LAS VEGAS – (February 5, 2026) – Pisanelli Bice PLLC, a Las Vegas-based litigation law firm, announced today that Joseph Antonuccio and Christopher P. Zimmerman have joined the firm as associates.
Mr. Antonuccio joins Pisanelli Bice after serving as Assistant Chief Counsel for the United States Department of Homeland Security in Washington, D.C. In that role, he represented the United States in court proceedings and handled matters at various stages of litigation through final disposition, including appellate work. He earned his Juris Doctor from The George Washington University Law School in 2023 and completed externships with U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez-Masto and Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford while in law school. Mr. Antonuccio received his undergraduate degree from the University of Nevada, Reno, and is currently pursuing an LL.M. in Gaming Law and Regulation at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He is admitted to practice in Nevada and Washington, D.C., as well as before the U.S. District Court in Nevada.
Mr. Zimmerman joins the firm with experience in general liability and construction defect defense, having previously practiced at a large defense firm. A Las Vegas native, he earned his Bachelor of Science in Economics and Finance from the University of Nevada, Reno, where he also co-founded a technology company that secured six-figure angel investment. He received his Juris Doctor from Santa Clara University School of Law, earning a corporate specialization in high tech law, with honors. During law school, Mr. Zimmerman studied abroad at Singapore Management University, externed for the Honorable Evette Pennypacker of the Santa Clara Superior Court, and was an associate at the Entrepreneur’s Law Clinic. He is admitted to practice in Nevada and California, as well as before the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada.
“Joseph and Christopher each bring valuable and distinct experience to our litigation team,” said Debra L. Spinelli, managing partner at Pisanelli Bice. “Their backgrounds in government, defense litigation, and business-focused legal work align well with our firm’s commitment to providing strategic and effective representation for our clients.”
Founded in Las Vegas, Pisanelli Bice represents individuals and businesses in complex litigation matters throughout Nevada and beyond.
About Pisanelli Bice:
Pisanelli Bice is a Las Vegas-based 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 as well as some of Nevada’s largest gaming companies. For more information, please visit www.pisanellibice.com.
# # #
LAS VEGAS, NV – (December 29, 2025) – Pisanelli Bice PLLC, a Las Vegas-based litigation firm, announced today that M. Magali Mercera has been promoted to Partner.
Mercera joined Pisanelli Bice in 2011 and has built a broad litigation practice focused on complex commercial disputes. She represents clients in matters involving breach of contract, fiduciary duty claims, real estate and construction disputes, and other high-stakes business litigation. Over the years, she has played a key role on trial teams handling some of the firm’s most significant cases.
“Magali has earned this promotion through years of excellent work, sound judgment, and a deep commitment to our clients,” said Debra L. Spinelli, Managing Partner of Pisanelli Bice. “She is a trusted advocate and a valued leader within our firm, and we are so pleased to have her on our leadership team.”
In addition to her litigation practice, Mercera is actively involved in pro bono and community service efforts, including representing children in the foster care system through the Children’s Attorney Project. She is fluent in Spanish and regularly works with Spanish-speaking clients.
Pisanelli Bice is widely recognized for its trial practice and represents clients ranging from closely held businesses to large corporations, developers, gaming entities, and governmental bodies. The firm is consistently ranked among Nevada’s leading litigation firms by national and regional legal publications.
About Pisanelli Bice:
Pisanelli Bice is a Las Vegas-based 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 as well as some of Nevada’s largest gaming companies. For more information, please visit www.pisanellibice.com.
LAS VEGAS, NV – (Nov. 6, 2025) – Pisanelli Bice PLLC, a premier litigation firm based in Las Vegas, has once again been recognized for legal excellence in the 2026 edition of Best Law Firms in America®, one of the legal industry’s most respected peer-reviewed accolades. The firm received eight Tier 1 honors in the highly competitive Las Vegas metropolitan category.
This recognition reflects the firm’s enduring commitment to legal excellence, professional integrity, and outstanding client service. Rankings in Best Law Firms are determined entirely by peer review and client feedback, underscoring the esteem in which Pisanelli Bice is held by both the legal community and those it serves.
The firm earned honors in the following practice areas:
“These rankings speak not only to the skill and precision of our legal team, but also to the trust our clients and peers place in our firm,” said Debra L. Spinelli, managing partner of Pisanelli Bice. “This recognition affirms our unwavering focus on delivering strategic, high-stakes litigation counsel at the highest level, and we’re honored to stand among the top firms in the country.”
About Pisanelli Bice:
Pisanelli Bice is a Las Vegas-based 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 as well as some of Nevada’s largest gaming companies. For more information, please visit www.pisanellibice.com.
About Best Law Firms®:
Debuted in 2010, Best Law Firms® is the most credible rankings of exceptional law firms, rooted in a rigorous, peer-to-peer, industry-driven evaluation. Achieving a tiered ranking in Best Law Firms signals a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise. Ranked firms, presented in three tiers, are recognized on a national and metro-based scale. The Best Law Firms research methodology includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys in their field and review of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process. Best Law Firm’s time-tested reputation and a future-focused commitment to innovation provides legal professionals with an elevated stature, validation and confidence that comes from being part of, and working with, a Best Law Firms honored practice.
Las Vegas, NV – (September 9, 2025) – Pisanelli Bice PLLC, a premier litigation firm based in Las Vegas, is proud to announce that eight of its attorneys have been recognized in the 2025 edition of Mountain States Super Lawyers and Rising Stars, a distinction reserved for the region’s most respected legal professionals.
2025 Mountain States Super Lawyers:
2025 Mountain States Rising Stars:
Super Lawyers is a nationally recognized rating service that identifies outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have achieved significant peer recognition and professional accomplishment. Only the top 5 percent of attorneys in each region are selected annually. The Rising Stars list highlights top-performing attorneys under the age of 40 or who have been in practice for 10 years or less, with no more than 2.5 percent of eligible attorneys chosen.
Selections are made through a rigorous, patented multi-phase process that includes independent research, peer nominations, and evaluations by a blue-ribbon panel of attorneys across the United States.
“We’re proud to see our attorneys recognized for both their legal excellence and the respect they’ve earned from their peers,” said Debra L. Spinelli, managing partner at Pisanelli Bice. “This acknowledgment reflects not only our team’s depth of experience but also our ongoing commitment to achieving results for our clients.”
About Pisanelli Bice:
Pisanelli Bice is a Las Vegas-based 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 as well as some of Nevada’s largest gaming companies. For more information, please visit www.pisanellibice.com.
# # #
Seven Pisanelli Bice Attorneys Recognized Across All Three Categories
Las Vegas, NV – (Aug. 21, 2025) – The Las Vegas-based litigation firm Pisanelli Bice PLLC, announced today that seven of its attorneys have been recognized in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers in America, one of the legal profession’s most respected peer-reviewed honors. The firm received accolades across all three award categories, including two coveted “Lawyer of the Year” distinctions for the firm’s founders.
Best Lawyers recognition is based entirely on peer-review, reflecting a lawyer’s professional excellence and high regard among other leading attorneys in the field.
Honorees include:
2026 Lawyer of the Year:
2026 Best Lawyers in America:
2026 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America:
“We are proud to see our attorneys recognized across so many practice areas, including two ‘Lawyer of the Year’ honors for our founding partners – James Pisanelli and Todd Bice,” said Debra L. Spinelli, managing partner at Pisanelli Bice. “These awards reflect the depth of experience and commitment our team brings to every matter. To be honored by our peers is a testament not only to the quality of our legal work, but to the consistency, integrity, and professionalism our attorneys bring to every case.”
About Pisanelli Bice:
Pisanelli Bice is a Las Vegas-based 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 as well as some of Nevada’s largest gaming companies. For more information, please visit www.pisanellibice.com.
# # #
