Salary/Benefits/Insurance/Bonus/Hiring Survey--Firm Health

It's that time of year again, folks. Time to do a survey of the Vegas legal industry.

As usual, we rely on reader tips to provide information on:

• starting salaries
• lockstep raises
• guaranteed salary increases
• benefits,
• insurance benefits,
• bonuses, and
• the state of hiring in Fall 2009 (how many were hired)

Please send in any and all information to nevadalegal@gmail.com. All information will be compiled into a spreadsheet and published later in Sept.

Also, this year, we are looking for information on all firms, legal businesses and government posts, no matter the size. So please send in any details you know to nevadalegal@gmail.com.

* for this round, we're just looking for information on attorney positions, but we will be working on a similar survey for support staff soon.

Not a Good Week to be [allegedly] Unethical

Update: Now with 9th Circuit memorandum opinion.



While we were [redacted] in [redacted] last week, things took a bad turn for attorney Noel Gage. The Ninth Circuit reversed Judge Quackenbush's ruling and reinstated the prosecution of Mr. Gage [pictured left with a ridiculous tie] and medical consultant Howard Awand.



The Ninth Circuit reversed Quckenbush's ruling that the government had to offer immunity to suspected crook doctor Mark Kabins so that he might testify for the defense without suffering any consequences. (RJ)

The Ninth Circuit's decision comprised only eight terse lines. The Ninth Circuit wrote:

Due process compels use immunity only for defense witnesses who will offer testimony that directly contradicts the testimony of a government witness who has been given use immunity. See e.g., U.S. v. Straub, 538 F.3d 1147, 1161-62 (9th Cir. 2008); U.S. v. Alvarez, 358 F.3d 1194, 1216 (9th Cir. 2004). Direct contradiction means more than just differnet subjective interpretations of the same facts. Because Dr. Kabins would not have directly contradicted a government witness who received use immunity, the indictment must be reinstated.

If you were Gage, you might be worried that without Kabins to back up your story [since Kabins is currently being prosecuted himself] that a client's unnecessary spinal surgery isn't just really, really rewarding to her attorney ($$$), it is possibly helpful to the injured client too! But that worry would be misplaced because Noel Gage is "happy" to have the chance to vindicate himself, saying "when my acquittal comes this time around, there will be reason for a second victory party," said Gage. (RJ) For all the plaintiff's attorneys potentially implicated if Gage and Awand go down, you better hope that cockiness and puffery negates criminal intent.

Meanwhile, up in Reno, disbarred Nevada attorney Lawrence Davidson skipped out on his federal fraud and money laundering trial. (RGJ) Davidson (Nevada State Bar info), in case you were curious, Davidson is a former med mal and PI attorney from Las Vegas who was [allegedly] siphoning his client funds into his personal accounts. He's also been accused of bribing a member of the Clark County Commission for a zoning favor. (RGJ)

And southern Nevada attorneys made it three for three this week when the State Bar suspended Henderson attorney Alex Ghibaudo pending an investigation into alleged unethical conduct. Ghibaudo is accused of repeatedly abandoning clients, failing to provide an accounting of funds received from clients and making several unprofessional and demeaning telephone calls to other counsel. (RJ) Ghibaudo apparently also dodged calls from Bar counsel. [Note to attorneys—when under investigation, probably best to return Bar counsel’s communications]

By the way, while the recently admitted Mr. Ghibaudo (2007) was suspended pending the investigation, the state bar has not suspended any plaintiff's attorney tied into the medical mafia from the practice of law in Nevada. (Nevada State Bar page for Gage).

Round Up from When We Were Gone

Will it be the Governor's Race or the U.S. Senate Race? (LV Sun offers a political profile of Rob Riggle Judge Sandoval)

Turns out our prior analysis of who will replace Judge Sandoval was flawed. Judge Jones will be moving from Vegas to Reno, opening a seat on the U.S. District Court in Vegas. Who's on the short list for the soon-t0-be-open seat in Vegas? We haven't heard a thing. Thoughts?

Who should get the cash? Creditors or the patients that Dr. Needles [allegedly] infected with Hep-C? Bankruptcy Court Judge Mike Nakagawa may lift the stay on Dr. Needles' clinics and give the victims a chance to collect some money. (LV Sun)

On Vacation

WWL is on vacation this week folks.

A**hole Gone Wild: Acting Like a Jackass Loses Francis $3 million

Girls Gone Wild producer and all around jackass, Joe Francis, used his time as a deponent to put on a seminar for what not to do when being deposed. Pay attention law students. Apparently, repeatedly stating that you plead the Fifth to most generic questions, farting openly and repeatedly checking your email or taking a cell call are sanctionable offenses. Who knew?

The LV Sun reports:

Unimpressed with his antics, District Judge Michelle Leavitt ruled in favor of Wynn Las Vegas and ordered the soft-porn video mogul to pay the Strip casino a $2 million gambling debt, which, with interest and court costs, could soar to $3 million.

In court papers, the Wynn’s lawyers argued that Francis improperly asserted his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in refusing to answer even the most innocuous questions during the nearly daylong deposition in February.

And several times during the deposition Francis openly passed gas, further disrespecting the legal proceeding, the Wynn lawyers charged.

Note to litigant readers: try not to piss off the judge by insulting the legal process. They usually don't take it well. Especially when you insult the legal process with a case pending before a member of The Family like Judge Leavitt.

A Poetry Interlude

A poem has been making the rounds around Vegas law firms over the past few weeks. While we here at WWL are not the biggest fans of poetry (too many memories of poetry ruining our naps in high school English class), we thought it was a nice snapshot of some lawyers' feelings about the quality of billboard advertising attorneys.

Half-Ass Lawyers
(www.halfasslawyers.com)

In the summer of 2009, billboards started appearing in Las Vegas advertising “Half Price Lawyers”. Although I do not know anything about the quality of service they provide, I do have to give them credit for inspiring this poem.

Do you need a lawyer
‘Cause you slipped and fell?
Or you wanna sue someone
‘Cause you’re not feelin’ well?

You need look no further;
We’ll be your warriors;
You’ll save some dough too,
‘Cause we’re Half-Ass Lawyers.

You’ll find us quite responsive
Like soldiers at an air raid;
Although our enthusiasm dampens
As soon as we’ve been paid.

We don’t do much legal research,
And your contract—half we’ll review.
But we’re quick to file a lawsuit
And pursue it part-way through.

We’ll defend your DUI,
The “How To” book is on my shelf;
We’ve got plenty of experience
(I’ve had several myself!)

We handle criminal cases
Like murder, mayhem and theft;
And when we settle a civil case,
After our fee, you get what’s left.

We’re a happy-go-lucky bunch,
We never, ever get stressed;
See, when the going gets tough,
We respond . . . by doing less.

Deadlines don’t concern us;
They’re really no big deal.
And if our case is thrown out,
Heck, we can always appeal.

If you call us on the phone,
‘Bout the status of your divorce,
We’ll talk if we’re around,
But we’re usually on the course.

But there’s no need to worry
For each ailment there’s a salve;
We’ve trained our secretaries to answer
Any questions you may have.

You’ve seen us on TV,
So you know who we are;
You can’t believe what it’s cost
To make myself a star!

Who knew a poet's soul could survive law school and still write verse?

Who's Going to Get Judge Sandoval's Spot?

With U.S. District Court Judge Brian Sandoval stepping down from the bench for a rumored run for Governor against Jim Gibbons, names are starting to be tossed out for who should fill Sandoval's spot.

The RJ reports:

Nevada Supreme Court Chief Justice James Hardesty, Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto and Washoe District Judge Brent Adams are among the names surfacing as possible replacements for U.S. District Judge Brian Sandoval

. . . historically nominees to the U.S. District Court in Reno have come from Northern Nevada, which makes Hardesty and Adams -- both Democrats -- contenders for the job, said Carl Tobias, a former UNLV law professor now teaching at the University of Richmond School of Law in Virginia.

So let's get a list going and generate some odds:

Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto
She’s Democrat and “effective and popular" according to Tobias. (RJ) Plus, President Obama seems to like the diversity angle with his judges and Cortez Masto would add some Latina flavor to the pale Nevada bench. Cortez Masto is also a native Nevadan. (AG website) She graduated Cum Laude from Gonzaga University School of Law, in Spokane, Washington in 1990. (AG website) Cortez Masto became Attorney General of Nevada in 2007 and worked as Assistant County Manager for Clark County for five years before that--giving her experience in the north and the south of the state.

Magistrate Judge Robert A. McQuaid, Jr.
Magistrate Judge McQuaid has spent 13 yrs on the federal bench, appointed as a magistrate in 1996. (US Dist Ct) He received his law degree from Willamette University College of Law in 1971, and was admitted to the State Bar of Nevada that year. Before his appointment to the bench in 1996, Judge McQuaid was a partner in the law firm of Georgeson, McQuaid, Thompson & Angaran in Reno. Biggest hurdle: he’s a Republican in a Democratic Presidency, but based on seniority on the bench, he may be the man for the job. (US Dist Ct)

Magistrate Judge Valerie P. Cooke
Magistrate Judge Cooke has spent 10 yrs on the federal bench, appointed as a magistrate in 1999. (US Dist Ct) Prior to her appointment, she was a partner in the law firm of McDonald Carano Wilson, where she practiced to creditors’ rights in bankruptcy and commercial litigation. Judge Cooke received her J.D. degree from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Another plus in her column: She’s got legal legacy chops too since she’s a third generation Nevada lawyer. (US Dist Ct) Another plus for her: she’s a Democrat in a Democratic Presidency. McQuaid may have three years on her, but the politics of nominations may move her ahead of the candidates already sitting on the federal bench

Vito de la Cruz
De la Cruz is an Assistant Federal Public Defender in Reno, Nevada. (Linked In) He's got the credentials, getting his J.D. in 1985 from the University of California-Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law. (HP) Before becoming a Fed. PD, he worked for California Rural Legal Assistance in the area of employment discrimination and farm labor issues. Biggest plus for de la Cruz in the era of diversity: he is half American Indian (Yaqui)and half Chicano. Currently, there is only one Native American on the entire federal bench. (RJ)

Washoe County District Judge Brent Adams
Judge Adams has sat on the District Court of Washoe County since 1989 and has been elected three times without opposition. (Washoe Courts bio) According to his bio, he has consistently received among the highest retention ratings and judicial performance evaluations by the Washoe County Bar Association in biennial surveys since 1994. Judge Adams graduated from the University of Arizona College of Law in 1974. Need more credentials? Judge Adams initiated the Washoe County Drug Court, is the founding presiding judge of the Washoe County Business Court and is Editor in Chief of the Nevada Civil Practice Manual and Forms (second and third editions).

Chief Justice James W. Hardesty
From the NV Supremes website: He’s a native Nevadan, born and raised in Reno. Got his JD from University of Pacific McGeorge School of Law in May 1975. Worked in private practice from 1975 through 1998, when he was elected District Court Judge in Washoe County District Court. In November 2004, Chief Justice Hardesty was elected as Supreme Court Justice for the Nevada Supreme Court, where he helped to implement the state's business courts.

So, who's it going to be readers?

Sidebar: Judicial Honor Roll

Last week's Sidebar had many reminiscing about good times with Judge Gates. So we'll stick with a judicial theme this week.

Who is your favorite judge and why? (Don't worry, we'll ask for your least favorite at some point in the future. But honestly, without the drama of Halverson, it seems that everyone hates the same person in civil again. And the same person in family court is still around.)

Instead, tell us the good stuff. Does the judge actually seem to read AND understand the pleadings? Do you get the sense that the judge's eyes show confidence instead of a vacant, sometimes, panicked stare? Did the judge know about (dare I even say it) cases and precedent? Little things like, the law and civil procedure go a long way.

Of course, this isn't limited to the district and family court. Feel free to cheer about your favorite federal or muni judges too.

TFFKAKKBRF Comes Out of Its Cocoon as KCRGF

We're just received word that The Firm formerly known as Kummer Kaempfer Bonner Renshaw & Ferrario ("TFFKAKKBRF") has transformed into a beautiful butterfly with the name Kaempfer Crowell Renshaw Gronauer & Fiorentino [name has not been updated on website yet].

All good things come to an end. We're sorry to have to say goodbye to the moniker TFFKAKKBRF, but at least we'll have KCRGF.

[thanks to VLG for the tip]

Medical Mafia Story Hits the National News

Fortune magazine (link available here) has scooped up the medical mafia story. And once again, Vegas looks like the most corrupt legal and medical jurisdiction in the country. Well done boys.

Fortune does an excellent job of laying out all the details of the sordid tale of [allegedly] crooked Vegas doctors and lawyers colluding to pad their pockets/settlements. For those of you that haven't been following the reporting on the trial and now appeal of Noel Gage and Howard Awand [pictured left] (older posts available here), the piece offers a great primer on the [allegedly] criminal scheme.

The piece explains how the [alleged] conspiracy only came to light when medical consultant Howard Awand drove up medical bills for a plaintiff (represented by Bob Vannah) suing a driver who happened to be a U.S. Attorney on government business at the time of the accident. Here's a few of the more interesting pgphs:

Prosecutors charge that a group of top Las Vegas plaintiffs lawyers and doctors,
with the 64-year-old [medical consultant Howard] Awand at its center, conspired
in an audacious fraud. The participants appeared to act independently but
instead colluded. Unwitting accident victims were recruited as plaintiffs and
then persuaded to undergo serious, sometimes needless, surgeries. The
procedures, in turn, helped inflate the size of personal-injury claims. The
result was multimillion-dollar insurance settlements, even for dubious cases,
and lucrative fees for the doctors, the lawyers, and, of course, Howard Awand.

Predictably, Awand's attorney paints the medical consultant as a champion of the people:

What the government paints as "collusion," Harland Braun says, was nothing more
than cooperation among professionals. Because Awand was beating the insurance
industry in court, the government concluded "it must be a conspiracy," says
Braun. "What Awand did is level the playing field."

But don't think the government's case only implicates Gage and Awand (and Vannah on the sidelines). This is Nevada, after all. Why not throw some Nevada District Court judges into the mix along with other members of the bar:

One month after Cynthia Johnson's accident [the plaintiff in the case that broke
open the alleged conspiracy], Howard Awand threw open his sprawling lakefront
home in Big Bear, Calif., to Las Vegas' A-list professionals. Kabins and Vannah,
the doctor and the lawyer in the Johnson case, were there, along with 200 other
top doctors, lawyers, judges, and their spouses and kids. The event, including a
buffet dinner of filet mignon and lobster, was a fundraiser for two Las Vegas
judges who faced reelection; some $30,000 in checks piled up in two crystal
bowls, several partygoers recall.

How influential was Awand in Vegas personal injury law:

By 2002, insurance defense lawyers were so concerned they held an unusual
meeting. More than a dozen attorneys for competing insurers met to compare
notes. Some who had subpoenaed Awand described getting threatening calls from
his associates warning that their business would dry up if they didn't back
down, William Turner of Farmers Insurance recalls. The lawyers, he says,
recounted tales of strange behavior or even intimidation. Expert witnesses, for
example, suddenly and inexplicably changed their testimony; some doctors who
refused to cooperate with Awand had been threatened with frivolous malpractice
lawsuits. By meeting's end, the lawyers felt certain they were facing something
bigger and more sinister than garden-variety fraud.

The piece also lays out how pervasive the scheme was to have personal injury plaintiffs have unnecessary surgeries. Mark Kabins (being prosecuted in a separate trial) started taking referrals from Howard Awand and started making $750,000 a month.

By 2000, Kabins's practice had become a factory producing multimillion-dollar
insurance settlements, according to witness statements and interviews. The
volume was so great that Awand himself couldn't keep track. In June 2002 he
wrote to Kabins, asking him to create a list of all the clients he'd sent: "We
are reaching critical mass and both of us are losing money by my failure to keep
up with the referrals" . . . Kabins became so infamous that insurance
investigators coined a term -- a "Kabinsectomy" -- for a needless surgery in Vegas.

[story continued in next post]

Medical Mafia National News (cont): Part 2: Bob Vannah the Charmer

[pt 1 available here]

The Fortune news story about the medical mafia of Vegas centers around the plight of personal injury plaintiff Cynthia Johnson who got caught up in the medical mafia drama when she utilized the services of Bob Vannah, Howard Awand and Mark Kabins for legal and medical aid.

The part of the story that particularly caught our attention is the details about how Bob Vannah reacted to the attention of how he handled Ms. Johnson's case and his [alleged] involvement with the medical mafia:

Cynthia Johnson entered the courtroom on July 21, 2005, for a routine
procedural hearing. Though her case was the only one on the docket, she was
surprised to see the courtroom packed with men in dark suits. Vannah seemed
rattled, she says, and he complained to the judge that government lawyer Ruth
Cohen had "leaked it all over the community that I'm being investigated by her
and her cronies for criminal conduct." At the hearing's conclusion, a newspaper
columnist rushed up to Johnson, asking, "Are you seeking to get compensation for
injuries you don't really have?"

Johnson had no idea what was happening. After the hearing, Vannah screamed,
"Things are not what they're supposed to be," as he rushed across the parking
lot with an associate, she recalls. The bewildering scene made Johnson so uneasy
that she told [Mark] Kabins she would not undergo [the surgery he
recommended].

Even better was how Mr. Vannah treated his personal injury client (who had signed a medical lien with his office) when she came to see him:

He requested that [Johnson] sign a document releasing him from her case. He
claimed -- incorrectly -- that she'd failed to disclose previous visits to a
chiropractor. If she signed, he continued, she'd owe him no attorney fees and
would be responsible only for her medical costs, which had climbed into the many
thousands.

As she resisted, he grew more agitated, screaming that if she didn't sign,
she'd owe him vast sums. He stood, banging the table and yelling that she was
under federal investigation and that "the government had killed people for
lesser things than you're doing right now," she recalls.

Vannah, of course, is completely innocent of all wrong doing. Well, at least he says so:

Vannah denies any impropriety and says he isn't surprised that Johnson's
accident received extra attention from the government, given that a government
employee caused it. Vannah has not lost sleep over the protracted investigation,
he says -- even though he has been subpoenaed by government investigators, has
been able to dodge an ethics complaint by a client over his payments to Awand,
and has been secretly taped boasting "there are five or six judges that will do
anything I want." Still, he notes, prosecutors have not charged him with
anything.

So, to wrap up: Mr. Vannah's not being charged. The prosecution of Noel Gage was thrown out due to the government's refusal to offer immunity to [alleged crooked doctor] Mark Kabins--the immunity issue is now on appeal before the 9th Circuit. Mark Kabins is being prosecuted for his involvement in the medical mafia and performing [allegedly] unnecessary surgeries. And Vegas hasn't had its medical or legal community cleaned up at all.

[Updated Editor's Note: a tip of the cap to the Nevada State Bar for finally getting at least minorly involved in the allegations of corrupt legal representation. They have filed a Complaint against Gage for sharing legal fees with Awand. No word on a complaint against Vannah. They might have wanted to suspend them all from the practice of law for awhile, but they wouldn't want to step on too many toes, would they.]

Oh, and there's one final lesson to learn for you Plaintiff's attorneys out there. If you're suspected of criminal conduct in your practice, don't yell at a client until she's in tears:

Johnson left Vannah's office in tears that day, without signing the
document. She had several chilling realizations. Her lawyer appeared to be under
investigation, though she had no idea for what. He was panicking. And he'd just
threatened her. She needed help from someone she could trust.

The next day, Johnson called every local attorney she could think of -- and
almost no one called back. Her case had become radioactive. Sleepless,
depressed, and not knowing what else to do, she finally found a lawyer who
steered her to Ruth Cohen, the government lawyer on the other side, who
immediately called her back. Within days, Johnson was sitting down with the
FBI.

Amusement Via Courtoons

An amusing cartoon today on Courtoons.

If you haven't seen the website and are a fan of puns, check it out.

Living the Plaintiff's Attorney's Dream: Hitting Them Where It Hurts

Don Campbell has quietly become one of the most respected Plaintiff's attorneys in town (bio available here). Mr. Campbell and his firm Campbell & Williams don't get a lot of coverage on this blog because there's very little gossip spread about him, other than the fact that he's an intimidating opponent for defense counsel.

Well, a few weeks back, the RJ reported that Don Campbell was living the Plaintiff's attorney's dream--causing an impact to the defendant's bottom line in order to try to change the way they behave:

Las Vegas Sands Corp. paid three men $42.5 million to settle a lawsuit in June, according to the operator's second-quarter earnings release Thursday.

The figure contributed to the company's net loss of $222.2 million in the quarter ended June 30. Las Vegas Sands also blamed the challenging economy, a noncash
impairment charge of $151.2 million and an increase in certain expenses that drove the company to its sixth straight quarterly loss.

Due to a confidentiality agreement, Campbell did not comment to the RJ about the case, but the paper summarized that the case was over money paid to LV Sands to help businessmen acquire a Macau gaming license:

The lawsuit was the second such action the company faced over its Macau licensing efforts in 14 months. In May 2008, a Clark County jury awarded Hong Kong businessman Richard Suen almost $60 million for his help in introducing Las Vegas Sands executives to Chinese government officials.

Okay, so it's not a lawsuit punishing [insert demonized company or industry here] for harming a little old lady. But impacting a company's bottom line to that degree is an impressive achievement.

Monday News Roundup

On Friday, a federal jury found that apparently people do have to pay taxes, convicting Mr. Kahre and friends for using a gold coin scheme to evade taxes. (RJ)

Does being grossly obese count as contributory negligence? Louie Anderson is soon to find out (Courthouse News Service) [thanks to W for tip]

Apparently, judicial ethics do have a place in Nevada. Judge Cadish recuses herself from prosecution of Lt. Governor Krolicki case, citing potential conflict of interest. (RJ)

Dennis Kennedy [pictured left] proves that if you own the firm, there's no tie or wall decoration too tacky to have in your business profile (LV Business Press)

Sandoval Calls It Quits

Just four years after beginning his "lifetime" appointment to the federal bench, Judge Brian Sandoval announced on Friday that he will be resigning effective September 15. His "explanation" was lacking, to say the least:

"It has been a privilege and an honor to serve on the federal bench and I thank my fellow judges, my staff and the entire court family for their support,” Sandoval said in a written statement through the court. “I would also like to thank former President Bush and Senators Reid and Ensign for their support and confidence in giving me the opportunity to serve the federal judiciary."

Huh? Sandoval had a lifetime appointment to a big soft chair on the federal bench and he only lasted four years? We know you black-helicopter types have an alternative explanation for this one.

The RJ speculates that Sandoval intends to run for governor in the upcoming election, and it seems his supporters are very optimistic:

“His reputation is just impeccable, and in politics that is saying a lot,” said Irma Aguirre, a Las Vegas business owner and Republican activist. ...

... “Whenever Brian Sandoval’s name comes up, nothing negative ever seems to surface,” she said.

Uh oh. Running a "try to find something wrong with me" campaign is pretty much the kiss-of-death for republican candidates. Good luck to you Mr. Sandoval, we hope you spend many "lifetimes" at your next job, whatever it may be.

What do you think, commenters? Is he simply clearing his calendar to run for governor, or is there something else going on here?

(LVRJ) Thanks for the tip, A.

Vegas Lawyer Advertising Hits a New Low: T&A as a marketing gimmick

Really, Mark Coburn? Really?

Your "T&A" attorney billboard may have actually found a way to bring Vegas law to a new low. Well done.

[thanks to S for the tip]

The Rising Star Super Lawyers of Nevada 2009 (Crim-Tax)

The conlcusion of the Super Lawyers "Rising Stars" list:

Criminal Defense
Paola M. Armeni - Gordon Silver
Richard Schonfeld - Chesnoff & Schonfeld

Employment & Labor
Dora V. Lane - Holland & Hart
Suzanne L. Martin - L&R

Employment Litigation: Defense
Sophia Long - Morris Polich & Purdy
Andrew Rempfer - Littler Mendelson

Energy & Natural Resources
Severin A. Carlson - KKBRF (Reno)

Entertainment & Sports
Scott A. Eaton - Bailey Kennedy

Estate & Trust Litigation
Dana A. Dwiggens - Solomon Dwiggins & Freer
Alan D. Freer - Solomon Dwiggins & Freer

Estate Planning & Probate
Catherine M. Colombo - Oshins & Asscoates
Robert L. Morris - Jeffrey Burr
Kristen E. Simmons - Oshins & Associates
Travis K. Twitchell - Bowler Dixon & Twitchell

Family Law
Michael V. Kattelman - Silverman Decaria & Kattelman (Reno)
Katherine L. Provost - The Dickerson Law Group
Eric A. Pulver - Logar Pulver (Reno)

Gaming
Lauran D. Calvert-Arnold - LSC
Louis V. Csoka - Gordon Silver
Jennifer Roberts - LSC

General Lit
Anthony R. Ager - Fennemore Craig
Geoffrey W. Hawkins - Hawkins Law Office
Jarrad C. Miller - Robertson & Benevento (Reno)
Janine C. ("Jacey") Prupas - Morris Peterson (Reno)
Christian Z. Smith - G. Dallas Horton & Associates
Amanda C. Yen - McDonald Carano Wilson

Insurance Coverage
Douglas J. Duesman - Prince & Keating
Intellectual Property
Peter Ajemian - GT
Jennifer K. Craft - L&R
Bryce Earl - SDW
Christopher Law - Brownstein Hyatt

Land Use/Zoning
Stephanie H. Allen - KKBRF
Tabitha D. Fiddment - KKBRF
Maren Parry - Ballard Spahr

Personal Injury Defense: General
Edgar Carranza - Backus Carranza
Michael Kane - Prince & Keating
Gina Gilbert Winspear - Dennett & Winspear

Personal Injury Defense: Medical Malpractice
Casey W. Tyler - Hall Prangle & Schoonveld

Personal Injury Plaintiff: General
Chad A. Bowers - Law Offices of Chad A. Bowers
Daniel Carvalho - Rogers Mastrangelo Carvalho & Mitchell
Jay Kenyon - Henness & Haight

Political Law
Bradley S. Schrager - Jones Vargas

Personal Liability: Defense
Michael D. Navratil - John H. Cotton & Associates
Katherin E. Turpen -- John H. Cotton & Associates

Real Estate
David G. Alleman - Kolesar & Leatham
Dean S. Bennett - SDW
Andrew J. Glendon - SDW
Michael A. Keller - Jones Vargas
Michael A. Pagni - McDonald Carano Wilson (Reno)
Stephen M. Sullivan - Rice Silbey Reuther & Sullivan
Travis J. Wright - Woods Erickson Whitaker & Maurice

Tax
Richard T. Cunningham - LSC

The Rising Star Super Lawyers of 2009 (Admin-Construction)

One of the more interesting aspects of the Super Lawyers listings is their collection of the "rising stars" in the legal community. It's a nice way to honor the younger attorneys who have some buzz associated with their names.

So, here is the list of the 2009 Rising Star Super Lawyers:

Administrative Law
Jennifer J. DiMarzio - LSC
Sawn M. Elicegui - NV Energy (Reno)
Ryan D. Russell - Allison MacKenzie Pavlakis Wright & Fagan (Carson City)

Appellate
Jennifer Cole Dorsey - Kemp Jones & Coulthard
Carla B. Higginbotham - McDonald Carano Wilson (Reno)
Heidi Parry Stern - L&R
Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights
Zachariah Larson - Larson & Stephens
Anne M. Loraditch - GT
Shawn W. Miller - Shea & Carlyon

Business Litigation
Luis Ayon - GT
Joice B. Bass - L&R
Kevin E. Beck - Rooker Rawlins
Jonathan D. Blum - SDW
Brian W. Boschee - SDW
Brian L. Bradford - Martin & Allison
John E. Bragonje - L&R
Adam K. Bult - Jones Vargas
Robert Caldwell - Kolesar & Leatham
Emily Gubler Clark - L&R
David W. Dachelet - Fennemore Craig
Joshua M. Dickey - Bailey Kennedy
Miranda Du - McDonald Carano Wilson (Reno)
Aaron D. Ford - Snell & Wilmer
Rex D. Garner - Morris Peterson
Paul J. Georgeson - McDonald Carano Wilson
Leslie A.S. Godfrey - KKBRF
John H. Gutke - Hutchinson & Steffen
Kenneth Hogan - Gordon Silver
Michael Infuse - Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
Dustin Johnson - Albright Stoddard Warnick & Palmer
Brad Johnston - Holland & Hart (Reno)
Michael B. Lee - Kravitz Schnitzer Sloane Johnson & Eberhardy
Kristan E. Lehtinen - Lovaas & Lehtinen
Aaron D. Lovaas - Lovaas & Lehtinen
Michael Lynch - L&R
Robert McCoy - Morris Peterson
Jasmine K. Mehta - L&R
Craig A. Newby - McDonald Carano Wilson
Oliver Pancheri - SDW
Tamara Beatty Peterson - Jones Vargas
Brandon E. Roos - KKBRF
Jared Schrist - Morris Peterson
Adam Smith - Glaser Weil
Ariel Stern - Ballard Spahr
Layke M. Stolberg - Marquis & Aurbach
Kevin Sutehall - Hutchinson & Steffen
Abran E. Vigil - L&R
Joeseph Went - Kolesar Leatham

Business/Corporate
Frederick R. "Fritz" Battcher - Holland & Hart (Reno)
Andrew F. Dixon - Bowler Dixon & Twitchell
Pearl L. Gallagher - LSC
Jacob Hafter - Law Office of Jacob Hafter
Robert C. Kim - Ballard Spahr
Aaron D. Shipley - McDonald Carano Wilson
Lucas J. Tucker - LSC
Christopher Walther - LSC

Civil Litigation Defense
Darren T. Brenner - L&R
Anthony B. Golden - Fennemore Craig
Craig A. Henderson - Bailey Kennedy
Ryan J. Mandell - Georgeson Angara (Reno)
Partrick J. Murch - McDonald Carano Wilson
Justin H. Pfrehm - Georgeson Angara (Reno)
Lawrence J. Semenza - Brownstein Hyatt
Seetal N. Tejura - ATMS
Karie N. Wilson - ATMS

Construction Litigation
Matthew Christian - Kolesar & Leatham
Frank M. Flansburg, III - Marquis & Aurbach
Steven L. Morris - Woodbury Morris & Brown
Lisa A. Rasmussen - Law Office of Lisa Rasmussen
Charlene N. Renwic - Lee Hernandez Kelsey Brooks Garofalo & Blake

Construction Surety
Noah G. Allison - Martin & Allison
Shea A. Backus - Backus Carranza
J. Rusty Graf - Feldman Graf

Rudy, Rudy, Rudy, Rudy tries to tackle his contractor after 3 years of hard work

Few people believed that "5 foot nothing, 100 and nothing" Rudy Ruettiger could walk onto the football field at Notre Dame and ever play a second of college football. Well, Rudy proved 'em wrong. Showed up every day, practiced with heart, "played like a champion" and at the end of his senior season, they let him on the field for a minute.

He just wishes his contractor would build his multi-million dollar home with the same level of "heart" (LV Sun):

Motivational speaker Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger is suing a contractor over problems with a $5.3 million house he's building in Las Vegas.

Ruettiger, his wife, Cheryl Ruettiger, and their Henderson company, Rudy International Motivational Speaking Ltd., filed suit in Clark County District Court on Tuesday against Premier Building Group Inc. of Las Vegas.

The suit says the Ruettigers purchased land at 22 Olympia Hills Circle in the Southern Highlands community and in January 2006 hired Premier to build a home there with a maximum budget of $5.3 million.

Ruettiger, the inspiration for the 1993 Notre Dame football movie "Rudy," claims in the lawsuit that construction of the home has been marred by problems and that the contractor failed to complete and then abandoned the project.

And what attorney has enough heart to represent Rudy? It's James W Pengilly of Pengilly Robbins Slater. Give it all you've got Mr. Pengilly. If you try hard enough and work hard enough, there's a good chance Jon Favreau will show up at the trial and yell "Who's the wild man now?!?" Go get 'em tiger.

Thursday News Round Up

Here's the news that amused, but wasn't enough to peruse (in depth):

The Ninth Circuit is deciding whether corrupt doctors and lawyers can practice in Las Vegas with impunity whether the U.S. Attorney is required to offer a defense witness immunity when they grant a similar prosecution witness immunity. (RJ) [You can hear the audio recording of oral argument here]

Classic Nye County--apparently the speed limits in Pahrump are unenforceable because they were set up illegally. (LV Now)

Tired of taxes? A federal jury in Las Vegas may decide you can all skip out on income taxes by being paid in gold coins. (RJ)

Boyd Gaming thinks it's better than Vegas law--hiring California and New York-based bankruptcy attorneys for their bankruptcy. (RJ) [points to Snell & Wilmer's Bankruptcy partner Robert Kinas for at least snagging local counsel on the case].

Super Lawyers of Nevada (pt 5) (Prof. Liability - Worker's Comp)

Apparently, there are a lot of great lawyers in Nevada. The parade of super-powered attorneys for 2009 by practice-group concludes:

Professional Liability: Defense
Joseph P. Garin - Lipson Neilson Cole Seltzer & Garin
David R. Grundy - Lemons Grundy & Eisenberg (Reno)

Real Estate
David Barksdale - Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll
Leo P. Bergin - McDonald Carano Wilson (Reno)
Bradley N. Boodt - Holland & Hart
Michael E. Buckley - Jones Vargas
Terry A. Coffing - Marquis & Aurbach
Patricia J. Curtis - Snell & Wilmer
William C. "Dave" Davis - Jones Vargas (Reno)
Charles Deaner - Deaner Deaner Scann Malan & Larsen
Karen Dennison - Holland & Hart (Reno)
Colleen Dlan - LSC (Reno)
J. Douglas Driggs, Jr. - SDW
John J. Frankovich - McDonald Carano Wilson (Reno)
Andrew S. Gabriel - McDonald Carano Wilson
Mark H. Goldstein - LSC
Jodi R. Goodheart - Jones Vargas
Barry S. Goold - Goold Patterson Ales & Day
Timothy J. Henderson - Henderson & Morgan
Howard R. Craig - Holland & Hart (Reno)
David R. Hoy - Hoy & Hoy (Reno)
Leslie Terry Jones - Brownstein Hyatt
Jim Mace - Glaser Weil Fink Jacobs Howard & Shapiro
Albert Marquis - Marquis & Aurbach
James L. Morgan - Henderson & Morgan (Reno)
Stephen V. Novacek - Holland & Hart (Reno)
Jeffrey D. Patterson - Goold Patterson Ales & Day
Stephen M. Rice - Rice Silbey Reuther & Sullivan
Sharp F. DeArmond - Robison Belaustegui Sharp & Low (Reno)
Ronald Thompson - SDW
Stephen B. Yoken - Snell & Wilmer
Jeffrey P. Zucker - LSC

Tax
Robert E. Armstrong - McDonald Carano Wilson (Reno)

Workers' Comp
Aubrey Goldbert - Greenman Goldbert Raby & Martinez

Judge Miley involved in Soccer Mom Fight?

We've been hearing some rumors that Clark County District Court's judicial hottie, Judge Stefany Miley (Dept. 23), was involved in an altercation at a soccer field. The rumor is that she allegedly assaulted a soccer mom a few months back and that a police report was filed alleging assault and battery.

Well , turns out there is a police report filed with Las Vegas Metro:

Bill Cassell from @LVMPD confirmed Judge Miley's name was in a report about an altercation at a soccer game...no details, no charges yet. (KLAS investigative journalist Twitter account and George Knapp Twitter account)

We'll keep you updated as details come out because nothing would make us happier here at WWL than a cat fight between two soccer moms, one of whom wears the black robes by day.

[thanks to S for the initial tip]

Strange Filing of the Day

Every once in a while a gem of a local case comes across the Courthouse News service wire. This is one of those days.

The case is The Green Door et al. v. Budget Bail Bonds et al. If that doesn't pique your interest, perhaps the abstract will:

Workers at the Green Door, a swinger's club in Las Vegas, say bounty hunters stormed the building with guns drawn in search of a man they claim stole security cameras. One of the bounty hunters then shot a worker with a shotgun loaded with a beanbag round, which knocked the man to the ground. The bounty hunters then beat the man they were looking for. Another incident involves the bounty hunters storming a private residence in search of another man. Both incidents involve Katie Jones, who plaintiffs claim is a "convicted felon with a reputation for using violence" and who has links to the criminal underworld and police. The lawsuit also claims the editor of the Las Vegas Tribune was threatened after the paper ran an unfavorable story about the bail bond company.

You may all stop pretending you didn't know what The Green Door was before reading this post - we're amongst friends. If you really didn't know FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON'T CLICK THAT LINK!

(Courthouse News)

Sidebar: Tell us a funny story

Everyone knows that I am a Cosmo girl. One of my favorite sections is the Agony columns. For those of you who aren't familiar, people write in funny/embarrassing stories about things that happen to them in day-to-day life.

What is the funniest or most embarrassing thing that is happened to you during your practice of law? Have you fallen in court? (I have.) Have you spilled water on yourself in court in front of a packed courtroom? (I have done that too.) Have you accidentally started arguing a different case? (I have not done this, but I have heard the story of a lawyer who did and STILL WON.) Have you worn two different shoes? (Again, guilty.)

These are mild examples, but I'm sure that everyone has great stories. Let's hear 'em in the comments. I'll be posting a couple of my favorite stories anonymously later on today because they are much worse than the above examples...

Super Lawyers of Nevada (pt 4) Environmental-Personal Injury (Pl.)

The parade of super-powered attorneys for 2009 continues:

Environmental
Gregory J. Walch, SDW

Estate and Trust Lit
Mark A. Solomon - Solomon Dwiggens & Freer
Jeffrey Burr (Henderson)
Dara J. Goldsmith - Goldsmith & Guymon
Ernest J. Maupin - Maupin Cox & LeGoy (Reno)
Mowry G. Barton - Maupin Cox & LeGoy (Reno)
Richard A. Oshins - Oshins & Associates
Steven J. Oshins - Oshins & Associates
Layne T. Rushforth - The Rushforth Firm
Scott Swain - McDonald Carano Wilson

Family Law
Robert Cereo - Smith Larsen & Wixom
Mary Ann Decaria - Silverman Decaria & Kattelman (Reno)
Howard Ecker - Ecker & Kainen
Edward L. Kainen - Ecker & Kainen
Ishi Kunin - Kunin & Carman
Paul Lemcke - Jones Vargas
Ronald Logar - Logar Pulver (Reno)
Daniel Marks Shawn B. Meador - Woodburn & Wedge (Reno)
Bruce I. Shapiro
Gary R. Silverman - Silverman Decaria & Kattelman
Thomas J. Standish - Jolley Urga Wirth Woodbury & Standish
Marshal S. Willick - Willick Law Group
Richard W. Young - Law Offices of Richard W. Young (Reno)

Gaming
Michael G. Alonso - Jones Vargas (Reno)
David R. Arrajj - Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
Anthony N. Cabot - L&R
Robert D. Faiss - LSC
P. Gregory Giordano - L&R
A.J. "Bud" Hicks - McDonald Carano Wilson (Reno)
Sean M. McGuiness - L&R
Dan R. Reaser - LSC (Reno)
Frank A. Schreck - Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
Jeffrey A. Silver - Gordon Silver
Ellen Whittemore- LSC

General Litigation
Leland E. Backus - Backus Carranze
Todd L. Bice - Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
Cam Ferenbach - LSC
Nick Santoro - SDW
Eric K. Taylor - ATMS
Todd M. Touton - LSC

Government Relations
Richard H. Bryan - LSC
Mark Fiorentino- KKBRF

Government/Cities/Municipalities
Shauna M. Hughes - City of Henderson Nevada

Health Care
David Mortensen - STMS

Insurance Coverage
Robert D. Martin - Martin & Allison
Niels L. Pearson - Law Offices of Neils L. Pearson

Intellectual Property
Mark G. Tratos - GT

Land Use/Zoning
Bill Curran - Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll
Christopher L. Kaempfer - KKBRF

Personal Injury Defense: General
John A. Aberasturi - Erickson Thorpe & Swainston (Reno)
Bruce Laxalt - Laxalt & Nomura (Reno)
Wayne A. Shaffer - Laxalt & Nomura (Reno)

Personal Injury Defense: Med Mal
John H. Cotton - John H. Cotton & Associates
Lynn Hansen - Jimmerson Hansen
Edward Lemons - Lemons Grundy & Eisenberg
Albert Pagni - Jones Vargas (Reno)
James F. Pico - Pico Rosenberger
LeeAnn Sanders - ATMS

Personal Injury Defense: Products
Charles W. Spann - Perry & Spann

Personal Injury Plaintiff: General
Steven Baker - Benson Bertoldo Baker & Carter
John L. Bertoldo - Benson Bertoldo Baker & Carter
George T. Bochanis - Law Offices of George T. Bochanis
Bill Bradley - Bradley Drendel & Jeanny (Reno)
Steven M. Burris - Burris Thomas & Springberg
Donald J. Campbell - Campbell & Williams
Thomas F. Christensen - Christensen Law Offices
Douglas M. Cohen - Jones Vargas
J.R. "Jim" Crockett - Crockett & Myers
Kerry L. Earley - Harris Law Firm
Robert T. Eglet - Mainor Eglet Cottle
Neil G. Galatz - Galatz Gillock & Associates
Keith E. Galliher, Jr. - The Galliher Law Firm
William C. Jeanney - Bradley Drendel & Jeanny
Eckley M. Keach
Cliff W. Marcek
Robert E. Murdock - Murdock & Associates
Donald Nomura - Laxalt & Nomura
Kenneth M. Roberts - Dempsey Roberts & Smith
Kent R. Robison - Robinson Belaustegui Sharp & Low (Reno)
Matthew Sharp
Robert D. Vannah - Vannah & Vannah

Personal Injury Plaintiff: Medical Malpractice
Gerald Gillock - Galatz Gillock & Associates

Personal Injury Plaintiff: Products
Peter D. Durney - Durney & Brennen (Reno)
John Echeverria - Echeverria Law Office (Reno)
Peter Chase Neumann - Attorney Law Law (Reno)

Lawyerly News Roundup

Family law attorneys are going hungry up north. Damn recession is causing couples to try to work it out. (RJ)

Poor "Pimp Snooky" [pictured right] just can't convince authorities that he's not actually a pimp. It might have something to do with Snooky's repeatedly saying he's a pimp on Jerry Springer and the movie "Pimps Up, Hos Down" or his catch phrase “let me pimp, or let me die”. (LV Sun)

Many young attorneys dream of the day they have their first trial. Few dream that Nevada Supreme Court Justice Mark Gibbons might make the trial just that much more intimidating by presiding over the trial. (LV Sun)

Poor Noel Gage. Now the Nevada Bar says he's violated attorney ethics by sharing funds with [alleged crook] medical consultant Howard Awand. (RJ) Oh well, at least he's safe on the criminal charges [unless the Ninth Circuit decides Nevada should be allowed to clean up its attorney ranks]

SuperLawyers 2009: Civil Litigation-Employment Litigation (Pl)--(pt 3)

The parade of super-powered attorneys for 2009 continues:

Civil Litigation Defense

Bruce Alverson - ATMS

Jack Anagaran - Georgeson Angaran (Reno)

Thomas Beatty Law Offices of Thomas D. Beatty

William Cobb - Erickson Thorpe & Sainston (Reno)

Craig Delk - Thorndal Armstrong Delk Balkenbush & Eisinger

Stephen Kent - Woodbridge & Wedge (Reno)

James Olson - Olson Cannon Gormley & Desruisseaux

Civil Rights/First Amendment

Walter Cannon - Olson Cannon

Construction Litigation

Christopher Byrd - Fennemore Craig
Eleissa Lavelle - Watt Tieder Hoffar & Fitzgerald

Leon Mead, II - Snell & Wilmer

Richard Peel - Peel Brimly (Henderson)

Robert Schumacher - Peel Brimly

Criminal Defense

James Buchanan - Law Office of James L. Buchanan

David Chesnoff - Chesnoff & Sconfeld

Frank Cremen

Robert M. Draskovich

Scott Freeman (Reno)

Dominic Gentile - Gordon Silver

Michael Kennedy - Office of the Federal Public Defender

Thomas Pitaro - Law Offices of Thomas Pitaro

William Terry

Richard Wright - Wright Stanish & Winckler

Criminal Defense: DUI/DWI

Mace Yampolsky

Elder Law

Kim Boyer - Bolick & Boyer

Employee Benefits/ERISA

Andrew Brignone - Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

Employment & Labor

Scott Abbott - Kamer Zucker Abbott

Patrick Chapin (Henderson)

Howard Cole - Lewis & Roca

David B. Dornak - The Light Group

Kevin Efroymson

Patrick Hicks - Littler Mendelson

Joanna Kishner - DLA Piper

Malani L. Kotchka - LSC

Keith M. Lyons, Jr. Lyons Law Firm

Scott Mahoney - Fisher Phillips

M. Ann Morgan - Jones Vargas (Reno)

Gary Moss - Jackson Lewis

Kathleen Paustian - Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan

Mark Ricciardi - Fisher Phillips

Rick D. Roskelley - Littler Mendelson

Gregory Smith - LSC

Elayna Youchah - Jackson Lewis

Carol Davis Zucker - Kamer Zucker Abbott

Employment Litigation: Plaintiff

Kathleen Jane England - England Law Offices

Lawyers Behaving Badly: Thank you Craigslist Personals

Vegas locals forget just how much LA-folk consider Vegas the place to come and sin. The d-bag crowd floods the strip every weekend to push the boundaries of socially-acceptable behavior.

But some visiting lawyers need to go a step farther than the normal visitor's bad behavior. Hence, this post on Craigslist personals:

Whales Looking for Fun With Sexy Ladies - m4ww - 27 (South Strip)
Attention Sexy Ladies of Las Vegas. We are a couple of long time friends from Los Angeles looking for a good time in Vegas. We want to meet up and party with you. We will be staying at MGM and want to have the "Vegas
Experience"

Here is what we are looking for: At least 2 hot chicks, Aged 21-40 (young or cougars). Must be hot, must have a big rack and killer body. Morals must be checked at the door the moment you reach Vegas. We are looking to drink gamble and f*ck all night long. Each guy to at least 1 girl and occasional switching, tag teaming, 3 ways, Eiffel Tower, etc. Must be disease free and ready to "f*ck with hats off" An*l is preferred and I plan to "B my L on your T's" (as well as face and a**).

Ladies must be c*ck hungry and willing to take it all. We would also like to take some "porn" shots on both still frames and video. So much be willing for close up shots and ready to take a "shot" to the face.

About Us: 2 Gents, Mid-20s, one married one in relationship, both looking for serious Vegas Experience. One is a stellar entrepreneur just finished selling his 2nd Business. The other is a big shot lawyer to the stars. Both Athletic and both around 6ft 175lbs and WAY above avg. where it counts ;-)

Both love to gamble and play poker, BJ, craps, Roullete and make ridiculous bets everywhere. Both know how to handle the ladies and make sure they are taken care of. Send us your pics if interested and we can send ours. This must be discreet as possible so our woman do not find out, so I cannot give out my cell phone, however we will determine a time to meet up and let the debauchery commence. We will be in town the 21-23 and are looking to make it memorable. [edited for language]

Sound like real winners. Any of you ladies free that weekend?

The Tournament comes down to numbers: 444-4444 v. 666-6666

We've reached the end of the tournament road, ladies and gents. And your finalists are:

444-4444 (Richard Harris) (background here and history here) v.

666-6666 (the Harris firm's Ticket Busters) (background here and results here).

Many readers have objected that a Harris v. Harris entity final is a perversion of justice. For those readers, we suggest you sit back and enjoy this battle with the image of a corporate legal entity punching itself in the face with its left hand and socking itself in the gut with its right hand.

Other readers have raised allegations the two remaining firms only got here by stuffing the ballot box like a fatwah-issuing Persian president or a city counselor in Chicago. For the record, we weren't able to confirm any foul play, but we agree with the commentators that the number of votes in the Kenny v. Harris semi-final smells foul.

That said, most of the blog readers are lawyers and from what we hear, reputation is everything in this business. If competitors chose to cheat to win a blog poll, the Court of general opinion may brand the winner with a scarlet asterisk. We'll leave that in the hands of the people commentators.

Either way, this tournament has been "One Shining Moment" after another:

The Final Bracket

How we got here:

2009 Tourn-Finals

New Fan Page on Facebook

For you facebook addicts, you can now join the Wild Wild Law fan page:

Wild Wild Law: Nevada's Legal Gossip Blog on Facebook

The SuperLawyers of Individual Areas of Practice--Admin to Business (SuperLawyers pt 2)

Mountain West SuperLawyers also breaks down the best and brightest in Vegas by practice area. Here's the list of attorneys cited for their skill for Admin-Business Law:

Administrative law
Paul Larsen - Lionel Sawyer ("LSC")
William Raggio - Jones Vargas ("JV") (Reno)
Leif Reid - Lewis & Roca ("L&R") (Reno)
Frederick Schmidt - Holland & Hart ("H&H") (Carson City)

ADR
C. James Georgeson - Georgeson Angaran (Reno)
Kirk Harrison - Harrison Dispute Resolution
Ara Shirinian - Ara Shirinian
Harold Thompson - Harold Thompson Mediations (Reno)
William Turner (Henderson)

Appellate
Robert Eisenberg - Lemons Grundy & Eisenberg (Reno)
Daniel Polsenberg - L&R

Aviation
J. Mitchell Cobeaga - The Colbeaga Law Firm

BK & Creditor/Debtor Rights
Nancy Allf - Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan
Sallie B. Armstrong - Downey Brand (Reno)
Brett Axelrod - Greenberg Traurig ("GT")
Bruce Beesley - L&R (Reno)
Candace Carlyon - Shey & Carlyon
Jane Chubb - JV (Reno)
Laurel Davis - Fennemore Craig
Thomas Fell - Gordon Silver
Gregory Garman - Gordon Silver
Gerald Gordon - Goron Silver
James Green - Rice Silbey Reuther & Sullivan
Marjorie Guymon - Goldsmith & Guymon
Jeffrey Hartman - Hartman & Hartman (reno)
Brigid M. Higgins Gordon & Silver
Richard Holley - Santoro Driggs
Nile Leatham - Kolesar & Leatham
Terry Leavitt - Graves & Leavitt
David Leta - Snell & Wilmer
Jeanette McPherson - Schwartzer & McPherson
John Murtha - Woodburn & Wedge (Reno)
Victoria Nelson -Santoro Driggs
William Noall - Gordon Silver
Bob Olson - GT
Lenard Schwartzer - Schwartzer & McPherson
James Patrick Shea - Shea & Carlyon
Jennifer Smith - LSC

Business Litigation
Phillip Aurbach - Marquis & Aurbach
John Baily - Bailey Kennedy
Frederic Berkley - Sklar Williams
Peter Bernhard - Bullivant Houser Baily
James Bradshaw - McDonald Carano Wilson (Reno)
Patrick Byrne - Snell & Wilmer ("S&W")
Mark Ferrario - The Firm Formerly Known as Kummer Kaempfer ("TFFKAKKBRF")
Suellen Fulstone - Morris Peterson (Reno)
Leigh Goddard - McDonald Carano
Von s. Heinz - L&R
Paul Hejmanowski - LSC
Stanley Hunterton - Hunterton & Assoc.
Mark Hutchinson - Hutchinson & Steffen
James J. Jimmerson - Jimmerson Hansen
Matthew Johnson - Matthew L. Johnson & Associates
Randall Jones - Kemp Jones & Coulthard ("KJC")
Mark Jones - KJC
William Kemp - KJC
Dennis Kennedy - Bailey Kennedy
Thomas Kummer - GT (formerly of TFFKAKKBRF)
Kirk Lenhard - JV
Samuel Lionel - LSC
Pat Lundvall - McDonald Carano (Reno)
Steve Morris - Morris Peterson
John Mowbray - Fennemore Craig
Goerge F. Ogilvie III - McDonald Carano Wilson
Theodore Parker, III - Parker Nelson & Associates
Stephen Peek - H&H
William Peterson - Morris Peterson (Reno)
James Pisanelli - Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
Richard Pocker - Boies Schiller & Flexner
Thomas G. Ryan - L&R
William Urga - Jolley Urga
Dan Waite - L&R
James E. Whitmire, III - Santoro Driggs
J. Colby Williams - Campbell Williams

Business/Corporate
Michael Bonner - GT (formerly of TFFKAKKBRF)
John Brewer - TFFKAKKBRF
Joseph Brown - Jones Vargas
John Fowler - Woodburn & Wedge (Reno)
Rew Goodenow - Parsons Behle & Latimer (Reno)
Neal Klegerman - TFFKAKKBRF
Scott MacTaggart - L&R
Ellen Schulhofer - Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
Alan Sklar
Julien Sourwine - Sourwine & Sloan (Reno)
Ken Woloson - Santoro Driggs

Semi-Finals pt 2: CCC v. TB

Today, it's C. Conrad Claus (background here and history here) v. Ticket Busters (background here and results here). Voting ends on August 5 at 5 p.m.

Layoff Watch and a Departure from Lewis & Roca

Update: We have confirmation that Albright Stoddard just let go of 5 attorneys.

An anonymous tipster contacted me today to tell me that Albright Stoddard let go seven five associates.

Can anyone confirm if it was indeed seven five associates, and not a combination of associates and staff?

In addition, Martha Ashcraft left Lewis & Roca to start her own practice. Marti was the President of the CCBA in 1997. From what I've heard about her legal skills, she will be very successful. Good luck with your new practice!

Welcome Back Kotter Bogden?

Ah, politics. It may be the only professional realm more ludicrious than Las Vegas law. One day, you're the top of the world and the best at your job; the next day, you're fired on a political whim.

So, it's nice to see when an attorney tossed in the political trash for a rationale completely divorced from his quality of legal work finds new life. Such may be the case of Daniel Bogden, who was recently (re)nominated by the Obama administration to be the U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada

The NY Times has an interesting story on the background of the hiring, firing and potential re-hiring of Mr. Bogden, who is currently at partner at McDonald Carano Wilson:

[U.S. Senator (D-NV) Harry Reid] said in a statement that he supported Mr. Bogden because he was “a highly qualified and skilled lawyer who served Nevada well before being wrongly removed from office.” Mr. Reid’s spokesman, Jon Summers, said the senator was “trying to right that wrong.” . . .

The nomination provides an intriguing postscript to a controversy that erupted in 2006 when President George W. Bush, on the advice of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, fired nine United States attorneys. The inspector general of the Justice Department called the firings “unsystematic” and “arbitrary.” Mr. Gonzales resigned in late 2007.

While some of the United States attorneys fired in 2006 complained that they lost their jobs in a political purge because they resisted efforts by Republican lawmakers to encourage or discourage certain prosecutions, no explanation emerged as to why Mr. Bogden specifically had lost his job. As recently as 2005, he had been praised for his “outstanding work” in a letter to Mr. Gonzales from Mary Beth Buchanan, the director of the Executive Office of United States Attorneys.

Not everyone is thrilled with the re-nomination. Several A.U.S.A.s commented anonymously they were not excited with potentially having Bodgen back. (LV Sun). Others stated they just wanted U.S. Attorney Brower out and stated the office is disorganized under the current leadership. (LV Sun). Meanwhile, F. Travis Buchanan, the president of the Las Vegas chapter of the National Bar Association, "expressed concerns about the lack of diversity in the United States attorney’s office during Mr. Bogden’s tenure: 'Who else was considered? If no one else was considered, why wasn’t anyone else considered?'" (NY Times)

We here at WWL support Mr. Bogden's re-nomination on purely ideological lines: i.e. I love a man with a moustache.

The Individual Best of the West: Mountain West SuperLawyers! (pt 1)

The annual Mountain West Superlawyers issue has been out for a little while now and we've been preparing posts on the best and brightest of Vegas (according to SuperLawyers!):

Vegas Attorneys in the Top 75 SuperLawyers of the Mountain West:

Bruce T. Beesley - Lewis & Roca (Reno)

Michael E. Buckley - Jones Vargas

Donald Campbell - Campbell & Williams

Howard E. Cole - Lewis & Roca

Robert D. Faiss - Lionel Sawyer Collins ("LSC")

Andrew P. Gordon - McDonald Carano Wilson

Gerald Gordon - Gordon Silver

William C. Jeanney - Bradley Drendel & Jeanney (Reno)

Gregory Kamer - Kamer Zucker Abbott

Dennis Kennedy - Bailey Kennedy

Kirk B. Lenhard - Jones Vargas

Samuel S. Lionel - LSC

Steve Morris - Morris Peterson

George F. Ogilvie III

Richard Oshins - Oshins & Associates

Stephen Peeks - Holland & Hart

Thomas Pitaro - Law Offices of Thomas F. Pitaro

Nicholas J. Santoro - Santoro Driggs

Frank A. Schreck - Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

William R. Urga - Jolley Urga

Richard Wright - Wright Stanish & Winckler

Jeffrey P. Zucker - LSC

Vegas Attorneys in the Top 40 Women SuperLawyers of the Mountain West

Candace C. Carlyon - Shea & Carlyon

Janet Chubb - Jones Vargas (Reno)

Patricia Curtis - Snell & Wilmer

Laurel Davis - Fennemore Craig

Mary Anne Decaria- Silverman Decaria & Katelman (Reno)

Karen Dennison - Holland & Heart (Reno)

Kathleen Jane England - England Law Office

Ishi Kunin - Kunin & Carman

Jeanette McPherson - Schwartzer & McPherson

LeAnn Sanders - Alverson Taylor

Elayna Youchah - Jackson Lewis

Carol Davis Zuker - Kamer Zucker Abbott

Best Billboard/Advertising Tournament Semi-Finals and Finals this Week

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Best Billboard/Advertising Tournament will end this week.

Semi-Finals voting will take place Mon-Wed (ending at 5 pm):

Craig Kenny v. Richard Harris
C. Conrad Claus v. Ticket Busters

and Finals voting will take place Thurs-Fri (ending at 5 pm).

Today, it's Mr. Nice Guy, Craig Kenny (background available here and history here), v. Richard Harris (background here and history here)

Are you crying? There's no crying in litigation!

The Nevada Supremes handed down a decision last week reversing a $500,000 award for punitive damages because the attorney was a bit of a cry baby softy.

The case was a Sec. 1983 action against the Imperial Palace for plaintiff's wrongful detention by Gaming Control Board agents. According to the opinion, attorney Robert A. Nersesian got a little emotional during his closing argument:

Continuing with his closing argument, [Nersesian] explained that he did not want to “pick on” security guards because “one of the things that makes some of this hard for me is my mother’s life was saved by [security guards].” According to Imperial Palace, Grosjean’s attorney started crying when he said this; no objection was raised, however.

...

Also during closing argument, [Nersesian] (while crying, according to Imperial Palace) described Imperial Palace’s conduct as “tyranny” and informed the jury, “this is where [the tyranny] has to stop. Please protect our Constitution. Please.”

"Objection, your honor! Counsel has a snot-bubble coming out of his nose!"

The theatrics didn't end there. Check out Nersesian's explanation to the jury as to why he gets so emotional:

"Every time I think about a violation of constitutional rights, I get butterflies. I get angry. You saw me yell a couple of minutes ago. . . . [I]t’s what I do, because I so passionately believe in this, and I think you saw that [plaintiff’s] passion matches, if not surpasses mine."

He should probably get that "butterfly" feeling checked out, that doesn't sound healthy. What if

he thought about Guantanamo Bay in a public place? Would he turn into the Incredible Hulk?

We wonder if Nersesian will shed a tear when he realizes that he lost his client $500,000.

That would make us cry.

(Thanks Tipster! - NSC Advance Opinion)