IAGA Officers
As the Executive Committee of the International Association of Gaming Advisors, IAGA OFFICERS are elected by the Board of Trustees and serve one year terms. IAGA Officers provide the organization's strategic direction and ensure that all objectives of Association are accomplished through IAGA's annual initiatives and event.

IAGA PRESIDENT ELLEN WHITTEMORE serves as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for Wynn Resorts and is a member of the board of directors of Wynn Interactive, Limited. She is a renowned expert in gaming law, compliance and licensing with more than 30 years of experience representing some of the world's largest and most progressive gaming companies. She has received numerous accolades throughout her distinguished career, including recognition as one of the "Best Lawyers in America" for gaming law and information technology law. Ms. Whittemore is responsible for the oversight of the Company's legal affairs and its philanthropic, community relations, and gov-ernment affairs functions. Ms. Whittemore works closely with the Company's Board of Directors and other members of senior management.  

Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, Wynn Resorts
3131 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, NV 89109
Direct: +1 702 770 2113

IAGA VICE PRESIDENT JOHN STAWYSKYJ is a recognized leader in hotel and gaming law and is responsible for the Ashurst's gaming practice.  John is experienced in all aspects of land based and internet gaming issues, commercial transactions involving the gaming industry, including acquisitions, disposals, joint venture arrangements, development projects, leasing, financing arrangements, regulatory issues and drafting of management and operating agreements for gaming operations.  John has had extensive experience in advising on interactive and online gambling services, SMS betting competitions and other internet gaming activities.  His practice has involved work in Australia and across Asia Pacific.  John is also a member of the Board of the International Association of Gaming Advisors.

Sector Head Hotels Leisure and Gaming, Ashurst Australia
5 Martin Place, Sydney, NSW 2000 Australia
Direct: +61 2 9258 6567

IAGA SECRETARY JEFF BARBIN of Phelps Dunbar practices in business and finance with an emphasis on business transactional and regulatory matters, specifically focusing on gaming transactions requiring local gaming regulatory approvals and other complex transactional and regulatory matters, often working closely with the firm’s gaming lawyers in Mississippi to achieve efficiencies for the client in both jurisdictions. In this context, he has represented casino operators, management, investors, lenders, manufacturers and other vendors in their Louisiana gaming regulatory matters.

Partner, Phelps Dunbar
400 Convention Street, Suite 1100, Baton Rouge, LA 70802
Direct: +1 225 376 0243

IAGA TREASURER HARPER KO is Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary for Penn National Gaming where she is responsible for all legal matters for Penn, including commercial transactions, litigation matters, corporate governance and securities law and gaming regulatory compliance. Prior to joining Penn, Harper was the Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer – General Counsel and Secretary of Everi Holdings, Inc., where she helped guide the former Global Cash Access through its ongoing transition to a full-service casino gaming equipment and payment solutions provider.

Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, Penn National Gaming
825 Berkshire Blvd., Wyomissing, PA 19610
Direct: +1.610.401.2936

IAGA ASSISTANT TREASURER WILLIAM DOWNEY is Co-chair of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck's Gaming group, Bill Downey has built a reputation as one of the most respected attorneys in the gaming industry. With more than 25 years of experience in the Atlantic City and Pennsylvania markets, Bill has been counseling mid-Atlantic casinos and other participants in the casino and hospitality industries on the regulatory, corporate and real estate aspects of their ventures. He has extensive experience in the prosecution of license applications before regulatory bodies, operational issues and financing transactions. His unique combination of experience in these areas is beneficial as European companies look to expand and partner with companies in the U.S. Specifically, Bill’s practice includes guiding clients through business transactions, including regulation, acquisitions and dispositions, real estate, corporate and real estate finance, venture structure and entity formation and governance.

Shareholder, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
Direct: +1 609 916 5745

IAGA GENERAL COUNSEL BAHAR ALAEDDINI is a partner with Harris Hagan in London. Specialising in all aspects of online and land-based gambling law, Bahar is ranked in the UK and global legal directories and recognised “at the top of her profession”.  She advises many of the world’s largest online and land-based gambling businesses (B2C and B2B), as well as many start-ups, investors and leading law firms.  Bahar has extensive gambling law, regulatory and licensing experience having advised major international clients on matters ranging from license applications, compliance investigations and license reviews to cross-border M&A transactions, investor disclosure and complex group restructuring.

Partner, Harris Hagan
6 Snow Hill, London EC1A 2AY United Kingdom
+44 020 7002 7643 

IAGA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KIRSTEN CLARK has over 17 years global gaming industry experience, Clark was most recently Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer­-Asia, for Gaming Partners International where she was instrumental in expanding the company’s day-to-day business operations throughout Asia and the pacific rim while simultaneously overseeing GPI’s global marketing and product management divisions. Her gaming industry experience also includes extensive strategic marketing, public relations and events management experience for Shuffle Master, Inc. where she served as Vice President of Worldwide Marketing for several years.

P.O. Box 92495 • Henderson, NV 89009
Direct: +1 702 354 1057