WilmerHale Secures Major Victory for North Fork Rancheria in Long-Running Casino Dispute

WilmerHale Secures Major Victory for North Fork Rancheria in Long-Running Casino Dispute

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On October 29, 2026, WilmerHale secured a significant victory for the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians in litigation concerning the tribe’s opening of a long-planned $700 million casino in Madera County, California. The US District Court for the Eastern District of California denied a competing tribe’s motion for a preliminary injunction and granted North Fork’s motion to dismiss based on its tribal sovereign immunity. The ruling allows the casino, which opened on October 28, to remain open. 

The decision is the latest development in a legal effort spanning more than a decade. WilmerHale has represented North Fork since 2012 in its efforts to develop the casino, litigating related issues in federal and state courts, including the US District Court of the District of Columbia, the DC Circuit, the Ninth Circuit, the US Supreme Court, the California Court of Appeal, and the California Supreme Court. The matters have involved complex constitutional, statutory, and administrative law questions as well as challenges involving the State of California, the US Department of the Interior, community organizations, and another California tribe that sought to protect its own casino from competition. 

In the latest litigation, the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians sought to block North Fork from opening a casino on land the Secretary took into trust for North Fork in 2013 and challenged the National Indian Gaming Commission’s 2024 approval of North Fork’s casino management contract. Following an October 9 hearing, the court rejected Picayune’s request for preliminary relief. The court concluded that Picayune had not demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits or irreparable harm and that the balance of equities and public interest did not favor an injunction. The court also held that North Fork’s sovereign immunity protected it from suit and thus dismissed Picayune’s claims without leave to amend. 

While Picayune has already filed an appeal, the ruling enables North Fork to continue operating the casino, which employs more than 1300 personnel and is expected to generate revenue to support North Fork’s tribal government and services to North Fork’s 3000 tribal citizens. 

The WilmerHale team was led by Christopher Babbitt (who argued for North Fork at the October 9 hearing), and included Seth Waxman, Joshua Vittor, Britany Riley Swanbeck, Nitisha Baronia, and Mairead Ahlbach.

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