As managing partner of Bongiovi Law Firm, UNLV alumna Gina Bongiovi spends much of her time helping entrepreneurs and small business owners navigate the legal realities of starting and growing a business. 

For Bongiovi, success isn’t defined by billable hours or titles, but by the outcomes her clients experience —  a business owner who avoided a costly mistake, a nonprofit that gained clarity on its next step, or a young professional who learned to advocate for themselves. 

The firm was founded in 2008 during the Great Recession. Today, many of her clients are fellow entrepreneurs and organizations, reinforcing her connection to the Southern Nevada business community where her career began.

“Watching our clients grow and succeed is what fulfills me,” Bongiovi said. “If we played even the smallest role in protecting them along the way, that matters.”

Building a Practice with Purpose

Bongiovi’s path to law was anything but direct. She started at UNLV as a finance major but discovered an interest in marketing after taking a class from adjunct professor Myron Martin, whose enthusiasm reshaped how she viewed business and communication.

While in college, Bongiovi worked at trade shows. Though the job often involved standing beside display booths — “Yes, I was one of those girls in an evening gown pointing at cars,” she said — Bongiovi used the opportunity to ask executives about their industries, careers, and business challenges. Those conversations gave her an early understanding of how companies grow and operate.

After graduating, Bongiovi enrolled in law school and later joined UNLV’s dual JD/MBA program through the William S. Boyd School of Law and Lee Business School.

During her MBA studies, a class project developing a marketing strategy for the Las Vegas Monorail led to an unexpected opportunity that helped launch her first venture, Bella Vita Marketing. Running her own business soon revealed a common challenge many entrepreneurs face: finding legal guidance that felt practical and accessible.

“I kept hearing referrals that didn’t make sense,” she said. “People didn’t know where to send small business owners for help they could actually afford and plan for.”

She encountered several frustrating referrals herself — “It felt like being sent to a podiatrist with a toothache." — and realized there was a clear gap in the market.

Drawing on her JD/MBA training and her own experience as a business owner, she launched Bongiovi Law Firm in 2008.

The Role of Education 

Bongiovi credits UNLV’s dual JD/MBA program with shaping how she approaches legal problems through a business lens, understanding not just the law but the operational realities business owners face.

“The education gave me perspective,” she said. “Legal training, business training, volunteer work — it all builds on itself.”

That integrated perspective allows her to see beyond contracts and compliance, helping clients think strategically about growth, risk, and long-term sustainability. It also informs how she engages with the broader community, not just as an attorney, but as a problem-solver and connector.

A City That Shaped Her Values

Having grown up in Las Vegas, Bongiovi understands the city beyond its global reputation. “Las Vegas is a very small town,” she said. “Everyone is only a couple degrees removed from everyone else.”

That closeness shaped her sense of responsibility early on. In a community where relationships overlap, giving back is simply part of being a good neighbor.

Her service has included leadership and advisory roles with UNLV-affiliated boards, business organizations, and community initiatives focused on economic opportunity and sustainable growth.

Bongiovi’s influence extends well beyond her firm. Through board service and mentorship, she connects people with resources and helps organizations navigate key decisions.

“I go wherever I know I can add value,” she said. “Sometimes that’s legal insight. Sometimes it’s a different perspective. Sometimes it’s just making the right introduction.”

She is particularly passionate about supporting small businesses and nonprofit organizations that sustain neighborhoods and create opportunity across Las Vegas.

“All of the knowledge and experience builds on itself,” she said. “You start to see how interconnected everything really is.”

When asked what continues to drive her, Bongiovi doesn’t hesitate. “Autonomy,” she said. “Understanding what drives you makes decision-making clearer, especially when your career doesn’t follow a straight line.” 

It’s advice she often shares with students and early-career professionals navigating uncertainty. “A career is almost never what it looks like in the brochures,” she said. “Get as close to the real work as possible. Ask questions. Advocate for yourself.”