Ungaretti & Harris LLP today announced that prominent gaming attorney Donna B. More and former Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) legal counsel William Bogot have joined the firm as partners in its Gaming and Government Affairs Practice. The move adds depth to the firm’s established gaming, legislative affairs, regulatory, litigation, corporate and compliance services.
“We have seen an expansion in gaming in Illinois and anticipate continued growth in the industry. We feel quite fortunate that Donna and Bill have agreed to join us,” said managing partner Thomas Fahey.
“Donna has been involved in Illinois gaming from its inception. She helped write the rules that guide gaming regulation and compliance in Illinois. She is uniquely positioned to help firm clients advance their business strategies in the state’s gaming industry,” Fahey said.
“Bill has been a distinguished member of the IGB legal staff and has advised the Board and other state government offices on gaming regulation, compliance and industry development,” Fahey said. “He also has a solid background in litigation.”
More and Bogot add depth and experience to a gaming practice already rated as a Tier 1 practice by US News and World Report, one of only two in Illinois. The group, led by noted gaming attorney and former First Assistant Attorney General Michael A. Ficaro, a charter member of the International Masters of Gaming Law, represents clients in a wide range of matters. These include licensing, litigation, mergers and acquisitions and securities matters. Clients include major gaming companies, Native American Nations, investment banks, manufacturers, distributors and suppliers of gaming equipment.
More was owner and President of More Law Group, P.C. prior to joining Ungaretti this month. The first chief legal counsel to the IGB, she established a private practice in 1994 and has since served clients engaged in every aspect of the gaming industry. Her practice today provides compliance, regulatory, corporate and transaction services to casinos, device manufacturers and distributors, game developers, Video Gaming Terminal operators and locations.
More served on the Boards of Directors of two large publicly traded companies: Mandalay Resorts and WMS Industries. She is a former President and a current Counselor to the International Association of Gaming Advisors and is also a member of the International Masters of Gaming Law. She is the founder and co-chair of the Chicago Bar Association’s Gaming Practice Committee.
More earned her law degree from Georgetown University and held positions as a Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. She holds a Masters Degree in political science from Northwestern University and received her undergraduate degree from Tufts University in Boston.
Prior to joining Ungaretti, William Bogot served as legal adviser to the IGB in the regulation of Illinois riverboat casinos and video gaming operations for over seven years. Bogot was instrumental in implementing video gaming in Illinois. He authored countless sections of the Illinois video gaming and riverboat casino regulations and co-wrote the Technical Standards for Video Gaming Terminals in Illinois.
While on the Board’s staff, he coordinated the review, approval and testing of all casino management system upgrades and installations, prosecuted administrative hearings for civil violations, devised training programs to identify and seize illegal gaming devices, and advised the Governor’s office and legislative leaders on proposed state and federal gaming laws. Bogot is also a member of the International Masters of Gaming Law.
From 1996 – 2005, Bogot worked in private practice litigating multi-state and single-state class actions in state and federal trial and appellate courts. He served as assistant general counsel to the Illinois Legislature in 1996, and was the judicial law clerk for Judge Aaron Jaffe (the current chairman of the Illinois Gaming Board) in the Chancery Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County from 1994-1995.
Bogot is a graduate of IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law and holds a Masters Degree in Public Health from the University of Illinois. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
