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!

New Twists and Turns for Dr. Needles & Co.: Bankruptcy as Strategy?

The attorneys representing Endoscopy Center in the civil suit over Dr. "Needles" Desai's [alleged] policy of reusing needles in his clinic, which led to the Hep-C infection of patients, have unveiled a new strategy: empty out those deep pockets.

Last Friday, the three clinics at the heart of the Hep-C scandal, Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, Gastroenterology Center of Nevada, and Desert Shadow Endoscopy Center, all filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which calls for liquidation of any corporate assets. (RJ)

Bruce Thomas Beesley of Lewis and Roca is representing the crooked, infectious doctors medical centers in the bankruptcy case. And on Monday, the new strategy seemed brilliant because opening a bankruptcy case should stay any other lawsuits involving the clinics. Seems like a brilliant litigation strategy, right?

Well, right up until the bankruptcy trustee obtained a court order that compels Dr. Needles to appear for the trustee’s detailed questioning into the financial affairs of the clinics. (RJ) You better know what you're doing, Mr. Beesley. Because it can be hard to hide all the assets (like Dr. Needles [allegedly] tried to do when he tried to ship his Mercedes to Dubai; post available here) when you have to open the books to the trustee. Luckily, Dr. Needles had a stroke and may not be able to testify.

Is the fact that Dr. Needles and his wife get to relax in their golf course home while the victims of Endoscopy has to crawl through the mud to find a dime to treat their Hepatitis making you want to stick Dr. Needles with several hundred HIV and Hep-C infected needles? Well, it gets better. Apparently, Endoscopy Center prevented the Southern Nevada Health District ("SNHD") from locating more than 15% of Endoscopy's patients (Las Vegas Now), which means it remains unknown how many people are walking around with HIV or Hep-C as a result of the alleged policies and procedures set in place by Dr. Needles & Co. The SNHD is expected to release its final findings based on limited records this week. (Las Vegas Now).

The biggest firms (firms with most local counsel) in Vegas

In Business Las Vegas has released its new list of the biggest law firms in Vegas, measuring "biggest" by the number of local counsel. And the top five firms for quantity of local counsel are:

1. Lionel Sawyer (60 attorneys, 30 partners)

2. Lewis and Roca (48 attorneys, 20 partners)

3. Greenberg Traurig (43 attorneys, 17 partners)

4. Lewis Brisbois (41 attorneys, 15 partners)

5. Snell & Wilmer (40 attorneys, 11 partners)

Congratulations to the top five. Always nice to have pitchers in the bullpen when your starter gets tired.

On a side note: Really, Lionel Sawyer? Your firm is made up of 50% partners? I'm all for rewarding talent, but how rewarding is a 30 way split of end of year earnings?

Lewis and Roca names new partners

Congratulations to Joice Bass, Jennifer Craft, Suzanne Martin, Abran Vigil and Caryn Tijsseling, five Nevada attorneys who were named partner at Lewis & Roca. (L&R Press Release)

Note: it took the newly-crowned between 8-11 years of legal practice after law school graduation to make partner at L&R.

Lewis and Roca's Hiring [if you have 28 yrs experience]

Lewis and Roca is apparently still willing to spend a little money in this economy. (PR).

They recently stole Gregory P. Giordano away from his position as a gaming partner with Snell & Wilmer. Not a bad piece of equipment to buy, L&R. They do say those willing to spend in an economic downturn will be strongest when the economy levels out.

But it makes us wonder, how are the job prospects in this economy for partners looking to lateral? Any tips readers?

Layoff Watch, Part 2.5

Ok, maybe Jones Vargas' latest shenanigans don't officially count as "layoffs," but we thought the story deserved its own post. As mentioned in the previous post, Jones Vargas has recently rescinded offers made to all 2Ls for summer associates positions, completely scrapping their summer program.

We have also learned that Jones Vargas has reneged the offers extended to last year's summer associates.

This is a pretty slimy move this late in the game, made worse after considering JV partner Joe Brown's comments to the RJ less than two weeks ago where he said that "his firm hasn't had layoffs." They don't count if they never really worked for you, right?

Good luck to those of you now scrambling for work. Remember: trust no one.

(RJ; Various tipsters)

Valley Layoff Watch

We've held back on posting anything about firm layoffs during these times because, up until now, all we've heard are rumors here and there concerning the occasional "cutback." Well, according to Las Vegas Business Press, it's officially time to start giving this topic some lip service:

Layoffs and firm failures are increasingly hitting the valley as attorneys feel the economic downturn's effects. At least nine more Las Vegas lawyers and other legal professionals have quietly received pink slips in recent months as cash-strapped clients walked away from their bills.

The article focuses primarily on Adams & Rocheleau and Smith Forsberg's layoffs/closings, but Bullivant Houser's trimming of its Vegas office is also mentioned. Additionally, over in the forums, we've heard rumblings of possible cuts from Lewis & Roca, Santoro Driggs, and Greenberg Traurig. We can only wonder how successful Boyd's on campus interviews were this past fall.

So, are these cutbacks really a result of the current economic conditions, or are these firms just using the economy to justify cutting loose some dead weight? Many firms in the Valley have instituted hiring freezes, but are these firms just playing it safe? We know of at least one area of law that is loving this climate: bankruptcy.

So, how about it commenters. Is it time to start panicking, or are lawyers in the valley by and large recession-proof? Let us know your thoughts.

(LV Business Press, LV Sun)

Roundup on a Tues

What the hell is this state coming to?  I thought it was a libertarian paradise, but apparently you can't leave your baby outside the casino for an hour while you go in and gamble.  wtf?!? (RJ)

Advice for young attorneys from former politician and longtime Vegas litigator: "As Brian Wilson says, 'Hold onto your ego.'  Whenever you see an attorney performing in court, it’s not helping the client. The client might like it, but he’s really losing the case."  (LV Sun)  [advice for Mr. Callister: choose a job and stick to it]

Congratulations to:

Joe Schrage, who was hired as an associate by McDonald Carano Wilson.  (LV Business Press)

Brin Gibson, Greg Carlson and Abigayle Dang, who were hired as associates by Lionel Sawyer & Collins. (LV Business Press)

Friday Roundup

This story's been all over the legal blogs, but it's worth repeating due to the inventiveness of federal government IP attorneys: the feds now hold the trademark on the Mongols Motorcycle gang's logo and are trying to prevent the gang from displaying the logo.  (LV Sun) 

Because people asked for links on the proposed new ethical rules: Appealing in Nevada offers links to the proposed amendments.  (Appealing in Nevada)

Congratulations to Jacqueline Gilbert, Joseph Goldman, Christopher Pastore, Quinton Singleton and Nikkya Williams, who were named as associates at the growing Vegas heavyweight Lewis and Roca.  (Jaffe Legal News Service)

Wed Roundup

Defense counsel in the murder-for-hire case where a contract was allegedly taken out on Judge Leavitt and a Clark Co. Assististant D.A. got the chance to question the District Attorney of Clark Co. David Roger and Assistant District Attorney Christopher Lalli on the witness stand about whether the Clark Co. D.A.'s office should be recused from the matter. (Las Vegas Sun)

During the Nevada Supreme Court's hearing over the constitutionality of term limits for elected officials, Justice Jim Hardesty said that the state's rule on term limits for elected officials is unambiguous, agreeing with arguments that 12 years in office means just that. (Review-Journal)

At the most recent round of Nevada Supreme Court Public Defender reform hearings, public defenders, prosecutors, and county managers agreed on the need to implement indigent defense reforms--leaving the question of how unanswered. (Review-Journal)

Congratulations to Glenn Light, who Lewis and Roca named as an associate in its gaming practice group. (Review-Journal)

Thurs Roundup

Chief Judge of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, Alex Kozinski, was scheduled to preside over the obscenity trial of a Hollywood adult filmmaker until it was revealed the Judge he had a publicly accessible website hosting explicit pictures, including women naked on all fours and painted as cows. You can see the cow pic and other NSFW pics from Judge Kozinski's website by clicking here. (LA Times) [honestly, the pics from the website are hilarious. I'll take a Judge with a sense of humor over the train wreck of Halverson anyday]

Staff from the Attorneys General's offices in Utah, Arizona and Nevada gathered in Vegas yesterday to discuss polygamy. (Fox News)

Speaking of affairs, Governor Gibbons has helped put the state back in the national spotlight as a result of his having an [alleged] affair while Governor and sending 860 text messages to his [alleged] mistress using a government text phone. (AP) George Knapp theorizes what the messages might have been. (Las Vegas City Life) [maybe Gov. Gibbons and Judge Halverson should team up for a traveling Nevada side show]

The Nevada Supreme Court is conducting its first hearing via webcast. (Harmful Error)

Congratulations to Lisa W. Lackland and Anthony L. Martin, who Lewis & Roca named as partners in their Las Vegas office. (JLNS)

The wives of two Chinese men accused of stealing more than $400 million from the Bank of China distanced themselves from their husbands yesterday, claiming they were not aware of the scheme to steal from the bank. (Review-Journal)

Clark Co. officially suspended Shadow Mountain Surgical Center's business license after reports that the surgery center continues to use unsafe injection procedures. (Review-Journal) [if Clark Co. keeps putting these unsafe medical practices out of business, where are Las Vegans going to go to get Hep-C when they really need it?!?]

Hulk Hogan's former wife wants the former wrestler cited by a Florida judge for failing to pay his share of a $4.2 million Las Vegas condo. (AP)

As part of a federal lawsuit brought by the SEC against Las Vegas-based Gold-Quest International, a North Dakota group of Native Americans calling themselves the Little Shell Indian nation (although they are not recognized as an Indian nation by U.S. or Canada) is seeking $1.7 million in damages. The matter is before U.S. District Judge Kent Dawson. (Review-Journal)

Street Preachers have dropped their First Amendment lawsuit (brought by the ACLU) against a Clark Co. ordinance limiting the size of signs that can be used on Strip sidewalks. The ordinance was changed to state signs may not pose an obstruction. (Review-Journal) [thank the Lord! Now Bellagio fountain visitors can again look forward to a nutjob screaming that they will burn in hell--the Founding Fathers would be proud]

In the Fernley flood trial, the chief government engineer overseeing an irrigation canal that broke and flooded 590 homes in Northern Nevada in January sought to reassure a U.S. District Judge Lloyd George on Wednesday that current reduced flows in the canal are safe. (Review-Journal)

Judge Mosley's competition for the District 14 judicial seat is coming out swinging. His signs declare "Tired of Corruption? ChrisDavisFor Judge.com." (Review-Journal)

Nevada Business Journal Announces List of Legal Elite

Nevada Business Journal has released its list of the Top Nevada Lawyers. The list was compiled from the polled opinions of members of The Nevada Bar who were asked to name the lawyers they hold in the highest regard, the best up-and-coming attorneys in the state, as well as two government attorneys.
And the results are in:

Top Attorneys
Bruce T. Beesley - Lewis & Roca (Bankruptcy & Workout)
Todd L. Brice - Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck (Commercial Litigation)
Kurt Bonds – Alverson, Taylor, Mortensen & Sanders (Business Law)
Anthony Cabot – Lewis & Roca (Government & Administrative)
Donald J. Campbell – Campbell and Williams (Civil Trial)
Laurel E. Davis – Fennemore Craig, P.C. (Bankruptcy & Workout)
Robert T. Eglet – Mainor Eglet Cottle (Civil Trial)
John Frankovich – McDonald Carano Wilson (Commercial Litigation)
Andrew Gordon - McDonald Carano Wilson (Commercial Litigation)
Michael D. Haight – Henness and Haight, Injury Attorneys (Personal Injury)
Israel “Ishi” Kunin - Kunin & Jones (Adoption, Marital & Family)
Charlie H. Luh – Luh & Associates (Insurance)
George F. Ogilvie – McDonald Carano Wilson (Commercial Litigation)
Nathan Reinmiller – Alverson, Taylor, Mortensen & Sanders (Insurance)
LeAnn Sanders – Alverson Taylor, Mortensen & Sanders (Civil Trial)
Frank A. Schreck – Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck (Government & Administrative)
Ellen L. Schulhofer – Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck (Business Law)
Ambrish S. Sidhu – Sidhu Law Firm (Bankruptcy & Workout)
Richard M. Trachok – Bruce & Trachok, P.C. (International Gaming & Regulatory Law)

Top Up and Coming Attorneys
Stephen Dixon – T. James Truman & Associates (Business Law)
Michael V. Infuso – Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck (Commercial Litigation)
Josephine Binetti McPeak – McDonald Carano Wilson (Commercial Litigation)
Michael Pagni – McDonald Carano Wilson (Real Estate Transactions)
Karie Wilson – Alverson Taylor, Mortensen & Sanders (Transportation Law)

Top Government Attorneys
Mark A. Clayton – Nevada Gaming Control Board
Mike Davidson – City Attorney for North Las Vegas
C.W. “Bill” Hoffman – Clark County School District
Carie Torrence – City Attorney for North Las Vegas
Robert T. Warhola – Clark Co. Deputy District Attorney

In Case you weren't keeping count, here's the list by firm:
McDonald Carano Wilson--3 Top Attorneys, 2 Up and Coming
Alverson Taylor, Mortensen & Sanders--3 Top Attorneys, 1 Up and Coming
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck--3 Top Attorneys, 1 Up and Coming
Lewis & Roca--2 Top Attorneys
(and several others with 1 named associate or partner)

Congratulations to all the named top attorneys.