Michelle Orlando
Zev Kaplan
Tim Copenhefer
Michelle Orlando is executive vice president and director of operations at Feel Good Brands. She previously worked as regional director of operations for Starbucks Corp. in Las Vegas. Feel Good Brands includes Westward Dough Operating Co., which operates Krispy Kreme franchises in Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Wisconsin and Colorado; Dough Knot, which comprises the Auntie Anne’s Soft Rolled Pretzels and Popcornopolis franchises; and Sword & Spoon, which runs the food court at Excalibur.
Zev Kaplan is of counsel at Kolesar & Leatham. He practices business and administrative law and was general counsel for the Regional Transportation Commission.
Tim Copenhefer works on the security team Clark County Credit Union.
Peters & Associates LLP, was named the fastest-growing law firm in Nevada by Inc. Magazine. Xenophon Peters and Judah Zakalik are the firm’s founding partners.
R. Gardner Jolley, co-founder of Jolley Urga Woodbury & Little, won the Presidential Award from the State Bar of Nevada. Jolley practices probate, wills and trusts, banking and real estate law.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Frayn and Special Agent Michael Adams, of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Las Vegas, were honored by the International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators for their roles in Operation Open Market, which resulted in federal charges against 56 people involved in an international cybercrime organization known as “Carder.su.” Frayn received the William D. Neumann Prosecutor of the Year award. Adams received the Cyber Investigations Contributor of the Year award.
Dalton L. Hooks, Jr. is a partner at Alverson, Taylor, Mortensen & Sanders. He will focus on workers’ compensation and OSHA matters. Hooks previously worked as chief administrative officer of the Nevada OSHA Consultation Section. He earned his juris doctorate from the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law in 2002.
State Sen. Michael Roberson is the National Education Association Caucus 2014 Legislator of the Year. Mark Riggins, a Clark County business teacher, nominated Roberson for advocating for English-language learning funding and class size reduction.
Holly Reese is senior and transgender programs manager at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada. Reese oversees outreach, new program implementation and event planning.
Polly Weinstein, of Tower of Jewels and the Jeweler’s Daughter, was appointed to the 12-member board of the Las Vegas Arts Commission by Mayor Carolyn Goodman and the Las Vegas City Council.
Brian McAnallen is government affairs manager for the city of Las Vegas. He was previously the vice president of government affairs for the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce.
John Humphries is president of the Las Vegas chapter of the International Special Events Society. Humphries owns event production and design company Earth Water Sky.
Community Associations Institute’s Nevada chapter honored the following people for their efforts to improve Southern Nevada: Jill Bernacki, Trauma Intervention Program; Rex Doty, Toys 4 Smiles; Rae Erickson, Those Left Behind Foundation; Abigail Spencer, Abby’s Million-Dollar Dream; Emilio Parga, Solace Tree; and Melanie Ust.
Incoming officers of the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors include: president Keith Lynam of Windermere Prestige Properties; president-elect Scott Beaudry of Universal Realty Inc.; vice president Kathryn Bovard of Realty One Group; and treasurer Janet Carpenter of Signature Real Estate Group. All will take office Jan. 1. Directors beginning new terms include: Vandana Chima-Bhalla of Signature Real Estate Group; Omar Lopez of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada Properties; Brandon Roberts of Signature Real Estate Group; Krystal Sherry of Hudson Real Estate; and Mark Sivek of Realty One Group. Continuing directors are: Tina Africk of iProperties International; Thomas Blanchard of 1st Realty Group; David J. Tina of Urban Nest Realty; and Julie Youngblood of Keller Williams Realty Southwest. Bobbi Miracle, of Commercial Executives Real Estate Services, will serve as president of Commercial Alliance Las Vegas. Ronnie Schwartz of Coldwell Banker Premier will lead the MLS committee and serve on the GLVAR board.
Mark Andelbradt is executive chef and Cheryl Mahar is general manager of the Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill, slated to open in October. The restaurant is the company’s seventh in Las Vegas and Puck’s first off Strip.
Dr. Jacob Skinner is an OB/GYN at Women’s Health Associates of Southern Nevada. Skinner attended UNLV and University of Nevada School of Medicine.
Frank Fuentes is an account coordinator at Trosper Communications. He is responsible for social media implementation, account research and administrative support.
Top lawyers
Several local law firms and lawyers have been recognized by Best Lawyers in America. Inclusion is based on peer-review surveys. Those recognized include:
Fennemore Craig Jones Vargas: Joseph W. Brown, government relations; Michael Buckley, real estate; Chris H. Byrd, construction litigation; Douglas Cohen, plaintiffs personal injury litigation; Gary Goodheart, bet-the-company litigation, commercial litigation, banking and finance litigation, real estate litigation; John Mowbray, commercial litigation; Wilbur Roadhouse, real estate; and James Wadhams, government relations.
Ballard Spahr: Robert Kim is a Lawyer of the Year, mergers and acquisitions, corporate; Bill Curran, gaming, government relations, land use and zoning, real estate; Stanley Parry, eminent domain and condemnation, land use and zoning litigation; and Abran Vigil, commercial litigation, banking and finance litigation, real estate litigation.
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck: Ellen Schulhofer is a Lawyer of the Year, corporate; David Arrajj, gaming; Andrew Brignone, ERISA litigation, Albert Kovacs, corporate law; Kirk Lenhard, bet-the-company litigation, commercial litigation; Angela Turriciano Otto, real estate; Tamara Beatty Peterson, commercial litigation; Frank Schreck, gaming; Adam Segal, ERISA litigation; and Sonia Church Vermeys, corporate.
Gordon Silver: Gregory Garman is a Lawyer of the Year, bankruptcy litigation, bankruptcy and creditor debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization; Jeffrey Silver is a Lawyer of the Year, administrative/regulatory, gaming, land use and zoning; Christine A. Bricker, real estate; Jennifer Craft, trademark; Michael Feder, commercial litigation, banking and finance litigation, intellectual property litigation; Thomas Fell, bankruptcy and creditor debtor rights/insolvency, reorganization law and litigation, bankruptcy, bet-the-company litigation, bankruptcy litigation; ; Dominic Gentile, criminal defense; Gerald Gordon, bankruptcy and creditor debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization Brigid Higgins, bankruptcy and creditor debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization; John Krieger, trademark; Samuel McMullen, government relations; and William Noall, bankruptcy and creditor debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization.
Kolesar & Leatham: Robert List, government relations.
Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart: Stephen Yohay, construction law.
McDonald Carano Wilson: Matt Addison, commercial litigation, construction litigation; Robert Armstrong, corporate, real estate, tax, trusts and estates; Leo Bergin III, real estate; James Bradshaw, commercial litigation; Terry Care, commercial litigation; Kathleen Drakulich, energy; John Frankovich, real estate; Andrew Gabriel, corporate, real estate; Paul Georgeson, commercial litigation, construction, construction litigation, defendants personal injury litigation; Leigh Goddard, commercial litigation; Sylvia Harrison, environmental; A.J. “Bud” Hicks, gaming; Pat Lundvall, commercial litigation, labor and employment litigation; William A.S. Magrath II, bet-the-company litigation, commerical litigation, construction litigation; George Ogilvie III, construction litigation; Michael Pagni, corporate; Timothy Rowe, workers’ compensation law – employers; Jeff Silvestri, commercial litigation; Scott Swain, trusts and estates; Kaaran Thomas, bankruptcy and creditor debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization, bankruptcy litigation; Thomas R.C. “Spike” Wilson, regulatory, administrative, bet-the-company litigation, commercial litigation.
Pisanelli Bice: James Pisanelli, bet-the-company litigation, commercial litigation, construction, construction litigation, real estate litigation; Todd Bice, appellate practice, commercial litigation, First Amendment litigation, land use and zoning litigation, mergers and acquistion litigation; Debra Spinelli, commercial litigation.