LAS VEGAS (Aug. 18, 2016) – James J. Pisanelli and Todd L. Bice, founding partners of the litigation firm Pisanelli Bice PLLC, were recently selected by their legal peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America© 2017, a prestigious nationwide peer-review publication. Managing Partner Debra L. Spinelli was also selected for the fourth consecutive year by her peers for inclusion in the publication.
Best Lawyers© listed Pisanelli in the category for commercial litigation, a primary focus of the law firm. The publication also listed him in four additional legal categories, including: bet-the-company litigation, construction law, litigation – construction, and litigation – real estate.
The publication listed Bice for the third consecutive year in the appellate practice category, recognizing Bice’s expertise and success in the appellate arena. The publication also listed Bice in four other legal categories, including: commercial litigation, litigation – first amendment, litigation – land use and zoning, and litigation – mergers and acquisitions.
Bice was also named Best Lawyers© Las Vegas “Lawyer of the Year” in the Litigation – Land Use and Zoning category. The publication recognizes a single lawyer as the “Lawyer of the Year” in each practice area and designated metropolitan area.
The law firm received additional recognition in the publication with Spinelli listed in the commercial litigation category.
Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers© has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. It is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey. Over 50,000 leading attorneys cast more than 7 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers© “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”
The lawyers listed in Best Lawyers in America© do not have a say in deciding which practice areas they are included in. They are voted into practice areas entirely as a result of the votes they receive from their peers. The subspecialties listed after their names are based on information from a variety of sources.
About Pisanelli Bice
Pisanelli Bice is a Las Vegas-based law firm focused primarily on commercial litigation. The firm, founded by attorneys James J. Pisanelli and Todd L. Bice, represents clients ranging from single-entity developers and entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 companies, municipalities, public agencies and some of Nevada’s largest gaming companies. For more information, please visit pisanellibice.com or on Twitter @pisanellibice.
About Best Lawyers in America
The Best Lawyers in America© is a nationwide peer-review publication. A single lawyer is recognized as the Lawyer of the Year in each practice area and designated metropolitan area. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence.
Chambers USA
• The firm won an award for general commercial litigation.
• Todd Bice — general litigation, business litigation, legislative and governmental affairs
• James Pisanelli — business litigation, construction litigation: business
• Ava Schaefer — business litigation (Rising Star)
• Debra Spinelli — business litigation, appellate
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Four attorneys from the Las Vegas boutique litigation firm Pisanelli Bice PLLC have been named to the prestigious Mountain States Super Lawyers lists, the firm’s founding partners announced today.
Firm founders James J. Pisanelli and Todd L. Bice and Managing Partner Debra L. Spinelli were selected to Super Lawyers’ “Top” lists, which recognize outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas.
Pisanelli and Bice both were once again honored as two of the elite Top 100 lawyers in the region that includes Nevada, Montana, Utah, Wyoming and Idaho. Pisanelli has earned Top 100 Super Lawyers distinction every year since 2013. The 2016 listing marks Bice’s third consecutive year on the Top 100. Both have been designated Super Lawyer – an honor accorded to fewer than 5 percent of all attorneys in the region – for 10 straight years.
Spinelli was selected one of the service’s Top 50 women lawyers in the region. She is a Super Lawyer for the fourth consecutive year.
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The Las Vegas Sands Corp. Tuesday settled a six-year-long lawsuit filed by a former top executive of its Macau operations.
A confidential settlement was reached between Sands and Steven Jacobs, who headed the company’s China operations until being ousted in 2010.
The company’s China operation disclosed the settlement in a filing with the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong.
“On or about May 31, 2016, the parties to the proceedings reached a comprehensive and confidential settlement through which Mr. Jacobs dismissed all claims in the Nevada state and federal cases against our controlling shareholder, Las Vegas Sands Corp., the company, our subsidiary Venetian Macau Ltd., and Mr. Sheldon G. Adelson and released all claims as of that date,” the statement said.
Jacobs’ Las Vegas attorney Todd Bice confirmed that the settlement had been reached, but said because the terms of the agreement are confidential, he could not add further details. A Sands spokesman also confirmed the settlement, but had no further comment.
A trial had been scheduled for later this month in Clark County District Court before Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez. A Sands petition to have Gonzalez removed from the case was rejected May 11 by the Nevada Supreme Court, and the case had been rescheduled for trial Sept. 6.
Jacobs sued Sands for wrongful termination in 2010, claiming he was fired “for blowing the whistle on improprieties and placing the interests of shareholders above those of Adelson.”
Adelson countersued and has repeatedly denied Jacobs’ allegations, saying he was acting on his own.
The lawsuit led to Justice Department and SEC investigations into whether Sands officials violated the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act against bribing foreign officials.
In April, Sands agreed to pay a $9 million fine to settle SEC claims that the company didn’t properly document payments to a consultant working for the company beginning in 2006. Sands didn’t admit wrongdoing as part of that settlement and said the investigation showed that Jacobs had nothing to do with the SEC probe.
Sheldon Adelson ended his six-year legal fight with the former head of his Macau casinos whose allegations of “outrageous and illegal” demands by the billionaire Las Vegas Sands Corp. chairman prompted a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigation.
A confidential settlement was reached between Steven Jacobs and the company, according to a June 1 statement by Sands China Ltd. to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The case had been scheduled for trial this year in Las Vegas after Sands lost its latest petition to the Nevada Supreme Court to have the judge removed.
Jacobs sued in 2010 after he was ousted in a falling out with Adelson. He accused Adelson of directing him to collect evidence on Macau government officials that could be used to “exert leverage” on them to thwart regulation unfavorable to Sands casinos. Adelson has repeatedly denied Jacobs’s allegations and accused him of commissioning the investigation on his own accord.
The lawsuit led the SEC and Justice Department to probe whether Sands violated U.S. laws against bribing foreign officials. In April, Sands agreed to pay $9 million to settle the SEC’s claims it failed to properly document payments to a consultant facilitating business activities in China and Macau. The company didn’t admit wrongdoing as part of the accord.
