Overview

Johnny ElHachem is a litigation and regulatory attorney in Holland & Knight's Miami and Tallahassee offices, where he co-leads the Gaming Practice and represents clients across the gaming, hospitality and entertainment industries.

Mr. ElHachem leverages his international and government background, as well as his fluency in Arabic, French and English, to provide comprehensive legal representation to clients in the United States and abroad. His global perspective and in-depth knowledge of various legal systems help to ensure that his clients receive legal counsel tailored to the complexities of today's interconnected world.

Gaming Law, Sports Betting, Event Contracts and Horseracing

Mr. ElHachem co-leads Holland & Knight's national efforts in gaming law and advises operators, vendors, investors and other industry stakeholders on all aspects of gaming regulation, including licensing, compliance, strategic market entry and commercial gaming transactions. He counsels clients on casino licensing and applications across multiple jurisdictions and helps them navigate the complex – and often ambiguous – landscape of local, state and federal laws governing casinos, sportsbooks, sports betting, daily fantasy sports, online gaming and iGaming platforms, and emerging gaming technologies.

Mr. ElHachem's experience also includes advising on event-based contracts and commodity-linked gaming products regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), including the structuring and registration of Designated Contract Markets (DCMs). He regularly assists clients with regulatory filings, personal and corporate disclosures, and licensing due diligence, and represents them in investigations, enforcement proceedings, and administrative hearings.

Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. ElHachem was the deputy chief attorney for the Florida gaming and horse racing commission, where he gained a deep understanding of the nuances and intricacies of gaming law. In his role at the gaming division, he served as the lead litigation counsel and handled and first-chaired high-profile cases involving casinos and racetracks and ensured strict compliance with regulations. At Holland & Knight, Mr. ElHachem harnesses his experience as a former regulator to benefit his clients. Monitoring and assessing various regulatory developments across several jurisdictions, he aims to keep his clients well-informed about the ever-evolving laws and developments surrounding pari-mutuel wagering, sports betting, daily fantasy sports and other regulated industries

Hospitality, Food and Beverage, and Alcohol Regulation

Mr. ElHachem also represents clients in the hospitality and entertainment industries, including hotels, restaurants, bars, clubs and casinos. He helps clients secure, transfer and expand alcohol and food licenses in Florida and other jurisdictions, and advises on related compliance with local permitting, background checks, vendor registration requirements, importer licensing and others. His work often involves navigating state and municipal regulatory frameworks to support hospitality clients as they grow, restructure or acquire licensed operations.

Business Litigation and International Perspective

Mr. ElHachem brings a global perspective to his practice. Before relocating to the United States, he earned a law degree and practiced in Lebanon. He has also earned his masters in law from France and worked in Saudi Arabia. He frequently works with international clients entering the U.S. market and helps them navigate foreign ownership rules, disclosure requirements, U.S.-based enforcement risk and other cross-border regulatory issues. He also maintains an active commercial litigation practice and represents local and foreign entities in disputes involving corporate governance, breach of contract actions, derivative actions, partnership disagreements, and fiduciary duties. His litigation practice spans administrative tribunals, state and federal courts across different jurisdictions.

Community Engagement, Mentorship and Pro Bono

Beyond his legal practice, Mr. ElHachem is active in the community, serving on multiple boards and volunteering as a college mentor with Strive for College. He is dedicated to mentoring new attorneys and law students, guiding them in their career development. He also strives to provide pro bono representation in excess of 100 hours on a yearly basis.

Representative Experience

  • Media and Fantasy Sports: Advised a media outlet on airing ads involving daily fantasy sports in Florida
  • Daily Fantasy Sports Operators: Advised and evaluated a start-up company's plans involving unique and new business models dealing with daily fantasy sports
  • Sale of Daily Fantasy Sports: Advised a daily fantasy sports operator regarding potential purchase and sale of assets
  • Sports Betting Vendor Contracts: Advised a national Tribe on sports betting vendor contracts
  • Constitutional Amendments: Provided legal counsel and advice to government officials regarding Florida's Constitutional Amendments 3 and 13 dealing with greyhound racing and online sports betting
  • Constitutional Challenge: First-chaired and prevailed on summary judgment in a constitutional challenge involving the Florida Condominium Act
  • Gaming Rule Challenge: Secured a victory on appeal in a protracted and fiercely contested three-year rule challenge that involved multiple Florida casinos
  • Greyhound Rule Challenge: Successfully argued and won a rule challenge, proving the validity of certain Florida gaming regulations related to the relocation of greyhound permits; this outcome protected the interests of stakeholders within the gaming industry and ensured regulatory compliance
  • Horse Racing Rule Challenge: Secured the dismissal of a challenge that alleged certain horse racing medication rules, as established by the horse racing division, exceeded the bounds of delegated legislative authority; this win clarified the legal landscape surrounding horse racing regulations in Florida

  • Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) Litigation: Represented one of the world's largest prestige and luxury jewelers in a high-stakes $700 million-plus lawsuit; the case centered on alleged violations of FACTA, and team successfully secured the dismissal of the action
  • COVID-19 Litigation: Represented a commercial and residential landlord in the first lawsuit in Florida to successfully get past initial stages to challenge COVID-19 federal moratorium on evictions
  • Shareholder Litigation: Represented minority shareholders in a $32 million case involving derivative and direct actions against a company and its majority shareholder; after several years of contentious litigation, earned a favorable settlement, resolving allegations of breach of fiduciary duty, corporate waste, fraudulent misrepresentation and fraudulent concealment
  • Contractual Dispute Litigation: Represented a manufacturer and distributor of specialty medical and industrial supplies in a complex breach of agreement and fraudulent inducement case against a foreign company and its owners; after years of perseverance to overcome the defendants' evasive practices – fraud on the court and concealment – team obtained a favorable judgment against both parties
    • Secured a default and the striking of pleadings against the foreign company and its owners as sanctions imposed by the trial court due to their persistent perjury and fraud on the court; the victory was further affirmed on appeal in the Florida Third District Court of Appeal
    • Successfully defended against a petition for writ of certiorari filed by the foreign company and the owners following the trial court's ruling on personal jurisdiction

  • U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Ponzi Scheme Case: Represented a receiver in a multifaceted civil enforcement action filed by the SEC against a company and its principal, accused of orchestrating a $140 million-plus Ponzi scheme; assisted team with asset protection, clawback efforts, asset management, liquidation sale and overseeing the claims process for more than 800 claimants
  • Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Consumer Victory: Represented a receiver in a case initiated by the FTC against a defendant accused of fraudulent activities; the outcome included a verdict that allocated $102 million in refunds to defrauded consumers, showcasing dedication to consumer protection
  • Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Fraud Allegations: Represented a receiver in a civil enforcement action brought by the CFTC against an entity and its principal; the case involved allegations of defrauding commodity pool participants of nearly $10 million; assisted team with asset management, location, preservation and clawback efforts to protect the interests of victims

Credentials

Education
  • Florida State University College of Law, J.D., cum laude
  • Florida State University College of Law, LL.M., American Law for Foreign Lawyers, magna cum laude
  • Université de Poitiers, France, Master's Degree, Master 1
  • Université Saint Esprit de Kaslik, Lebanon, LL.B.
Bar Admissions/Licenses
  • Florida
Court Admissions
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
Memberships
  • American Bar Association (ABA), Business Law Section, Gaming Law Committee, Director: International: Middle East, 2024-Present; DEI Director, 2023-2024
  • The Florida Bar, Administrative Law Section, Executive Council, 2021-2025
  • The Florida Bar, Governmental and Public Policy Advocacy Committee, 2022-2027
  • The Florida Bar, Business Law Section; International Law Section; Entertainment, Arts & Sports Law Section; City, County & Local Government Law Section
Honors & Awards
  • The Florida Bar, William Reece Smith Jr. Leadership Academy, Class XIII, 2025-2026
  • Rising Star, Florida Super Lawyers magazine, 2025
  • Law360 Editorial Board Member, Sports & Betting, 2025
  • Best Cross Examination Award, Division of Administrative Hearings (DOAH) Trial Academy, 2019
  • International Arbitration Certification, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), 2014
  • International Human Rights Award, International Bar Association (IBA), 2013
Spoken Languages
  • Arabic
  • English
  • French

Publications

Speaking Engagements

News