongful termination. He also advised government agencies on compliance issues regarding both federal and local law and negotiated commercial lease agreements for government-owned land.

Gustin is a Wake Forest University School of Law graduate. His clinic participation allowed him to gain valuable experience advising clients on business formation, intellectual property registration, and importing products into the U.S. under the supervision of attorneys. He was also a member of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Team and a teaching assistant for appellate advocacy. Immediately after law school, he clerked in Minnesota's Seventh Judicial District for the Honorable Robert J. Raupp.

Gustin spends his free time enjoying the outdoors and traveling.

Education

  • B.S. (Magna Cum Laude), Philosophy and Communication, East Carolina University
  • J.D. Wake Forest University School of Law

Experience

  • Assistant Attorney General, American Samoa Attorney General’s Office, Utulei, AS
  • Associate Attorney, J. Selmer Law, P.A., Minneapolis, MN
  • Admitted to practice in American Samoa and Minnesota (License #0397723)