Holley Driggs, Ltd. Announces New Attorney & Shareholder Additions

Shareholders Nicholas Santoro, Oliver Pancheri, Jason Smith, and Attorney Margarita Elias Added to the Holley Driggs Las Vegas Office

LAS VEGAS, March 1, 2023 — Holley Driggs, Ltd. law firm (Holley Driggs) announces the appointment of three new shareholders and one associate attorney to its legal team at its Las Vegas office. The incoming attorneys are joining Holley Driggs from another respected Las Vegas-based law firm specializing in commercial litigation, Santoro Whitmire.

Newly appointed shareholders Nicholas Santoro, Oliver Pancheri and Jason Smith, who were previously attorneys at Holley Driggs, and recent shareholders at Santoro Whitmire, will serve clients in a range of practice areas and industries, most notably business and commercial litigation, construction law, real estate, professional claims and appellate matters. Each of these talented attorneys are highly esteemed within their respective practices. They will be important contributors to the Firm’s continued growth serving local and out-of-state businesses operating in Nevada.

Margarita Elias will also be joining the Firm as an associate attorney, specializing in business, civil, commercial, and contract litigation.

“We are delighted to have Nick Santoro, Oliver Pancheri, and Jason Smith return to Holley Driggs, with  Margarita bolstering the presence of our commercial litigation practice group,” said Ron Thompson, Holley Driggs Managing Shareholder. “Each returning shareholder addition reflects the firm’s commitment to growing our strong team of legal advisors who are dedicated to helping businesses navigate the ever-changing Nevada market.”

Nicholas J. Santoro is a prominent commercial litigator in Nevada joining Holley Driggs as a shareholder and is a previous shareholder at Holley Driggs from 1998-2012. Mr. Santoro has extensive experience in a wide variety of matters, including corporate/partnership disputes, class action defense, shareholder derivative cases, non-compete litigation, commercial real estate and lease disputes, construction litigation and professional liability claims. He regularly represents hotel/casino and gaming technology companies, utilities, government agencies, homebuilders, real estate developers and law firms. Mr. Santoro has consistently been recognized for his excellence in commercial litigation by Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business–Band 1; The Best Lawyers in America (Commercial Litigation and Bet-the-Company Litigation); Benchmark, America’s Leading Litigation Attorneys; and Super Lawyers (Mountain States).

An active participant in local bar and professional organizations, Mr. Santoro served for many years on the Southern Nevada Disciplinary Board of the State Bar of Nevada and previously was a member of the State Bar’s Fee Dispute Committee; he currently serves as a Mentor for the State Bar of Nevada’s Transitioning into Practice Program.

Nicholas Santoro’s Complete Bio: Link

Oliver Pancheri is a highly regarded and experienced business law attorney and litigator.  He started his legal career in 2000 with Holley Driggs and became a shareholder in 2007.  Mr. Pancheri returns to Holley Driggs as a shareholder after ten years of commercial litigation experience as a member of a litigation boutique firm in Las Vegas. Mr. Pancheri has litigated a wide array of complex business and commercial cases, including matters involving commercial disputes, civil RICO claims, business torts, corporate derivative suits, professional liability, gaming matters, partnership disputes, banking, contracts, real estate, and construction law. He is also an appellate attorney with significant experience with the Nevada Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.  His clients include casinos, utilities, large and small businesses, management companies, real estate developers, contractors, lenders, manufacturers, governmental agencies, entertainers, law firms and insurance providers.  

Mr. Pancheri served for a decade as a member of the Nevada State Bar’s Disciplinary Committee and has served on numerous panels as Chair. Mr. Pancheri has been recognized for his exceptional work in commercial litigation by The Best Lawyers in America, Mountain States Super Lawyers, Nevada Business Magazine’s Top Rank Attorneys, and VEGAS INC magazine’s Top Lawyers.  Mr. Pancheri has served the Southern Nevada community as a volunteer part-time high school football coach and with various youth organizations.   

Oliver Pancheri’s Complete Bio: Link

Jason Smith is a top-ranked commercial litigator in Nevada, and previous Holley Driggs attorney from 2005-2012, joining Holley Driggs as a shareholder. Mr. Smith has vast experience in commercial, contract, business, tort, and civil litigation matters in state and federal court, including matters before the Nevada Supreme Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. His practice is nationally recognized as an AV-rated lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell, and he has been repeatedly selected as a Mountain States Super Lawyer, Best Lawyers in America and Nevada Business Magazine’s Top Rank Attorneys. Mr. Smith counsels clients on business matters involving commercial contracts, landlord/tenant (residential and commercial), personal guarantees, corporate governance disputes, partnership and limited liability entity disputes, shareholder derivative actions, tort, real estate, professional malpractice and liability, defamation and business disparagement, mechanic’s liens, employment discrimination, and medical malpractice.

Jason Smith’s Complete Bio: Link

Margarita Elias joins Holley Driggs as an associate attorney assisting clients on business, civil, commercial, and contract litigation. Ms. Elias is a proud graduate of the William S. Boyd School of Law, where she served as a student attorney in the Thomas & Mack Legal Clinic. Following law school, Ms. Elias clerked for the Honorable Gloria M. Navarro in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada.

Margarita Elias’ Complete Bio: Link

About Holley Driggs

Holley Driggs, Ltd. is proud to be a Nevada-based law firm focused on making positive contributions to its local and regional communities through the dedicated leadership of its team of more than thirty experienced attorneys. With offices in Las Vegas and Reno, the general practice law firm represents national and international clients on a wide spectrum of business and corporate practice areas including commercial litigation, real estate, natural resources, eminent domain, employment law, bankruptcy, construction, gaming, and technology and intellectual property. The Firm’s shareholders also have broad experience in administrative law, estate planning, probate, and tax law. For more information, please visit www.nevadafirm.com or call (702) 791-0308 for the southern Nevada location or (775) 851-8700 for the northern Nevada location. To learn more about Holley Driggs, Ltd. and its practice areas, visit www.nevadafirm.com.

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