Lecturer Bios
Joseph R. Tiano, Esq.
Joseph R. Tiano Jr., Esq. is Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Legal Decoder. After practicing law for nearly 20 years, Joe founded Legal Decoder because he saw that clients lacked the analytic tools and data to effectively price and manage the cost of legal services delivered by outside counsel. Joe set out to build an intelligent, data driven technology company that would revolutionize the way that legal services from outside counsel are priced and economically evaluated.
Joe is a prolific author having (co-)authored seven law review articles and regularly presents at CLEs and other seminars and courses on topics ranging from legal data analytics to legal ethics and legal malpractice.
Previously, Joe was a Partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP and Thelen LLP where he grew and managed all aspects of a multi-million-dollar cross-border finance practice. Entrepreneurship runs through Joe’s veins since his early days as a venture capital lawyer representing transformative technology companies, like Blackboard Inc., and many of the outgrowths of Blackboard (WeddingWire, Presidium, Starfish Retention Solutions and others). Joe has been a prolific writer publishing numerous articles on substantive legal issues and the legal industry in general.
Joe graduated from Georgetown University in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration and received his J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1995. Joe lives in Scottsdale, Arizona with his wife, Meredith, and their two boys, Gabriel and John-Paul.
During the rare moments when he is not working, Joe can be found taking his sons on hikes, watching their extracurricular activities and helping Meredith implement her design creations.
Nancy B. Rapoport , Esq.
Nancy B. Rapoport is a UNLV Distinguished Professor, the Garman Turner Gordon Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and an Affiliate Professor of Business Law and Ethics in the Lee Business School at UNLV. After receiving her B.A., summa cum laude, from Rice University in 1982 and her J.D. from Stanford Law School in 1985, she clerked for the Honorable Joseph T. Sneed III on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and then practiced law (primarily bankruptcy law) with Morrison & Foerster in San Francisco from 1986-1991.
She started her academic career at The* Ohio State University College of Law in 1991, and she moved from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor with tenure in 1995 to Associate Dean for Student Affairs (1996) and Professor (1998) (just as she left Ohio State to become Dean and Professor of Law at the University of Nebraska College of Law). She served as Dean of the University of Nebraska College of Law from 1998-2000.
She then served as Dean and Professor of Law at the University of Houston Law Center from July 2000-May 2006 and as Professor of Law from June 2006-June 2007, when she left to join the faculty at Boyd. She served as Interim Dean of Boyd from 2012-2013, as Senior Advisor to the President of UNLV from 2014-2015, as Acting Executive Vice President & Provost from 2015-2016, as Acting Senior Vice President for Finance and Business (for July and August 2017), and as Special Counsel to the President from May 2016-June 2018. In 2022, UNLV’s Alumni Association named her the Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year.
Lana Manganiello
With over 15 years of experience in business development, sales management, and professional coaching, Lana Manganiello is a recognized leader in elevating legal professionals and their practices. Her career spans leadership roles in business development and marketing, where she was directly responsible for driving growth, managing sales teams, and creating strategies that deliver measurable results
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Lana’s guidance is rooted in both personal experience and her extensive work with hundreds of professionals across diverse practices, goals, and personalities. She has partnered with AmLaw 200 firms, boutique practices, and individual lawyers at all career stages to align their values, goals, and strengths with actionable business development strategies.
Lana has designed and delivered programs that have transformed attorneys into trusted advisors, helping them cultivate rewarding practices.
As President of the LA County Bar Association’s Counsel for Justice, she has spearheaded initiatives to expand access to justice and enhance diversity in the legal profession.
Named a “Global Leader in Legal Strategy and Consulting” by Lawdragon and a “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility Visionary” by Los Angeles Times Magazine.
Lana’s clients report significant professional growth, including partnership offers, increased visibility, and greater fulfillment in their careers.
Lana’s commitment extends beyond her professional work. She actively serves on boards that advance equity and access to justice, and she’s passionate about supporting attorneys in creating a positive impact on their firms and communities.
