How To Honor The 40Th Anniversary Of The Clark County Bar Association

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1 Premier Sponsors WELCOME! A division of Western Alliance Bank. Member FDIC. Clark County B ar Association Clark County Bar Association presents 40 YEAR CLUB Induction Ceremony & Luncheon THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2015 Morton s The Steakhouse 400 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. Patron Sponsors

2 Congratulations and welcome to this year s special event, 40 Year Club Induction Ceremony & Luncheon! Clark County Bar Association 2015 Executive Board Catherine M. Mazzeo Secretary-Treasurer Southwest Gas Corp. John P. Aldrich Aldrich Law Firm, Ltd. Brandon P. Kemble City of Henderson Damon K. Dias President Dias Law Group Tami D. Cowden Secretary-Treasurer Greenberg Traurig, LLP Jennifer Roberts Duane Morris LLP Hon. Susan Scann Eighth Judicial District Court, Dept. 29 Nedda Ghandi Ghandi Deeter Law Offices Macaire K. Moran Las Vegas Sands Corp. Jason Stoffel Roberts Stoffel Family Law Group Kelly B. Stout Bailey Kennedy, LLP James E. Harper Harper Law Group Mariteresa Rivera-Rogers Wright Stanish & Winckler Brenda Weksler Office of the Federal Public Defender Kimberly A. Buchanan Immediate Past President Office of the NV Attorney General 2 40 Year Club Induction Ceremony & Luncheon March 19, 2015 Clark County Bar Association

3 Thank you for attending this year s installment of the Clark County Bar Association s 40 Year Club Induction Ceremony & Luncheon. Premier sponsors are Bank of Nevada and Century Link. Patron sponsors are Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP and Insurance for Lawyers. We truly appreciate your continued support of our non-profit member organization! Please join the Clark County Bar Association s current executive board along with today s Master of Ceremonies CCBA Past President ( 96) Sal Gugino, Esq. as we honor the following colleagues: 40 Year Inductees (Admitted 1975): Robert M. Apple, Esq. Peter C. Bernhard, Esq. Andrew Silvio Brignone, Esq. Michael Edward Buckley, Esq. Nevada Supreme Court Justice Mark William Gibbons James B. Gibson, Esq. Nevada Supreme Court Chief Justice James William Hardesty Samuel A. Harding, Esq. John Jack Hall Howard Jr., Esq. Dennis L. Kennedy, Esq. Richard Allen Koch, Esq. Kirk Banks Lenhard, Esq. Albert George Marquis, Esq. Charles H. McCrea Jr., Esq. John T. Moran Jr., Esq. Paul E. Raby, Esq. 45 Year Honorees (Admitted 1970): Jay Henry Brown, Esq. Nevada Supreme Court Justice Michael Allan Cherry Gerald I. Gillock, Esq. R. Craig Howard, Esq. U.S. District Court Judge Roger Lee Hunt R. Gardner Jolley, Esq. U.S. Magistrate Judge (Ret.) Lawrence R. Leavitt Richard W. Myers, Esq. Victor Alan Perry, Esq. William S. Skupa, Esq. William R. Urga, Esq. Bruce Lund Woodbury, Esq. 50 Year Honorees (Admitted 1965): James H. Bilbray, Esq. Oscar Baylin Goodman, Esq. 55 Year Honoree (Admitted 1960): W. Owen Nitz, Esq. 60 Year Honoree (Admitted 1955): John Peter Lee, Esq. For this year s event program, inductees and honorees were asked to share a bit of information about themselves. Their comments can be read throughought the following pages. Enjoy the event! Errors & Ommissions Information listed in this document is not comprehensive and intended for entertainment purposes only. The CCBA staff sincerely apologizes for any Information that is incorrect and for any inconvenience made to the bar member. Corrections can be submitted to the CCBA, 717 S. 8th Street, Las Vegas, NV Phone: (702) Fax: (702) stephabbott@clarkcountybar.org. Thank you! Clark County Bar Association 40 Year Club Induction Ceremony & Luncheon March 19,

4 INDUCTEES (ADMITTED TO PRACTICE LAW IN 1975): Robert M. Apple Robert M. Apple & Associates LAW SCHOOL: Southwestern Law School PRACTICE AREAS: Personal Injury, Probate, Real Estate, Civil Litigation DID YOU KNOW: Clerked for Judge John Mendoza Peter C. Bernhard Kaempfer Crowell LAW SCHOOL: National Law Center, George Washington University PRACTICE AREAS: Commercial Litigation, Administrative Law, Real Estate DID YOU KNOW: My most rewarding career work has been for Keep Memory Alive and the Cleveland Clinic/Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, organizations that are forward-looking in dealing with neuro-degenerative diseases. These diseases present very difficult health and legal issues that have touched or will touch all of us. Our state is poised to be a world leader in research and treatments, due to the dedication of the doctors, staff and volunteers at Keep Memory Alive, as well as its founders and generous supporters. Andrew Silvio Brignone Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP LAW SCHOOL: University of Wisconsin PRACTICE AREAS: ERISA; Group Pensions and Healthcare DID YOU KNOW: Long time attorney for the Health Services Coalition, a non profit Nevada corporation which negotiates hospital contracts and other health care services for 22 members representing 250,000 lives in Southern Nevada. Michael Edward Buckley Fennemore Craig LAW SCHOOL: Santa Clara 75 PRACTICE AREAS: Real Estate / Transactional DID YOU KNOW: One of the first times I went to court, the judge asked, So what s the name this week? For the record it was: Jones, Jones, Bell, LeBaron, Close, Bilbray and Kauffman. I don t think there were such things as transactional lawyers in My first assignment was representing a professional poker player in a contested child custody proceeding that lasted several days. When Joe Houston left, I became the firm s criminal lawyer. I also inherited a few bankruptcy cases. I think I learned there were such things as real estate lawyers when I flew to St. Louis with Herb Jones in 1976 to negotiate an easement agreement for the Aladdin with one of its lenders, the Carpenters Union. As the years went by, I had the privilege of learning from the best: Edward Hale, Chuck Deaner and Jeff Zucker. Lending was very different in the 80 s. Once I met a nice old man in Herb Jones office to discuss a Strip loan. A few weeks later 60 Minutes ran a story about some missing people in New York, featuring that same man. Closings: (1) After a very late closing in the 80 s, I received a call from the escrow officer at 2 or 3 in the 4 40 Year Club Induction Ceremony & Luncheon March 19, 2015 Clark County Bar Association

5 Pictured at left is a group of attorneys from Jones Vargas, circa 1997 (left to right): Joe Brown, Michael Buckley, and Renee Reuther. Michael Buckley generously submitted a couple vintage posters featuring attorneys who belonged to the Nevada-based firms, Jones, Jones, Close & Brown and Jones Vargas. These photos are from those posters. The original posters can be viewed a the CCBA s office at 717 S. 8th Street in Las Vegas. morning telling me the title company building was on fire! The documents were rescued and the water damaged, singed documents were successfully recorded. (2) One of my favorite closings was when Paul Lowden s company bought the Sahara from Del Webb. The purchase and sale negotiations were going on at Lionel Sawyer on the 17 th Floor of the Valley Bank Building, and the bank loan was closing at our offices on the 7 th Floor. When the principals left to go upstairs, Mr. Lowden s attorney, Bill Raggio, entertained us by drawing pictures on brown grocery bags and putting them on his head. (3) My most instructive closing were actually two related closings: in May, 1981 our client bought the Sands Hotel from Summa; two years later it gave the hotel back to Summa by deed in lieu. [ My record at the Supreme Court was 2-0 (Swartz v. Adams, 93 Nev.240 [1977], Wiley v. Cook, 94 Nev. 558 [1978]), until I faced Sam Lionel in Carillo v. Valley Bank (103 Nev. 157 [1987]). Gary Goodheart and I are often confused with each other. Justice Mark William Gibbons Supreme Court of Nevada LAW SCHOOL: Loyola of Los Angeles PRACTICE AREAS: Prior to becoming a District Court Judge, my practice involved civil litigation. DID YOU KNOW: I was the first sitting Nevada Supreme Court Justice to ever be selected to serve on a jury. I served on a one-week trial in the Carson city District Court in August, I was elected jury foreperson. James B. Gibson Vegas.com LAW SCHOOL: California Western School of Law PRACTICE AREAS: Business and Commercial Litigation DID YOU KNOW: Served as Mayor of Henderson for 12 years. Has one son and two sons-in-law who are memers of the Clark County Bar. Mr. Gibson previously served as General Counsel of American Pacific Corporation (APFC) Clark County Bar Association 40 Year Club Induction Ceremony & Luncheon March 19,

6 operating subsidiaries and President and Chief Executive Officer of Vegas.com from 2010 to While mayor of Henderson, Gibson guided the city through a period of unprecedented growth as it became the second largest city in Nevada. Among many other notable accomplishments, he was instrumental in updating the city s comprehensive plan, creating the Boulder Highway Investment Corridor strategy, creating Henderson s nationally award-winning Development Services Center, establishing the Apple Partnership, a city-wide K-3rd grade literacy program which has been adopted by the Clark County School District, and leading the effort to establish Nevada State College. A native Nevadan, born in Las Vegas and a near lifetime resident of Henderson, Gibson has served on numerous boards and commissions, including the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority Board of Directors, the Nevada Development Authority Board of Directors, the Las Vegas Events Board of Directors, the Regional Transportation Commission and as Co-Chair of the Civilian Military Council for Nellis Air Force Base, while mayor. In the private sector, among other boards, Gibson served on the St. Rose Dominican Hospital Board of Directors including a term as its chair. As Vegas.com s President and CEO,Gibson led a team of nearly 400 employees that support two e-commerce sites, box office and show ticket operations, tour operations, concierge desks, retail operations, mobile applications, syndicated television, newspaper editorial supplements and an integration and technology division for the hospitality industry worldwide called Cyllenius. Gibson has also has been recognized for his many contributions by local, state and national organizations. Among the many awards he has received are the Henderson Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Member Award and the 2002 Humanitarian Award from the National Jewish Medical and Research Center. Gibson was recognized by the Henderson Community Foundation as a 2005 Outstanding Citizen, and the Lili Claire Foundation recognized him with its Spirit of Leadership Award in the same year. In 2007, Gibson received the Nevada State College President s Medal and the Clark County School District Crystal Apple Award. He was recognized by the Henderson Development Association and the City of Henderson as the 2008 O Callaghan Public Sector Person of the Year for economic development, and the Commercial Managers Group awarded Gibson with its Vision 2009 award. He continues to serve as a volunteer Little League Baseball coach and as a leader in the Boy Scouts of America, and was recognized by the Las Vegas Area Council with the Good Scout Award in 2007 and is a recipient of the Silver Beaver Award. Chief Justice James William Hardesty Supreme Court of Nevada LAW SCHOOL: University of the Pacific - McGeorge School of Law DID YOU KNOW: From 1978 through 1991, Justice Hardesty coached Bobby Sox Softball teams that included his daughters. In 1991, his team won the National Fast Pitch Championship. Samuel A. Harding Sam Harding Law Firm LAW SCHOOL: University of Oklahoma College of Law PRACTICE AREAS: Personal Injury, Insurance Bad Faith, Legal Malpractice DID YOU KNOW: Harding served in the United States Air Force as a pilot from 1968 until He served a tour in Vietnam from and received the Distinguished Flying Cross. While serving in the United States Air Force, he received an M.B.A. degree from Southern Illinois University Year Club Induction Ceremony & Luncheon March 19, 2015 Clark County Bar Association

7 John Jack Hall Howard, Jr. John Hall Howard, Jr., Ltd. LAW SCHOOL: California Western School of Law PRACTICE AREAS: Criminal, Divorce, Domestic and Civil Litigation, Family Law, Trial and Appellate Practice in state courts DID YOU KNOW: Hall served with the U.S. Army Reserves, Dennis L. Kennedy Bailey Kennedy, LLP LAW SCHOOL: University of Washington PRACTICE AREAS: Appellate Practice, Civil Trial Advocacy, Legal Malpractice DID YOU KNOW: Kennedy has served as chairman of the Nathan Adelson Hospice Richard Allen Koch Koch & Brim, LLP LAW SCHOOL: University of Utah College of Law PRACTICE AREAS: Personal Injury Kirk Banks Lenhard Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LAW SCHOOL: University of Tulsa PRACTICE AREAS: Commercial Business Litigation DID YOU KNOW: Two low-lights from my career. If you can t laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at! 1. Along with one of my fellow colleagues in the 40-year club, I am one of only 2 individuals to ever be late for the Bar exam. I was 20 minutes late. Not due to confidence of passing, but I forgot the location of the exam. 2. As a deputy public defender, I represented an inmate in a next-friend petition in front of the US Supreme Court. The name of the case is Lenhard vs. Wolfe. To this day, anyone reading the Decision believes I am the defendant. Albert George Marquis Marquis Aurbach Coffing P.C. LAW SCHOOL: University of Washington PRACTICE AREAS: Corporate and Commercial Real Estate DID YOU KNOW: I began work at Lionel Sawyer Collins & Wartman, Along with Dennis Kennedy and Andy Brignone, on February 24, Dennis and I were in the same class at the University of Washington. We were not model students. Most of our classmates thought neither of us would ever land a job. They were shocked that we both received job offers early and horrified that a law firm would be saddled with both of us. In those days an individual had to establish residence in Nevada by March 1 in order to take the bar exam in July. Since most students graduated from out-of-state schools in June, they had to wait an entire year before taking the bar. To avoid that delay, Dennis and I decided to leave law school early and move to Las Vegas. We told our professors we would miss a few classes but assured them that we would commute Clark County Bar Association 40 Year Club Induction Ceremony & Luncheon March 19,

8 regularly and study. Alas, we never returned. I was scheduled to fly to Seattle in June of that year to take my finals, but I sprained my ankle playing basketball and my doctor wrote a note saying I couldn t travel. So the law school mailed my tests to the firm where they were administered by a friendly secretary. Dennis, as I recall, did fly to Seattle for finals, but he did not complete all of his work and didn t graduate until August (after we had taken the bar exam). We heard later that the University of Washington changed their attendance requirements after the school s experience with us. In October of that year, we received news that we had passed the bar exam. So Dennis, Andy and I went out to celebrate. After several pitchers of margaritas, Andy disappeared. I could tell you what happened, but Andy swore us to secrecy. The following year Charlie McCrea joined us at LS&C. Whenever one of us had a Supreme Court argument, we d all meet at a Basque restaurant in Minden or Gardnerville. After a few pecan punches oops. Sworn to secrecy again. In the fall of 1977, I ventured out on my own: All Marquis, Attorney at Law and Notary Public. (I added the notary part in case someone wanted to pay me $5 to notarize something.) Times were lean. My definition of a client in those days was someone with a $100 and a problem. When that retainer was gone, we had to figure something out. Since then, the key to my success has been a steadfast resolve to always hire attorneys who were smarter than me. And I have done a pretty good job. I have been married for 47 years. I should mention, however, that this feat involved three different wives. I am now happily married to Joanie. We have four children and six grandchildren, and I recently became a Director of the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation. Never once have I regretted moving to Las Vegas to begin (and finish) my legal career. What an interesting, vibrant town, as well as a great place to raise my two sons. Jeff is President of Guest Services, Inc. in Washington D.C., and Scott is a partner at the MAC law firm. They are my greatest achievement. Come and visit me and Joanie sometime at Kingston Ranch in Sandy Valley (www. kingstonranch.com). We ll go for a horseback ride. Charles H. McCrea, Jr. Hejmanowski & McCrea LAW SCHOOL: California Western School of Law PRACTICE AREAS: Complex Litigation, Corporation & Business Law, Gaming Law John T. Moran, Jr. Moran Law Firm LLC LAW SCHOOL: Loyola Law School - Los Angeles PRACTICE AREAS: Criminal, Government Relations, Administrative Agency Paul E. Raby Greenman Goldberg Raby & Martinez LAW SCHOOL: University of North Carolina PRACTICE AREAS: Personal Injury, Workers Compensation, Social Security 8 40 Year Club Induction Ceremony & Luncheon March 19, 2015 Clark County Bar Association

9 HONOREES (ADMITTED 1970, CELEBRATING 45 YEARS IN NEVADA) Jay Henry Brown Jay H. Brown, Ltd. LAW SCHOOL: University of California Hastings College of Law PRACTICE AREAS: Corporation & Business Law, Administrative Law Justice Michael Allan Cherry Supreme Court of Nevada LAW SCHOOL: Washington University Law School - St. Louis, MO PRACTICE AREAS: Judicary 8 years district court. 8 years NV Sup. Ct & still counting. DID YOU KNOW: I was mainly a criminal defense lawyer until I was appointed to serve as Special Master in the MGM Insurance Litigation & Mission Subrogation Case. My experiences in Mass Tort Litigation earned me the title of Master of Disaster & allowed me to be a successful plaintiff s attorney in the Pepcon litigation. I have been extremely fortunate to be very active in the Jewish Community of Las Vegas & have held many leadership positions. Gerald I. Gillock JAMS LAW SCHOOL: University of Denver PRACTICE AREAS: Arbitration & Mediation R. Craig Howard Holland Hart, LLP LAW SCHOOL: University of Denver PRACTICE AREAS: Real Estate and Construction, Water Law, Land Use, Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources Judge Roger L. Hunt United States District Court, District of Nevada LAW SCHOOL: George Washington University PRACTICE AREAS: In the 42 years as a trial attorney, my practice was primarily insurance defense and commercial litigation. In the 43 years since, I have been a U.S. Magistrate and District Judge. R. Gardner Jolley Jolley Urga Woodbury & Little LAW SCHOOL: Boalt Hall, University of California at Berkeley PRACTICE AREAS: Banking, Probate, Real Estate DID YOU KNOW: Clerked at the Nevada Supreme Court and then hired by the law firm of Wiener, Goldwater & Galatz. I entered into a partnership with William R. Urga in 1974; 10 years on the Board of Governors and President of the State Bar of Nevada. Clark County Bar Association 40 Year Club Induction Ceremony & Luncheon March 19,

10 Magistrate Judge (Ret.) Lawrence R. Leavitt JAMS LAW SCHOOL: University of California - Berkeley, Boalt Hall PRACTICE AREAS: Arbitration & Mediation Richard W. Myers LAW SCHOOL: University of Denver PRACTICE AREAS: Personal Injury Victor Alan Perry Perry Spann & Westbrook, APC LAW SCHOOL: University of Denver PRACTICE AREAS: Business Litigation, Toxic Torts, Professional Errors and Omissions and Transportation Law William S. Skupa William S Skupa PC LAW SCHOOL: University of California - Los Angeles PRACTICE AREAS: Criminal & Traffic Law, DUI Defense, Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Claims William R. Urga Jolley Urga Woodbury & Little LAW SCHOOL: University of California Hastings College of Law PRACTICE AREAS: Business Litigation, Gaming Law, Real Estate Law Bruce Lund Woodbury Jolley Urga Woodbury & Little LAW SCHOOL: Stanford University PRACTICE AREAS: Estate-Planning, Probate, Personal Injury DID YOU KNOW: My partners and fellow honorees (Gardner Jolley & Bill Urga) and I all went to kindergarten together in Las Vegas Year Club Induction Ceremony & Luncheon March 19, 2015 Clark County Bar Association

11 HONOREES (ADMITTED 1965, CELEBRATING 50 YEARS IN NEVADA) James H. Bilbray Kaempfer Crowell LAW SCHOOL: American University - Washington College of Law PRACTICE AREAS: Government relations and Administrative Law DID YOU KNOW: The Honorable James H. Bilbray served as a United States Congressman representing Nevada s first Congressional district for eight years Oscar B. Goodman Goodman Law Group LAW SCHOOL: University of Pennsylvania Law School PRACTICE AREAS: Criminal Defense DID YOU KNOW: Goodman appears as himself in the 1995 Martin Scorsese film Casino. HONOREE (ADMITTED 1960, CELEBRATING 55 YEARS IN NEVADA) W. Owen Nitz Nitz Walton & Heaton Ltd. LAW SCHOOL: University of Denver PRACTICE AREAS: Corporation & Business Law, Gaming Law, Real Estate Law DID YOU KNOW: Nitz served as Associate Municipal Judge, City of North Las Vegas, and as President of the Clark County Legal Aid Society, HONOREE (ADMITTED 1955, CELEBRATING 60 YEARS IN NEVADA) John Peter Lee John Peter Lee, Ltd. LAW SCHOOL: University of San Francisco Portrait Session Drop-ins welcome. Dress for success! Clark County Bar Association 717 S. 8th Street, Las Vegas Save the Date! Thursday June 17, :30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Clark County Bar Association 40 Year Club Induction Ceremony & Luncheon March 19,

12 Clark County Bar Association presents 25th Annual SAVE THE DATE! A division of Western Alliance Bank. Member FDIC. MEET YOUR JUDGES MIXER THE MOB MUSEUM THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2015 The Former Federal Courthouse 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE! Clark County B ar Association Visit for event details and to download the sponsorship agreement. Individual ticket sales also available: $45/CCBA Member or $70/Non-member. Contact: Donna Wiessner at (702) or donnaw@clarkcountybar.org.