Our Story
The Firm’s Founders bring a deep understanding of gaming law and regulation to Hensel Grad. The Founders were among the first staff hired by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. Susan was the agency’s first employee and the agency’s first Director of Licensing.
Joe was one of the first attorneys hired by the PGCB’s Office of Chief Counsel and was assigned to the Bureau of Licensing to provide legal counsel to the Bureau of Licensing as it undertook fulfilling the statutory licensing requirements set forth in the largest and most aggressive state gaming expansion law in the history of the United States.
Together, Susan and Joe played key roles in developing the licensing regulatory structure for Pennsylvania, which would soon become the 2nd largest gaming market in the United States.
The gaming licensing scheme is comprehensive and intricate, but also nuanced, balanced and cutting edge. For instance, the founders authored the first gaming regulations in the United States to expressly address the treatment of private investment funds.
The greatest testament to the quality of Susan and Joe’s work is that the licensing regulations have stood the test of time and remain materially unchanged from their initial inception as final regulations.
The same is true for the numerous policies and procedures Susan and Joe created during their tenure, as well as the precedent they established when grappling with the wide array of complex corporate and financial matters that required their approval.
Although their regulatory partnership ended when Joe chose to enter private practice, Susan and Joe joined forces again when they co-chaired the United States roundtable at the International Casino Exhibition (ICE) conference in London in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Through these events, the founders rediscovered the strength and power of their collaboration and set about creating a partnership on the other side of the regulatory divide to leverage their unique experience and gaming law knowledge for the benefit of their clients.
How Do I Take The First Step?
For a free consultation with an attorney at Hensel Grad, please contact us.