Attorney suspended, faces disbarment after misconduct finding in Ronaldo case

A Las Vegas attorney found to have committed misconduct in a case against Cristiano Ronaldo has been temporarily suspended and faces disbarment, court records show.

Leslie Stovall, who has been licensed in Nevada since 1985, was previously ordered to pay Ronaldo’s attorneys over $330,000 in legal fees.

In a civil case, he represented a woman, Kathryn Mayorga, who alleged that the soccer star raped her in Las Vegas in 2009. U.S. District Judge Jennifer Dorsey dismissed the case in 2022, ruling that Stovall “crossed the border of ethical behavior before he filed this action, and his disregard for the rules of this court has continued unabated.”

A magistrate judge had previously recommended the dismissal, finding that Stovall based the case on leaked and stolen documents that were privileged communications between Ronaldo and his attorneys.

Daniel Hooge, the State Bar of Nevada counsel overseeing attorney discipline, confirmed Stovall’s discipline stems from his actions in the Ronaldo case.

An attorney has an obligation to obey the law, and obtaining documents that an attorney knows are stolen is a violation of rules, said Hooge.

Stovall did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A woman who answered the phone at his office said he was in a meeting with a client.

The Nov. 21 suspension order from the Nevada Supreme Court allows him to continue representing existing clients until Jan. 1.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BrighamNoble on X.