Pedro Cortes LL.M. '21

I was born in Portugal and came to Macau in 2002 as intern of a multinational pharmaceutical group. I finished my internship and became a lawyer in the office where I am now Managing Partner. 
 

What factors were most important to you when researching/choosing an LLM program? What made you choose the LLM at UNLV?
I wanted to learn more about gaming and have been following the program for a long time. In November 2019 I told my wife: it would be great if we could take a year and go to Las Vegas for the program. She told me that I was crazy (we had a 1-year-old baby, now we have 2 sons). Unfortunately came the pandemic, and I learned that the program was going online for a year.  I enrolled and was successfully admitted!
 

What did you most enjoy about your LLM experience?
The remote experience was difficult because of the time difference. We had classes sometimes at 4:00 am in Macau. But the fact that I learned from the best in the field was what I enjoyed most. The classmates were great, despite the distance. 

What advice would you give to someone considering an LLM at UNLV?
Go for it! You’ll get a great learning experience.  It will raise your knowledge and you will be part of a small group of lawyers who know a lot about the gaming industry. 
 

What advice would you give to someone just starting in the profession?
Don’t be afraid of failing. Try to study all the matters you are handling and treat all Clients as the most important. 
 

How did you get into the gaming field?
Macau is the biggest gaming market in the world. One of my first assignments in the firm was to assist in the sub-concession process of an American company. Since then, despite not my only field of expertise, I felt that being capable of knowing the gaming field would be good for the firm and, in the end, also for Macau.