Light & Wonder is undergoing a change to its in-house legal team as the casino company faces multiple lawsuits over copyright infringement claims.
Chief Legal Officer and EVP James Sottile is stepping down from his position on Dec. 31 after joining Light & Wonder in 2018. Sottile is relinquishing his role to retire. Susan Dawson is set to take over his post. Dawson, who joined Light & Wonder in 2021, will also serve as corporate secretary once Sottile retires.
Sottile will remain involved with Light & Wonder as a consultant for one year after his retirement. Before joining Light & Wonder, Sottile was a partner at international law firm Jones Day. He also had a 12-year stint as a partner at Zuckerman Spaeder LLP.
According to a regulatory filing, Sottile will be paid a $11,959 monthly consulting fee. The consulting fee represents 20% of Sottile’s base salary at Light & Wonder for 2025.
During his time at Light & Wonder, Sottile helped facilitate major transactions and operational changes including the interactive division of the company’s rebrand from Scientific Games in 2022.
Sottile was also involved in the blockbuster deal to acquire charitable gaming business Grover Gaming in an all-cash deal valued at approximately $850 million. Grover Gaming allows charitable organizations to benefit from the sale of pull tabs in five U.S. markets.
Legal issues for Light & Wonder
Sottile is leaving Light & Wonder as the company faces several content-related lawsuits.
Aristocrat is suing Light & Wonder in a Nevada district court over claims of copyright infringement, deceptive trade practices and unfair competition. Aristocrat is taking legal action against Light & Wonder over its in-house Dragon Link casino game. The court granted Aristocrat’s request for a preliminary injunction and Light & Wonder was forced to take its Jewel of the Dragon slot off casino floor.
Aristocrat is accused Light & Wonder of orchestrating a campaign to copy Dragon Link through the hiring of former Aristocrat executives and game designers. Earlier this year, Aristocrat filed an amended complaint alleging trade secrets involved in the development and sale of two Light & Wonder games: Dragon Train and Jewel of the Dragon.
Evolution is also suing Light & Wonder in a Nevada District Court alleging the company of infringing upon its patents related to its Lightning Roulette product. Evolution filed its lawsuit in April after a district court judge dismissed the company’s initial suit against Light & Wonder. It was dismissed due to the patents being too vague to be enforceable.
Evolution reshaped its argument in its latest suit to address vagueness concerns.
