Layoffs at SDW

Those in the comments were right. I just got an email confirming that SDW laid off three attorneys over the past couple of weeks. One was definitely transactional and I believe the other two were litigation.

Please correct me if I am wrong (as I know you will).

Does anyone else know more about the story? Is SDW slow? Shouldn't amazing things have happened when they brought over the legendary litigation rainmaker Dennis Haney?

Search for Local Attorney Ends

The Sun reports that that the search for Charles Titus, who was of counsel at Santoro Driggs has been concluded.

Mr. Titus was scuba diving in the Cayman Islands, where he was vacationing with his wife, and went missing during a dive. He disappeared Monday. The Sun reports that there are no signs of foul play.

Our deepest sympathy and condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.

Valley Layoff Watch, Part 3

Yes, that's right, we have back-to-back Layoff Watch posts, and this time there are actual layoffs to report. The culprit is Santoro Driggs Walch Kearney Holley & Thompson who, according to our math, has recently cut loose 5 4 people. From our anonymous tipster:

3 people have left Santoro Driggs in the past few days. Two have left on their own accord, but the rumor is they are just running in front of the broom. Two others were let go. The two that were let go may or may not have been given a period of time to try and find new jobs before they are officially taken off the payroll.

Yikes! Sounds like trouble. We wonder if these cuts are related to the rumored layoffs we heard about back in February.

UPDATE

We've received clarification that there were only 4 associates involved, not 5.

(Thanks, Anon)

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)

Christmas Party Results

Thanks to your tips, here are the results of our 2008 Christmas party survey:

Firm	Location	Notes
Brownstein Hyatt	Wynn	Lots of booze.
Marquis & Aurbach	LV Paiute Golf Resort	Bus service for the boozers.
Kummer Kaempfer	Red Rock Casino	Booze & karaoke provided.
Santoro Driggs	Wynn	Booze provided.
Alverson Taylor	ATMS Basement	Party is at noon on Christmas Eve.
Lionel Sawyer	LV Country Club	Attendees given allotment of tickets for booze. Additional tickets available from HR director.
Lewis Brisbois	No Party	Cancelled due to "security concerns." What?
Richard Harris	5-Day Cruise for all staff & significants	We have a winner!

Booze, Booze, Booze. Looks pretty good, but what's going on over at LBBS? "Security concerns?" We hope their bonuses make up for that big "bah, humbug!" As for ATMS, we would love for some associates to report back as to how that party goes.

Update: Okay, it appears that LBBS offered a paid day off on the 26th in lieu of a Christmas party, we'll accept that. Also, if the comments are true, Richard Harris knows how to treat his staff. Well done, Dick!  

Mid-week Roundup

News that Dr. Needles Desai and friends may have [allegedly] infected more people in the Valley, bringing the number of people infected with Hep-C [allegedly] by Endoscopy up to 105.  (Las Vegas Now)  [free Hep-C infection is so much better than a free lollipop, don't you think?]

Congratulations to:

Seetal Tejura, who was named a partner at the Vegas legal sweatshop of Alverson, Taylor, Mortensen & Sanders.  (RJ)  [do you think she still only gets paid by the billable hour?

Brian Anderson, who was hired as an associate by Santoro, Driggs, Walch, Kearney, Holley & Thompson. (RJ)

End of the Week Roundup

Don't piss off your wife. She might install internet filters and report you for watching child porn. (Review-Journal) [come to think of it, maybe you just shouldn't watch child porn]

Apparently, kidnapping children (even if the motive is to teach a school a lesson about child safety) will get you jailed. The two women who engaged in their version of impact litigation through kidnapping (see crazy-looking picture of one on the right) had bail set at $50k. (Review-Journal)

The Nevada Supremes are giving criminal defense attorneys more leeway to prove their clients are crazy. (Las Vegas Sun)

Meanwhile, good news: strip clubs in casinos may not be far off! (In Business)

Congratulations to Alyssa Fischer and Jonathan Blum, who were hired as Associates by Santoro, Driggs, Walch, Kearney, Holley & Thompson. (Inside Business)

End of the week Roundup

In Endoscopy news, District Attorney David Roger says the County Prosecutor's office has begun using a county grand jury as "an investigative tool” in the probe of how Dr. Needles Desai and other Endoscopy personnel [allegedly] handed out free infection with Hep-C to patients at their clinic. (Las Vegas Sun--2nd story)

Congratulations to Stacy Harrop, Samuel Kern, Howard Kim and Robert Reid, named as Associates by Santoro, Driggs, Walch, Kearney, Holley & Thompson. (Review-Journal)

Harmful Error details the race for Family Court Dept. K between Ellen Bezian, Nicholas Del Vecchio, Cynthia Giuliani and Vincent Ochoa (Harmful Error) as well as the race for Family Court Dept. N between Mathew Harter, John Jensen, Terrance Marren and Gayle Nathan. (Harmful Error)

Friday Roundup

Domestic battery charges have been dropped against Assemlywoman Allen after her husband convinced the judge that he stabbed himself in the arm with a steak knife. [nope, not kidding] (Review-Journal)

Harmful Error covers the election race for Clark County Dist. Ct. Dept. 23 (Judge Halverson's old seat) between incumbent [and national joke] Elizabeth Halverson, Jason Landess and Stefany Miley. (Harmful Error)

The defendants in the China Bank criminal trial must be thrilled with their choice of counsel. The Nevada Supreme Court suspended one of the defense lawyers, Mitchell Posin, for one year. However, the Supreme Court later modified its order, allowing Posin to continue trying the case after Judge Pro and the defense lawyers said in court that the suspension could wreak havoc on the slow-moving trial. (Las Vegas Sun)

Congratulations to Anne Loraditch, Micaela Rustia, Brett Axelrod and Bob Olson. Greenberg Traurig just hired Brett Axelrod and Bob Olson as shareholders and Anne Loraditch and Micaela Rustia as associates in its Las Vegas office. (Review-Journal)

And congrats to Jeffrey Albregts, hired by Santoro, Driggs, Walch as a partner. (Review-Journal)

Chambers and Partners rankings for Nevada Environmental law firms

Who doesn't love a good ranking of law firms? Chambers and Partners has come out with its 2008 rankings of the top attorneys in each major area of practice. WWL will be posting the top Nevada firms/attorneys for each category of legal practice in a separate post.

Here, for your reading pleasure is the ranking of Environmental practice firms in Nevada:

Environmental Law

Top Tier (Gold Medal)
Parsons Behle & Latimer
-citing the work of Ross de Lipkau and Earl Hill

Tier 2 (Silver Medal)
Allison, MacKenzie, Russell, Pavlakis, Wright & Fagan
- citing the work of Karen Peterson
McDonald Carano Wilson
- citing the work of Sylvia Harrison
Santoro, Driggs, Walch, Kearney, Holley & Thompson
-citing the work of Greg Walch
Woodburn and Wedge
-citing the work of Gordon DePaoli

Other Notable Practitioners
Linda Bullen of Lionel Sawyer & Collins

Santoro Driggs Merger Rumor Update

LATEST UPDATE: An attorney high up the Santoro Driggs chain says the firm has never received a phone call from Latham and Watkins. Which means a lowly associate at the firm is spreading rumors of a merger and someone in the Santoro hierarchy is saying no. So until we hear further rumblings, we'll assume the merger rumor was a bad lead.

Original post:
The latest merger rumor in the valley is that Santoro, Driggs, Walch, Kearney, Holley & Thompson may be the next local firm to jump on board with a larger firm.

It's still just a rumor, but word is that global law firm Latham & Watkins (over 1,500 attorneys firm-wide according to their Martindale page) is looking to open a Vegas office by purchasing Santoro Driggs.

If anyone in Santoro Driggs can provide details, let us know in the comments section or by emailing nevadalegal@gmail.com.