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.
The document is heavily redacted, but the message is clear. Elaine Wynn is trying to raise the stakes in her battle with ex-husband Steve Wynn over control of her share of Wynn Resorts Ltd.
Attorneys for Elaine Wynn late Monday filed a redacted version of her motion for approval to file a fifth amended counterclaim and crossclaim in her attempt to pry loose her 9.2-percent ownership interest in the casino company. The document was originally filed under seal March 10 and is part of a larger protracted legal dispute between Steve Wynn and former partner Kazuo Okada. In her lawsuit and media campaign, Elaine Wynn, who is president of the state Board of Education, accuses company co-founder, Chairman and CEO Steve Wynn, of “using a public company to fund his lavish lifestyle and personal politics” and displaying “reckless, risk-taking behavior” that jeopardizes the corporation and exposes it to legal challenges.
Although much of the discovery in the case has been delayed and remains incomplete, the document states “the few depositions that have been taken in recent weeks — consisting mostly of Wynn Resort Directors — revealed new facts that were not previously disclosed to Ms. Wynn.” Among those directors deposed: former Nevada Gov. Bob Miller, longtime company insider D. Boone Wayson, Alvin Shoemaker and Ray Irani.
The latest filing increases the volume on her claim by citing redacted deposition testimony given under oath by Wynn Resorts corporate directors. The amended complaint alleges Steve Wynn and Wynn Resorts general counsel Kim Sinatra intentionally failed to disclose pertinent information to the board of directors. As a result, those directors “failed to apply appropriate governance standards.”
