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Michael Cristalli

Member
fax +1 702.862.8400

Michael Cristalli represents clients in catastrophic injury, complex criminal, corporate, and civil litigation matters nationally and internationally. He also supports many clients in the cannabis industry and serves as Vice Co-Chair of the firm’s Cannabis Industry Group.

He has successfully litigated some of the most high-profile cases in the State of Nevada, representing clients nationwide and internationally. He is regarded as one of the premier trial attorneys in Nevada.

Distinctions

Michael created and starred in a documentary called The Defenders, which highlighted his practice. The documentary was developed into a CBS network drama also titled The Defenders. The show featured issues of justice reform while dealing with the day-to-day realities of the legal system. Michael served as an executive consultant on the show and consulted extensively on scripts in collaboration with the writers.

Michael is the Honorary Consul, Consulate of Italy for the State of Nevada. He serves on the Consular Corps in Nevada. Honorary Consular officials are chosen “among people, which are esteemed and prestigious and which are reliable to adequately fulfill the consular functions.” (Art. 47, paragraph 1 of D.P.R. 5 January 1967, n.18).

Before joining the firm, Michael was a shareholder at the firm of Gentile Cristalli Miller Armeni Savarese. He was also a shareholder at Gordon Silver and partner of Law Office of Michael V. Cristalli, serving in management capacity in each of those firms. While attending law school, Michael served a clerkship with the New York Supreme Court, and the New York Court of Appeals. After moving to Las Vegas in 1995, he was a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Judge Bonaventure (1995-96) and a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Judge Douglas (1996-96).

Education

B.S., University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
J.D., Syracuse University College of Law, Syracuse, New York

Recognitions

The Best Lawyers in America® Criminal Defense: White-Collar (2025)

Memberships

Member, American Bar Association Trial Lawyer Section

Member, Multi-Million Dollar Advocate Forum

Member, Nevada Attorneys for Criminal Justice

Member, First Amendment Lawyers’ Association

Member, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Member, Augustus Society

Member, La Voce

Board of Directors, The Voice of Las Vegas’ Italian-American Community

Honorary Consul, Republic of Italy for the State of Nevada

Member, Board of Directors, Nevada Dispensary Association/Nevada Cannabis Association [NDA/NCA]. This is the largest cannabis association in the State and sets the standard for Nevada’s cannabis industry. The NDA/NCA is dedicated to developing and promoting best practices among Nevada cannabis businesses as well as supporting the efforts of cannabis establishments to provide high quality, safe cannabis to Nevada’s consumers.

State Bar Licenses

Nevada

Experience

  • Successfully obtained millions of dollars in awards for his seriously injured clients.
  • Provided legal representation resulting in substantial monetary awards for multiple plaintiffs in 1983 civil rights matters.
  • Successfully defended Sandy Murphy in the nationally covered 2004 re-trial accusing Murphy of murdering casino heir Ted Binion.
  • Recognized before the Nevada courts as death-qualified to provide representation in capital murder cases; none of his five death cases resulted in death sentences.
  • Successfully preserved a defendant’s Sixth Amendment Right to Counsel in State v. Ryan. This case is currently the recognized holding dealing with conflict waivers in the State of Nevada and relied upon by Nevada courts.
  • Represented clients in high profile Cannabis litigation as well as Cannabis regulatory, corporate structuring and compliance related representation.
  • Participated in merger and acquisitions relating to Nevada marijuana establishment licensees and has facilitated State transfers of licenses with the Department of Taxation.
  • Advised Nevada marijuana licensee on a Canadian RTO into the CSE and a Regulation A offering through the SEC.
  • Represented Nevada marijuana licensees and operators in challenging the Nevada Department of Taxation 2018 licensing application process. Part of that challenged asserted a constitutional violation of the 2016 ballot initiative legalizing recreational marijuana.
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