BIOGRAPHY
Jacqueline Bretell is a partner with Bighorn Law and has served as the firm’s Chief Executive Officer since March 2020.
Jacqueline is a dedicated personal injury attorney known for her client-centered approach, strategic leadership, and commitment to achieving meaningful results for injured individuals and families. Through her leadership, Bighorn Law has built a reputation for combining compassionate representation with aggressive advocacy, helping clients navigate some of the most difficult moments of their lives with confidence and support.
As CEO, Jacqueline oversees the firm’s operations, growth, and long-term vision while remaining deeply involved in client representation and case strategy. She is passionate about building systems and teams that prioritize communication, accountability, and exceptional client service. Her leadership philosophy emphasizes empathy, grit, integrity, and high emotional intelligence – the core values that continue to shape the culture and success of Bighorn Law.
Jacqueline’s passion for helping others began with her legal education and early experiences in the legal field when she was 20 years old. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga before obtaining her Juris Doctor from Mercer University at just 23 years old. Throughout her academic and professional career, she has remained committed to continuous learning, innovation, and improving the client experience within the personal injury industry.
Known for her hands-on involvement with clients, Jacqueline believes that effective legal representation goes beyond negotiating settlements – it requires listening, understanding, and truly advocating for the people behind each case. She has guided countless clients through complex injury claims while helping them feel informed, supported, and empowered throughout the process.
Jacqueline’s case handling experience includes serving as the primary handling attorney for those impacted (to include catastrophic injuries and wrongful death claims) during the 1 October shooting, victims of physical assault, victims of sexual assault, wrongful death claims resulting from vehicular and motorcycle accidents, as well as those injured due to the negligence of others.
In addition to her legal practice, Jacqueline is recognized nationally for her forward-thinking approach to law firm management and legal operations. She has a strong interest in technology, process development, and data-driven decision making within the legal industry and how each of those fields impacts client experience and outcomes. Jacqueline has spoken at conferences and conventions across the country on practice management, client experiences, and great client outcomes, and is a trusted leader and mentor to lawyers nationwide.
Jacqueline continues to lead Bighorn Law with a vision focused on growth, innovation, and compassionate advocacy. Her dedication to excellence, both as an attorney and as a business leader, has made her a respected figure in the legal community and a trusted advocate for her clients.
Jacqueline is a dedicated wife and mother and enjoys quiet weekends and evenings with her family. She is a lifelong motorcycle rider and enthusiast, the owner of two Harley Davidson motorcycles that she refers to as her “other babies”. She lives by the famous quote said by Eleanor Roosevelt: “The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”
Expertise
Academic & Professional Associations:
- State Bar of Nevada (2011 – Present)
- Nevada Justice Association (2013 – Present)
- Host, Legally Vegas Podcast (2025 – Present)
- Board of Directors, Steven Whitehouse & Friends (2022 – Present)
- Chair, Board of Directors, The Cupcake Girls (2019 – 2022)
- Board of Directors, Clark County Law Foundation (2017 – 2020)
- Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law, 2011, Juris Doctorate
- University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, 2008, Bachelor of Science
Accolades
Awards & Notable Achievements:
- Top 100 Lawyers, MyVegas Magazine
- Leading Lawyers, Real Vegas Magazine
- Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- SuperLawyers, Rising Star
- 40 Under 40, National Trial Lawyers
- Top 100 Women, MyVegas Magazine
- Mother Rucker Choppers Exemplary Service Award
- Honoree, The Cupcake Girls Second Annual Adult Prom
Past Speaking Engagements:
- 2025 NJA’s Embrace Your Inner Badass: Top 10 Toxic Traits in your Law Firm
- 2025 Filevine’s Lex Summit: Top 10 Toxic Traits in your Law Firm
- 2024 Filevine’s Lex Summit: Profit-ology: The Art of Forecasting
- 2024 Vista Law Firm Leadership Summit: Bold Leadership: The Disruptive Power of Purpose & Perseverance in the Life of a Leader
- 2024 Clark County Law Foundation’s Youth Restorative Program: Session 3: Communication
- 2023 Brain Trust Summit: Unstoppable Business Engine: Building Your Firm’s Pre-Lit Team
- 2023 NJA’s Embrace Your Inner Badass: Building Your Badass Practice
- 2022 NJA Annual Convention: Changes Make Changes: Building the Foundation of your Practice
- 2022: Filevine & the Disbursal Process
- 2020 Red Rock Harley Davidson & Sin City Moto Girls: Insurance: the good, the bad & the ugly
- 2019 Filevine’s Legal X Summit: Managing a Large Scale Multi-Jurisdictional Law Firm with Filevine
Notable Verdicts & Settlements:
Most settlements and resolutions handled by Bighorn Law are subject to confidentiality agreements and/or privacy obligations. As a result, many case outcomes, settlement amounts, and client recoveries cannot be publicly disclosed. Any results discussed on this website are provided for informational purposes only and do not guarantee a similar outcome in any future matter. Every case is unique and must be evaluated on its own facts and circumstances.
- Member of Leadership Group for 1 October Shooting Victims, leading to an historic $800 million settlement
- $11,816,600.45 Jury Verdict, Affirmed by the Supreme Court of Nevada, Parks v. Chowning
- $1,025,000 Settlement, Wrongful Death
