High-profile criminal defense attorney appointed to Gaming Commission

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 litigation attorney and partner with 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 is replacing 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 Nevada’s business community to this role,” Lombardo said in a statement. “I am confident he will be a valuable addition to the Nevada Gaming Commission as it continues its important work safeguarding 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 as a member of the Nevada Bar that same year. Through his law practice, Schonfeld has served as outside corporate litigation counsel to numerous Las Vegas businesses, including entertainment companies, industrial enterprises and restaurant management organizations. He has been widely recognized for his extensive experience in handling complex legal matters and trial litigation, having made appearances in more than 18 states. In addition to the State of Nevada, Schonfeld’s court admissions include numerous U.S. district courts, multiple U.S. courts of appeals, as well as the U.S. Supreme Court.

But much of his notoriety is centered around his representation of celebrity clients.

Among the people he has represented include 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 advisers in the criminal prosecution 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 Gov. 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 great deal to have the opportunity to give back to this state. I look forward to contributing to the commission’s important work in maintaining the integrity of this vital industry.”

After growing up in Vancouver, British Columbia, Schonfeld graduated from University of Western Ontario in 1996 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

He then attended California Western School of Law, receiving his law degree in 1998. Upon graduation, Schonfeld served as a law clerk at the Law Offices of Goodman & Chesnoff, until he passed the Nevada Bar Exam in October 1998 at which time he became an associate of 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 adjudication, complex business and civil litigation, and complex family law litigation.

Gaming commissioners are paid an annual salary of $40,000.