Gaming Law

Chairperson: Jeff Rodefer

Vice President of Legal Affairs & Corporate Compliance Officer

Boyd Gaming Corporation

6465 S. Rainbow Blvd.  Bldg. D

Las Vegas, NV 89118

Phone: (702) 696-1117

Fax: (702) 294-6339

E-mail:  jeffreyrodefer@boydgaming.com

Staff Liaison: Lori Wolk

Board Liaison: Jim Bradshaw

Dues: $25/yr

Schedule  of Upcoming Events

Gaming Law Conference in Las Vegas

Friday,  November 7, 2008

at Mandalay Bay Convention Center

$269 - Gaming Law Section Members (Fax or Mail)

Gaming Law Section Bylaws (.pdf)

Expense Report (.pdf)

2001, 2004, 2005, 2006 Golf Tournament,

Expense Report (.doc)

2002, 2007, 2008

Meeting Minutes (.pdf)

2008 - February

2007- February, June, October

2006- March, June, September

2005- March, April, May, October,

2004- February, June, December

Purpose: First, to enhance the role and skills of lawyers engaged in the practice of gaming law through study, collection, development and dissemination of material on subjects of interest to the gaming practitioner. Secondly, members assist, when called upon by the Board of Governors of the State Bar of Nevada, in formulating, administering and implementing programs, forums, and other activities for the education of members of the State Bar of Nevada in matters pertaining to gaming laws and regulation. Thirdly, members act upon all matters germane to its purposes as so described or referred to it by the Board of Governors.

STATE BAR OF NEVADA

GAMING LAW SECTION

Executive Committee Biographies

(Revised August 2008)

Jeffrey R. Rodefer, Chairman. 

Firm Name: Boyd Gaming Corporation

Address: 6465 S. Rainbow Boulevard, 4th Floor

Las Vegas, Nevada 89118

Phone: (702) 696-1117

Fax: (702) 696-1111

E-mail: jeffreyrodefer@boydgaming.com

Term Expires: May 2009.

Jeff is Vice President of Legal Affairs, Assistant General Counsel and Corporate Compliance Officer for Boyd Gaming Corporation.  Previously, Jeff served over 13 years in the Nevada Attorney General’s Office, including more than 8 years as counsel to the Nevada Gaming Commission and Nevada State Gaming Control Board where he last held the position of Assistant Chief Deputy Attorney General.  During his tenure with the state, he also represented the Nevada Tax Commission, Nevada Department of Taxation, State Board of Equalization and the Nevada Department of Transportation.  He is the author of the Nevada Property Tax Manual (1st ed. 1993, State of Nevada), the Nevada Gaming Law Index (1st ed. 1999, State Bar of Nevada) and Internet Gambling in Nevada: Overview of Federal Law Affecting Assembly Bill 466, 6 Gaming Law Review 393 (2002).  Jeff is a 1985 graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration (Finance and Accounting) and received his Juris Doctorate degree in 1988 from Willamette University College of Law in Salem, Oregon.  In addition to the State Bar of Nevada, Jeff is a member of the State Bars of Nevada, California, Colorado and Oregon.  He also serves as Vice Chairman of the Committee on Functional Equivalency for the State Bar of Nevada.

Mark A. Clayton, Vice Chairman. 

Firm Name: State Gaming Control Board

Address: 555 E. Washington Avenue, Suite 2600

Las Vegas, Nevada 89101

Phone: (702) 486-2022

Fax: (702) 486-2045

E-mail: mclayton@gcb.nv.gov

Term Expires: May 2009.

Mark was appointed by Governor Kenny Guinn in February 2005 to be a member of the State Gaming Control Board.  Before joining the Board, he held the position of Vice President of Corporate Law for Caesars Entertainment, formerly Park Place Entertainment, in Las Vegas.  Mark was also General Counsel for the Aladdin Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, as well as the Showboat, Inc. in Las Vegas and Atlantic City.  Prior to that, he served as the Chief of the Corporate Securities Division for the State Gaming Control Board in Carson City. 

Michael J. Bonner.

Firm Name: Kummer Kaempfer Bonner Renshaw & Ferrario

Address: 3800 Howard Hughes Parkway, 7th Floor

Las Vegas, Nevada 89169

Phone: (702) 792-7000

Fax: (702) 796-7181

E-mail: mbonner@kkbrf.com

Term Expires: May 2011.

Mike is the Managing Partner of the law firm Kummer Kaempfer Bonner Renshaw & Ferrario.  His practice concentration is in the areas of business transactions, securities and gaming law.  Mike is a Las Vegas native, a 1978 graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and a 1981 graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law.  He practiced as a partner with a predecessor law firm until 1994, when he co-founded Kummer Kaempfer Bonner Renshaw & Ferrario as one of its original stockholders.

Lou Dorn.

Firm Name: Colony Resorts LVH Acquisitions, LLC

Address: 3000 Paradise Road

Las Vegas, Nevada 89109

Phone: (702) 732-5919

Fax: (702) 732-5927

E-mail: ldorn@colonyresortslvh.com

Term Expires: May 2011.

Lou serves as Vice President and General Counsel for Colony Resorts, the new owner of the Las Vegas Hilton, and is responsible for overseeing all legal matters concerning the Las Vegas Hilton.  Lou was previously an associate with the law firm of Snell & Wilmer LLP., where his practice was concentrated on business, finance and gaming matters.  Lou is the former Chief of the Corporate Securities Division for the State Gaming Control Board in Carson City.  Prior to joining the State Gaming Control Board, Lou served as a Deputy Attorney General for the State of Nevada, where he represented Nevada Gaming Commission and the State Gaming Control Board.  During his five years with the Attorney General’s Office, Lou also represented the Nevada Department of Transportation and the Nevada Department of Taxation.  Lou received his B.A. degree from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1990, and his J.D. degree from Lewis and Clark School of Law in 1994. 

Dennis Gallagher.

Firm Name: Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc.

Address: 1 Caesars Palace Drive

Las Vegas, Nevada  89109

Phone: (702) 407-6243

Fax: (702) 407- 6420

E-mail: dgallagher@harrahs.com

Term Expires: May 2009

Dennis is currently Vice President Chief Regulatory & Compliance Officer.  Other positions within Harrah’s he has held include Vice President Legal Affairs for Harrah’s Central and Western Divisions, General Counsel-Riverboat Division and Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary.  Dennis was with the Schreck-Brignone law firm practicing primarily gaming, administrative and commercial law.  He was also the General Counsel to Powerhouse Technologies, Inc.  His legal career includes service as a Deputy Legislative Counsel for the Nevada Legislature and a Deputy Attorney General-Gaming Division for the State of Nevada.  Dennis also served as Chief of the Investigation Division of the State Gaming Control Board.  He is a graduate of Ohio University and California Western School of Law.  Dennis is admitted to practice law in Nevada, California, Colorado and Tennessee.

P. Gregory Giordano.

Firm Name: Snell & Wilmer, L.L.P.

Address: 3883 Howard Hughes Parkway, Suite 1100

Las Vegas, Nevada 89169

Phone: (702) 784-5200

Fax: (702) 784-5252

E-mail: pggiordano@swlaw.com

Term Expires: May 2010.

Greg is a partner and the Coordinator of the Gaming Law Practice Group of the Las Vegas office of the law firm of Snell & Wilmer LLP.  Prior to joining Snell & Wilmer in January 2006, Greg was a shareholder in the Gaming and Regulatory Law Department of the law firm of Lionel Sawyer & Collins for almost 13 years.  Prior to that, Greg served for 4 years as the Chief of the Corporate Securities Division of the Nevada State Gaming Control Board, and before that Greg served as a Deputy Attorney General with the Nevada Attorney General's Office for 5 years, with the last 1-1/2 years thereof in the Gaming Division.  Greg graduated summa cum laude in 1978 with a B.A. degree in Business Administration/Accounting and History from the College of Notre Dame (now known as Notre Dame de Namur University) in Belmont, CA.  He obtained his J.D. degree from the Santa Clara University School of Law in 1981.  Besides the State Bar of Nevada and its Gaming Law Section, Greg is also a member of the State Bar of California, the ABA, and the International Association of Gaming Advisors, where he is a Trustee.  Greg is also named in The Best Lawyers in America®, Gaming Law, 2005-2008 editions, and Chambers USA - America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Gaming & Licensing, 2005-2008 editions.  Greg also currently serves on the editorial board of Business Law Today magazine, published by the ABA’s Section of Business Law, as the Vice Chair of the ABA General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Division’s Gaming Law Committee, and as a member and previously as a past Chair and Co-Chair of the ABA’s Section of Business Law’s Committee on Gaming Law.

John A. Godfrey.

Firm Name: Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc.

Address: 3800 Howard Hughes Parkway, Suite 1800

Las Vegas, Nevada 89109

Phone: (702) 784-7777

Fax: (702) 784-7778

E-mail: jgodfrey@pnkmail.com

Term Expires: May 2011

Jack is Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc., a diversified gaming company that owns and operates casinos in Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, Nevada and Neuquen Argentina.  Prior to joining Pinnacle in August 2002, he was a partner in the law firm of Schreck Brignone Godfrey in Las Vegas where his practice was devoted to gaming law with an emphasis on publicly traded corporations, financing, compliance and licensing investigations.    In addition to representing numerous gaming clients, Jack has served as counsel to the Nevada Resort Association.  Prior to entering private practice in 1984, he served as Deputy State Industrial Attorney for the State of Nevada, 1977-1980, as Deputy Attorney General, Nevada Attorney General's Office, Gaming Division, 1980-1983 and as Chief Deputy Attorney General, Gaming Division, 1983-1984.   Jack is a  former Trustee of the International Association of Gaming Advisors (“IAGA”) and served as that organization’s President for the 1996-1997 term.  In October 1997, Jack was inducted as a Counselor of IAGA.  Jack received his B.A. degree in 1973 from the University of South Florida and his J.D. degree in 1976 from the University of San Diego, School of Law.  He was admitted to practice law in the States of California and Nevada in 1977.  He is an active member of the Nevada Bar and an inactive member of the California Bar.

Sean McGuinness.

Firm Name: Lewis & Roca, LLP

Address: 50 W. Liberty Street, Suite 410

Reno, Nevada 89501

Phone: (775) 823-2900

Fax: (775) 8232929

E-mail: smcguinness@lrlaw.com

Term Expires: May 2010.

Sean practices primarily in the areas of gaming, corporate and administrative law at Lewis & Roca, LLP in Reno, Nevada. He has represented clients with licensing and regulatory matters before the Nevada State Gaming Control Board, the Nevada Gaming Commission, the Mississippi Gaming Commission, the Colorado Division of Gaming and the National Indian Gaming Commission. Sean was involved in the drafting of the initial gaming regulations for the Iowa Racing & Gaming Commission. He has also participated in gaming-related matters in such other jurisdictions as California, Louisiana, Manitoba, New Mexico and North Dakota. Prior to joining Beckley Singleton, Sean was Vice President and General Counsel for The Regent Las Vegas Hotel & Casino (1997-2001), had a private gaming law practice in Mississippi (1994-1997), and served as Compliance Director for the Mississippi Gaming Commission (1992-1993).  He is admitted to practice law in Nevada, Colorado, Iowa and Mississippi.  Sean received his J.D. from Drake University. 

Scott Scherer.

Firm Name: Holland & Hart

Address: 777 E. William Street, Suite 200

Carson City, Nevada 89701

Phone: (775) 684-6000

Fax: (775) 684-6001

E-mail: sscherer@hollandhart.com

Term Expires: May 2011

Scott is a partner in the law firm of Holland & Hart, practicing primarily in the area of regulatory and administrative law with special emphasis on gaming regulatory matters and legislative affairs. Scott’s career highlights include serving as a Supervising Deputy Attorney General in the Gaming Division of the Nevada Attorney General’s Office, General Counsel and Chief of Staff to the Governor, two-term Nevada Assemblyman and member of the Nevada Commission on Ethics.  At the request of the Mississippi Attorney General, Scott assisted the Mississippi Legislature in drafting the Mississippi Gaming Control Act.  He also served four years as a member of the Nevada Gaming Control Board.  Scott’s corporate experience includes serving as Associate General Counsel and Executive Director of Corporate Development for International Game Technology (IGT) and Acting Managing Director of IGT Africa.  A native of Las Vegas, Scott received his undergraduate degree from The Johns Hopkins University (1981) and his law degree from the University of Washington School of Law (1984).

Bryan L. Wright.

Firm Name: KSL Resorts

Address: 50-905 Avenida Bermudas

La Quinta, CA  92253

Phone: (760) 564-8000

Fax: (760) 564-8003

E-mail:   bwright@kslresorts.com

Term Expires: May 2009

Bryan is Vice President & General Counsel of KSL Resorts, headquartered in La Quinta, California.  At KSL Resorts, Bryan acts as the chief legal advisor to executive management, oversees all aspects of the legal functions of KSL and its subsidiaries, and serves as a member of the KSL Executive Committee.  Prior to that, Bryan was Senior Vice President, Assistant General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of MGM MIRAGE from July 2001 through June 2008 and was the Compliance Officer for MGM MIRAGE from August 2001 through December 2006.  Prior to joining MGM MIRAGE in 2001, Bryan worked for Boyd Gaming Corporation from 1993 to 2001, serving as Vice President, Assistant General Counsel & Assistant Secretary.  Bryan also served as an associate attorney at Snell & Wilmer, Phoenix, Arizona, from 1987 to 1993.  Bryan received his juris doctorate from the University of Kansas School of Law in 1987 and was elected as a member of the Order of the Coif.  He graduated, cum laude, with a B.A. in Political Science and Spanish from Kansas State University in 1984.  Bryan is an active member of the State Bars of Nevada and Arizona and an inactive member of the State Bar of Colorado.