Washington, DC, February 22, 2022 – Wick Phillips partner Brant Martin appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court to present argument on behalf of Ysleta del Sur Pueblo in the case of Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, et al v. State of Texas. Wick Phillips partners Joseph Callister and Ethan Minshull were also an integral part of the briefing, preparation, and execution of the argument.

The Tribe’s position in front of the Court was that, for almost thirty years, the Fifth Circuit has wrongly interpreted the 1987 Restoration Act that restored the Tribe’s status as a recognized federal Indian tribe. The Tribe argued the Restoration Act forbids certain games such as roulette, which are not allowed under Texas law, but permits the Tribe to operate games that are not forbidden, such as bingo, without subjecting itself to state regulation. Texas has benefited from the Fifth Circuit’s 1994 misinterpretation of the Restoration Act and has sought to undermine the Tribe’s sovereignty for a generation.

Brant is a commercial trial and appellate lawyer who focuses his practice on all facets of trial and commercial litigation, from pre-lawsuit disputes through discovery, jury selection, argument, and post-verdict practice. He has represented and counseled clients in Texas and around the United States across a broad spectrum of industries in federal and state courts at all levels, and arbitral bodies.  His cases include contractual disputes, mergers and acquisitions fraud, real estate loans and defaults, sovereignty issues, and any other commercial disputes his clients face. His representative clients include financial institutions, medical device manufacturers, investment funds and their sponsors, and software companies.

About Wick Phillips

Wick Phillips is a full-service business law firm serving clients across Texas and the United States. Founded in 2004, the firm has grown to more than 80 attorneys, specializing in all areas of business law—complex commercial litigation and appeals, corporate finance and transactions, labor and employment, real estate, intellectual property, bankruptcy, insurance coverage, tax, and securities—with offices in Austin, Dallas and Fort Worth.

For more information, visit www.wickphillips.com.

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