Lawrence "Lon" Jacobs, the former top lawyer for Las Vegas Sands Corp., Time Inc. and News Corp., has returned to his New York stomping ground as a partner for Mintz & Gold. 

Jacobs joined the firm's corporate and media law practice groups Oct. 28. He said in an interview Tuesday that he decided to return to private practice in the city where he launched his law career because he felt that Mintz & Gold was a "very comfortable, positive fit." 

He added, "I got a little nervous about retiring, and I think my wife got a little more nervous. So I think this is a good thing."

In August, Las Vegas Sands notified the Securities and Exchange Commission that Jacobs was stepping down, effective Sept. 29. Las Vegas Sands owns The Venetian and The Palazzo on the Las Vegas Strip, along with several other resorts and venues.

Jacobs had served as the Paradise, Nevada-based casino and resort company's executive vice president and global general counsel since 2016. He stayed on as an adviser to help ease the transition of the legal department's helm to his successor, Zac Hudson.

Jacobs and Mintz & Gold go way back. He and the firm's co-founders, Steven Gold and Steven Mintz, are Brooklyn Law School alums. After Jacobs graduated in 1981, he went to work for Squadron, Ellenoff, Plesent & Lehrer, now Hogan Lovells, and hired Gold to work at the firm when he graduated in 1988. Mintz joined Squadron in 1990. Three years later, he and Gold formed Mintz & Gold.

In 1996, Jacobs entered the in-house world as a deputy general counsel for News Corp. and was promoted to senior executive vice president and general counsel in 2005. He oversaw the company's acquisitions of Dow Jones, DirecTV, MySpace and Sky Italia. 

He went on to serve as executive vice president and general counsel for Time Inc. from 2013 to 2016, when he joined Las Vegas Sands. 

Throughout his time as an in-house leader for News Corp., Time and Las Vegas Sands, Jacobs said he hired Mintz & Gold to handle outside legal work. He added the firm continues to count the three companies as clients.  

"We've had a positive working career for decades," Jacobs said. "It feels like the right move and I'm delighted to be here with friends and respected colleagues." 

Gold said in a written statement that Jacobs' "in-house corporate and media experience will be of great benefit to our clients. His extensive gaming knowledge will also be a perfect fit for clients as casinos open and expand across New York State and beyond."

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