A criminal defense attorney who has represented a number of high-profile celebrity clients has been appointed to the Nevada Gaming Commission.
Richard Schonfeld, a trial attorney and co-owner of the Las Vegas law firm Chesnoff & Schonfeld and a former law partner with former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, was appointed Tuesday to the five-member commission by Gov. Joe Lombardo.
Schonfeld replaces Commissioner Rosa Solis-Rainey, whose term ends this month.
Schonfeld’s four-year term begins April 28, meaning his first commission meeting would be May 21.
“Richard Schonfeld brings decades of legal experience and a strong understanding of the Nevada business community to this role,” Lombardo said in a statement. “I am confident that he will be a valuable addition to the Nevada Gaming Commission as it continues its important work to protect the integrity of our gaming industry.”
Schonfeld has practiced law in Nevada for more than 27 years and earned his law degree in 1998, admitted to the Nevada Bar that same year. Through his law practice, Schonfeld has served as outside legal counsel to numerous Las Vegas companies, including entertainment companies, industrial companies and restaurant management organizations. He has been widely recognized for his extensive experience handling complex legal matters and litigation, having appeared in more than 18 states. In addition to the State of Nevada, Schonfeld’s court records include several US District Courts, several US Courts of Appeals, and the US Supreme Court.
But much of his notoriety centers around his representation of celebrity clients.
Among the people he has represented are entertainers Bruno Mars, Paris Hilton and Cardi B and athletes Marshawn Lynch, Henry Ruggs, Mike Tyson and Alvin Kamara. Schonfeld and partner David Chesnoff also served as prosecution counsel in a 2025 assault case involving Vaughn Griffith and Alexander Dawson School in a lawsuit filed in February.
“I am honored to be appointed to the Nevada Gaming Commission and grateful to Governor Lombardo for his confidence in me,” Schonfeld said in a news release. “Nevada has given so much to me, my wife Gina and our children and it means a lot to have the opportunity to give back to this state. I look forward to contributing to the commission’s important work to maintain the integrity of this important industry.”
After growing up in Vancouver, British Columbia, Schonfeld graduated from the University of Western Ontario in 1996 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
He then attended California Western School of Law and received his law degree in 1998. After graduation, Schonfeld clerked at the Law Offices of Goodman & Chesnoff until he passed the Nevada Bar Exam in October 1998, when he became an associate at the law firm.
After Goodman was elected mayor of Las Vegas, he remained part of the firm until 2005 when the firm changed its name to Chesnoff & Schonfeld, and Schonfeld became a named partner.
Schonfeld concentrates his primary legal efforts on criminal trials, complex commercial and civil litigation, and complex family litigation.
This is a development story. Check back for updates.
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