Best Lawyers in America for Gaming Law
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Highly regarded gaming attorney with over two decades of experience. Pioneer in online gaming and sports betting. Deep expertise in regulatory compliance and new gaming markets. A national gaming industry thought leader, Pat Agnellini helped shape the future of internet gaming nationally and was highly involved in its legalization in New Jersey. He focuses on all aspects of gaming law with an emphasis on licensing and operational regulatory compliance matters as well as various types of comme...
Jeff Barbin practices in the areas of commercial and industrial real estate and finance. He has extensive experience in corporate, transactional and regulatory matters related to casino gaming. He counsels developers and operators on acquisitions, site development, financing and disposition. He has focused on gaming transactions requiring local gaming regulatory approvals and other complex transactional and regulatory matters, often working closely with the firm’s gaming lawyers in Miss...
Michael J. Bonner concentrates his practice in the areas of corporation finance, corporate governance, business transactions, securities and gaming. Michael represents clients in corporate securities and other business transactions, including acting as lead counsel on initial public offerings, follow-on offerings, private placements and a variety of financing, acquisition and restructuring transactions for publicly held and privately held business entities. He counsels publicly held companies...
Over 35 years experience in all matters dealing with Administrative Law and litigation. Specializing Gaming and Wagering Law, all areas of licensing and permitting, Taxation and Legislative practice. Former General Counsel for the Missouri Dept. of Revenue, Former Administrative Law Judge for the Missouri Administrative Hearing Commission and Former Chief Deputy Attorney General for Missouri. Licensed to practice in all Missouri state and federal courts, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th ...
Co-chair of the firm’s Gaming group, Bill Downey has built a reputation as one of the most respected attorneys in the gaming industry. With more than 25 years of experience in the Atlantic City and Pennsylvania markets, Bill has been counseling mid-Atlantic casinos and other participants in the casino and hospitality industries on the regulatory, corporate and real estate aspects of their ventures. He has extensive experience in the prosecution of license applications before regulatory ...
Kelly Duncan is a partner in the Maritime Practice Group. He serves currently as co-chair of the firm’s Gaming Industry Team and served on Jones Walker’s board of directors from 2006 to 2014. Kelly has 40 years of experience handling admiralty, maritime, and international and customs law matters, including domestic and international matters relating to marine acquisitions, financings, vessel construction, regulatory issues, maritime lien enforcement and foreclosures, contracts of ...
Peter Ellsworth has a depth of experience in state administrative law and litigation; commercial litigation; public utility regulation; hospital and health care regulation; gaming; insurance; elections and campaign finance; administrative litigation and judicial appeals; and commercial regulatory matters. He has counseled property and casualty insurance companies in litigation over credit scoring and has counseled gubernatorial campaigns. He has drafted and defended the validity of constituti...
Stan serves his colleagues as Hahn Loeser’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner, Partner-in-Charge of the firm’s Cleveland office, and co-chair of its Business Practice Area. Stan handles a wide range of complex matters involving real estate, general corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, financing and gaming. Stan has experience leading major acquisitions throughout the United States, representing clients establishing operations overseas, representing lenders and borro...
A. Jeff Ifrah’s legal skills and record of success have earned him international recognition as a white-collar criminal defense lawyer and litigator. He is an advocate keenly focused on delivering results for his clients – on understanding the problems they face and developing innovative strategies to resolve them. Considered one of the world’s foremost attorneys in Online Gaming Law , Jeff is ranked in Chambers Global Gaming Guide and is the only attorney ranked in Band 1 n...
STEPHEN A. JAMIESON is a founding partner with the Los Angeles-based law firm Solomon Saltsman & Jamieson (SSJLaw). Stephen A. Jamieson is recognized as a leader in the areas of land use and zoning, alcoholic beverage licensing, compliance and disciplinary actions, government relations, and business and personal injury litigation, both for the defense and for the plaintiff. He is licensed to represent clients in California, Michigan, and Wisconsin, and has extensive experience working wit...
Joe Loftus co-chairs the firm’s Public Policy team. Decades of government experience and his credibility allow Joe to help clients looking to establish and maintain successful business relationships with government entities. Defining his practice is the dedication to helping clients achieve their desired result. Joe's government service experience includes advising government and business clients in developing legislative and executive strategies for effectively advocating their interes...
Experienced liaison between Indian tribes and businesses. Problem-solver for complex legislative, regulatory and legal issues. Former attorney for the Department of the Interior and the Department of Justice. Sarah Murray provides counsel on laws, regulations and legislation related to administrative law, regulatory compliance, land use, Indian affairs and tribal gaming. Her experience serving as an attorney at multiple federal agencies and rich knowledge of the historical, legal and constitu...
Mr. Oettle handles complex commercial litigation with an emphasis on public contracting, business valuation, and close corporation and LLC internal disputes, and he handles a range of administrative matters, including pay-to-play issues, access to public records, and licensing and compliance with an emphasis on gaming and cannabis. Mr. Oettle has given a Lorman seminar on New Jersey public contracting, and he has authored articles on the financial stability of New Jersey casinos and the quali...
Mr. Orlansky concentrates his practice in the areas of business litigation, gaming law, and professional liability and ethics. He chairs the firm's Gaming Practice, is a member of the firm's Management Committee, and serves as the firm's loss prevention and ethics counsel. Mr. Orlansky joined Stone Pigman in 1984.
Chris Pace is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group. He advises on project finance and economic development law, state and local government law, economic development incentives, and gaming law. Chris’ clients include county and municipal governmental bodies as well as new and expanding business concerns, examples of which include a large steel company investing more than $1 billion in a new facility, and a regional beverage supplier investing millions of dollars to expand its existi...
Peter J. Rusthoven, a partner in the Indianapolis office, has a multi-dimensional practice. His business experience includes transactional and corporate governance work, in areas ranging from manufacturing to publishing to healthcare. Peter was active in drafting Indiana's corporation statute and official comments and has frequently written and spoken on corporate change-of-control issues. In the governmental services area, he is experienced in gaming and alcoholic beverage licensing and othe...
More than 30 years of gaming law experience. Former member of the Nevada Gaming Control Board and a leader in handling complex gaming and compliance matters. Operates at the juncture of legal, regulatory and business. Scott Scherer uses a unique mix of regulatory, business, policy and legal perspectives to help clients implementing new technologies and systems for sports betting and online gaming. Clients rely on him to steer them through the hurdles they face getting regulatory approval, obt...
Renowned gaming attorney responsible for shaping the Las Vegas gaming industry. More than 40 years representing the nation’s most respected public and private gaming entities. Former Nevada Gaming Commissioner. Frank Schreck is one of the nation’s most distinguished gaming law attorneys. Drawing on more than four decades of experience working with the world’s leading gaming companies, he has been integral to the evolution and expansion of the gaming industry into what it is ...
Tommy Shepherd is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group. He advises businesses, Native American tribes, and financial institutions on a wide range of commercial and transactional matters. Tommy represents a broad spectrum of clients in all types of commercial and regulated matters. He has extensive experience in acquisitions, public-private leases, financings, land-use approvals, statutory and regulatory interpretation and compliance, operations, and administrative hearings. An accomplish...
Mr. Tobin joined the Firm in 1968 and became a partner in 1970. His involvement in a number of prominent cases at both the state and federal level during this time helped to expand the Firm’s litigation practice. Today, he practices extensively in the areas of corporate, commercial, gaming and Indian law, appellate, personal injury and wrongful death and general litigation. Mr. Tobin has lectured before the Connecticut Bar Association and is a Connecticut Superior Court Trial Referee.
Nearly 30 years’ experience representing leading gaming companies. Skilled at navigating Nevada’s regulatory requirements. Deep understanding of licensing requirements and strategies to ensure clients secure licensure and remain in compliance. Sonia Church Vermeys helps clients navigate Nevada's complex regulatory requirements related to commercial development and liquor and gaming licensing. Her practice primarily focuses on commercial transactions, including complex financings, ...
Stephen Ward’s practice focuses on the areas of American Indian/Native American law, Indian country business transactions, tribal law, environmental law, and natural resources/energy law. He handles litigation and administrative litigation, and he has extensive appellate practice experience that has included cases before several of the United States Courts of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Ward leads the firm’s Indian law practice. In the field of Indian law, Mr. Ward has co...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.