Bonus Round 2022

  • Law

Each year at this time we like to take a look at salaries and bonuses. In years past, we did a compensation survey to give you an idea of how much money attorneys in Las Vegas make. You can see the results for 2017 and 2016 by clicking on the links. (Arizona does its own detailed survey every three years on a much larger scale.  You can view the 2022 results in Arizona Attorney magazine. While’s it not exactly the same as Nevada, it has some useful information to consider.) What do you think about the current state of pay for attorneys here? Are you underpaid or overpaid? Did you get a bonus? Has your billable hour requirement gone up or down this year? Any predictions on where compensation is headed? Is inflation dramatically altering your firm’s pay structure? 

For those of you willing to share some details about your pay, we suggest leaving a comment that puts some your information in the following format:  [Years in practice]-[Type of practice: CR for criminal, CI for civil, F for family, G for government, P for private practice]-[2022 gross salary to the nearest $10K+bonus if any](Yearly billable requirement). Example for someone who has practiced for 17 years and does private practice criminal defense for a gross salary of $387,000 with no bonus other than being their own boss with no billable requirement:

17-CR/P-390,000+no bonus(none)

We know it’s not exact, but maybe it will help someone else in the legal community figure out what they should be making.

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Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 3:34 pm

25 – CR/G – $175,000 – no bonus, no billable

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 3:39 pm

$120k base, $70k on what I originated. $10k Christmas bonus. 11 years. 2000 billable.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 4:07 pm

Free solo. Around 1250 hours billed, with around $450k gross, which works out to around $350k-$325k net, and I got to run a ton of expenses through my firm as well. Got to coach soccer, basketball, and take family vacations. Firm life, never again.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 5:46 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Dear 8:07, wow that is so close to mine that I second and support the truth of it. I say this because many may think you're exaggerating. I only add that as a small solo watch out for the NSB because they always go after the small guys. (no never been disciplined but got a LOC once). SOLO is the BEST way to live.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 6:00 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Partially convinced you just posted this to make us big firm billable slaves feel sick. But if that is true good for you, that sounds incredible. I made half that and billed literately every weekend this year and during my "vacation"

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 6:11 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

@ 10:00 a.m. I'm the OP. I didn't post to make anyone feel bad. In fact, my motivation is the opposite. I wish I had heard this message 3-5 years earlier and I would have gone out earlier than I did. I will never get all that precious time for myself and my family back. I am just hoping my post can inspire someone on the fence to jump off to the solo side.

Don't get me wrong, solo life is not for everyone/every type of practice, and it's certainly not without its own set of hassles and stresses, but compared to firm life, I've found it's so much more rewarding, both mentally and financially. I'll never work with/for people I don't like again, and I'll only work cases and for clients I don't like if the money is right.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 6:13 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Tell us the secrets of your economic efficiency & productivity, OP ( 8:07 AM).

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 6:24 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

@ 10:13 what do you want to know specifically?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 6:24 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

9:46 back, at least based on my experience, it is the time tested and obvious, go slow and do great work and get known and referrals, any time I tried to hurry or cut corners it came back to bite me, take time to volunteer at Bar, go to bench bar, be civil to other attorneys, it's weird, I dont believe there are any :secrets" just very basic, what they would call in sprorts, attention to the fundamentals (soory for typos typing fast) wife wiating to go shopping haha and I'm on the blog hahahah

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 6:30 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Amazing. Is your practice mainly focused on PI or something else?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 6:49 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

OP has it right. 20 year solo, 22 years licensed.

Billed 1475 hours @$550k gross. Net was about $410k. One 4 day weekend a month out with the wife, travelled 6 weeks this year, including the full week of Thanksgiving and have been off since then.

Won't return to work, (except for 3 remaining Bluejeans hearings) until January 3. Usually (last 5-6 years) am off the bulk of time between T-giving and NY.

Planning to retire to the farm in another 5 years.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 6:53 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Lol at 8:07. I’m only 10 years in at a mega firm and will clear $500k this year. In 5 years I’ll make double what you do. Free solo is for serfs.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 7:04 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

@ 10:53 OP is coaching your kids and banging your wife while you're busy slaving away for the man. To each there own, I guess!

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 7:26 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

10:53 good for you. Enjoy your life the way you want to. But I think the point was if someone can make 70% of what you do, and possibly have literally ten times the freedom, then it might be worth it. Also, having made what you and the OP make (in my younger days), I can say that nothing in my life changed from 350-500. It changed DRASTICALLY from 52 to about 180, I mean my whole life was different, but once I had a nice home, nice cars, college funds for my nieces and nephews it was literally just some more money in my stock fund. But my friend to each their own.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 7:38 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

To 10:53’s point, I would say that once you cross the $500k threshold you enter the big dick category. You driver the rover, live in McDonald Ranch, vacation home in Laguna, first class flights for whole fam on vacation. It’s a different level that 8:07 will never experience. But each has their drawbacks.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 7:49 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

OP back. Fair point(s) 10:53 and 11:38, except that my wife also brings in decent $, plus I have enough extra time to devote to some fun side hustles which also spin off $. I also fully appreciate that this setup may not be possible/ideal for everyone.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 10:11 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

8:07 what area of law?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 10:52 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

OP here. Mostly general civil lit, with some PI mixed in. I also do some plaintiffs' general civil lit on contingency, which has been the secret sauce.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 16, 2022 12:23 am
Reply to  Anonymous

If you are good looking, I would say 10:53 will have a better life than 8:07. He will do things 8:07 only dreams of and sleep with the women 8:07 only fantasizes about. But 10:53 will have to put in a lot of hours to live this dream.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 16, 2022 3:53 am
Reply to  Anonymous

10:53, what's a megafirm? And you make nearly $500k 10 years out of law school?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 16, 2022 5:18 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

$500k after 10 years out of law school is actually slightly below the megafirm salary scale, which is $415k base plus $115k bonus for 8th years. I don't think any local firm pays that. I'd be surprised if even the big offices of the local firms pay that. I know a guy at GT in New York, and he says that GT pays below the megafirm salary scale.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 6:05 pm

8 – CI/P – $170 base plus commission (PI work) + xmas bonus – no billables

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 6:20 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

What's average annual commission?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 9:23 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Commissions are usually around 250K+

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 6:13 pm

12 – Civil/Private (business lit @ national firm) – $205,000 – small bonuses – 1800 hour model

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 16, 2022 3:56 am
Reply to  Anonymous

Is 205k your base or total comp with the small bonuses?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 6:23 pm

22 years practicing…No bonus, no billables…$150k/yr but I work less than 20 hours in any given month.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 10:43 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Perfect.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 16, 2022 2:34 am
Reply to  Anonymous

Family court Judge?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 6:32 pm

4 – Civil – 225k total comp (40k is bonus)

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 6:38 pm

14 – in house – $350k+$100k bonus+$100k stock

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 8:01 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

How long have you been in that in house position?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 6:46 pm

13 – Civil-G. I'd post but everyone can just go to transparent nevada.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 7:21 pm

14-Civil-P – $170K + $1000 discretionary bonus (1940 billables which I didn't hit)

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 7:27 pm

What is the number everyone keeps putting at the front? Is that the years at their firm? Thank you

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 7:34 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Years in practice. Example: 5 year Insurance FBU making Hall Jaffe kind of money would list it as 5-Ci/P – $90k, no bonus, no joy, no will to live. (Or would if there were any associates left over there. Hard to tell based on their website).

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 7:36 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Thanks!

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 16, 2022 5:36 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Is HJC the new Akerman which was the new Alverson?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 8:11 pm

I'm a senior biglaw associate. I work way too much. I make more than I ever thought I would, but at this point it isn't enough. The solo posts in this thread definitely have me thinking.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 10:13 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Spent the first 20+ years of my career in law firm life, 5 as associate and 15 as partner. Went out on my own 6 years ago and only wish I had done it a lot sooner. Every facet of my life has improved and I make more money. It was the work-related decision I ever made.

Law firms are drama factories. They breed contempt and distrust. They are miserable places. They create all kinds of depression, alcoholism, and compulsive behaviors.

I felt tremendous fear for years about leaving the firm. It paralyzed me and made me hate working at the firm even more. I can tell you that nothing I feared came true. Life got better almost immediately.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 10:15 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

*best

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 10:47 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

What do you mean, it's not enough? As in, the money isn't worth the hours? Or, you wish you made more money? Both?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 16, 2022 12:24 am
Reply to  Anonymous

I suppose both. I imagine there's some amount of money that would make me happy here. But I mostly mean that I'd take a pay cut for fewer hours.

I'm up for partner soon, so it seems like I should see that process through so I can at least leave as a partner.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 16, 2022 3:36 am
Reply to  Anonymous

Yo, partner here. I'm a total baller, beyotch

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 16, 2022 5:41 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

"I suppose both. I imagine there's some amount of money that would make me happy here." No there isn't, and that is not a bad comment on you 4:24. Some of the biggest earners in this town are some of the most personally miserable people (and internally miserable and not merely miserable to other people). If 500K is the goal that you believe will make you happy, then chase it and get to it and hope you are right.

I can tell that in my 27+ years of experience that attorneys are greyhounds. We chase for the chase because if we ever catch that thing that we are chasing we will realize that it was not what we thought it was. We then second guess that we wasted our lives in the chase and probably have to be put out to pasture metaphorically or we have to find a new rabbit to chase.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 16, 2022 11:11 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

I like rabbits.

Solo is great if you can make it work. I miss the large firm dynamic but don't miss wearing pants.

So there.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 8:42 pm

Anyone catch the most recent CLE published in December's Nevada Lawyer Magazine? It's on "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion" ("DEI"). Just a tip to the authors of the CLE article. If you are truly committed to DEI, quit referring to Hispanics as "Latinx". The vast majority of Hispanics hate being called "Latinx" and consider it a slur.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 9:04 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

White male here, just being up front. One of the most obnoxious things about DEI are the self-appointed white people who speak for minorities. Latinx is a perfect example. Do woke white people (WWP) think people of color can't speak for themselves? Why would I ever listen to you, woke white person, when I can just listen directly to people of color?

There are really two things going on here. (1) Ironically, some WWP are a bit racist in that they don't think people of color can adequately speak for themselves or share their experience. Nobody asked you to be a white savior. (2) Some WWP use DEI as a weapon for self aggrandizement or to harm others.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 9:24 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Yes! Exactly! It’s called the soft bigotry of low expectations meaning they don’t expect minorities to be able to speak for themselves. I’m white and if I want to know what a ā€œminorityā€ thinks I’ll ask my wife who is 1/4 black, 1/4 Asian and the rest Venezuelan where she is from – not some white dude at the bar

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 10:44 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Zero chance that I would ever sit through that CLE.

Zero.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 11:06 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

The CLE is an article with a quiz at the end. I read it through it while rolling my eyes for about 5 minutes. I need the CLE credit.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 16, 2022 1:19 am
Reply to  Anonymous

How long until we have a mandatory diversity CLE requirement?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 10:12 pm

14-Criminal-Solo/P-780K (gross to date)

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 10:14 pm

I think all the Cis White Males posting their exorbitant salaries above should make reparations to those less fortunate attorneys of color.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 11:07 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

I am one of the posters who stated their salary. not sure if it qualifies as "exorbitant." either way, i am also an attorney of color. shoot, i wasnt even born in this country. english wasnt even my first language. so the assumptions your statement makes are crapola.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 15, 2022 11:49 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

That's the covert purpose of D.E.I.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 16, 2022 12:21 am
Reply to  Anonymous

BIPOC here… this is unnecessary vitriol

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 16, 2022 1:21 am
Reply to  Anonymous

I love how 2:14 just assumes the white men are making more than attorneys of color. Let me guess, you supported BLM during the summer of love, right?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 16, 2022 5:31 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

While I get the sarcasm in the post, I gor another "Big Firm Diversity" email from the State Bar yesterday trumpeting another big firm. Hey you know what SBN? Some of the little firms are diverse also (in fact arguably more diverse by percentage than big firms). Except you have not made a SINGLE POST about a small or medium firm. Not one. Your bias and bullshit is showing.

Imagine the irony in a series of emails about diversity and inclusion being exclusively about ONE type of law firm in Nevada and never shining a light on any others?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 16, 2022 5:33 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

got*

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 16, 2022 6:05 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

For those promoting DEI, it is all about virtue signaling and self-promotion. Nothing more. That goes for those big law firms and the SBN that promote it. If the authors of that CLE article truly cared about "diversity" and "inclusion", they would understand that Spanish is a gendered language and the term "Latinx" is not part of it. They would have respected the Hispanic culture by NOT using that slur of a word. But you cannot expect respectfulness when it comes to the neo-Marxist "woke" ideology. You must conform, be silent, or be shamed and shunned. Nothing diverse or inclusive about that.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 16, 2022 12:27 am

15 – Civil/P – $460k 1250 billables, small boutique firm, ex-big law refugee.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 16, 2022 3:44 pm

6 – CI – 180 + bonus – 1900

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 16, 2022 4:16 pm

12yr "partner" ins. def. – $145k + 10k bonus – 1911 hours collected

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 16, 2022 4:40 pm

9, CI/In-House, $170k, no bonus (this year b/c economy). No billables. No missing being an ID FBU.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 16, 2022 8:15 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Now that we can read all the documents on the Supreme Court's website, the reinstatenents hearing transcripts and decisions have replaced the suspension and disbarment transcripts as the most depressing things I have read in ages.

Repeat offenders and the most egregious offenders just walk back into the bar. Liars, thieves and morally bankrupt people just strolling back into practice. 3rd strike candy bar thieves pay a steeper price.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 16, 2022 7:17 pm

So I have a legal question for my corporate practitioner friends because I am beating my head against a wall on this one. Client has a Series LLC and has placed separate business operations in each of 12 series. Client has one state business license issued at the time of organization to the Master LLC; obviously each series is not filed with the Nevada Secretary of State and would not have a separate state business license.

City of Henderson is now stating that it will only issue a city business license to the Master LLC (but not to any series) because only the Master LLC has a state business license and the city will not recognize series. Of course that destroys the entire purpose of a series LLC. Anyone come up with a successful way to have local business license offices recognize separate series?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 16, 2022 7:35 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

This is why I discourage series LLC. No case law on them and no bureaucrat knows how to handle them. Had a client insist on one and we had to battle the recorder's office just to get them to record the properties into each series right.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 16, 2022 8:11 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Huh. I never thought of the business licensing aspect of series LLCs – I obviously don't do much corporate/biz formation work. So City is basically saying that the individual business operations within the series aren't really separate because they don't each have their own state biz license so they can't issue a business license in the name of each operation? I guess I see where they're coming from since each series is kind of separate in certain aspects like operations assuming the articles and OA are solid and liability but not an actual separate legal entity. It is kind of a legal fiction that each series can actually hold title to assets and enter into agreements when it isn't really its own legal entity. But I suppose the statute says what it says.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 16, 2022 8:52 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Statute says that they are separate and that we want LLCs to be able to operate separate and distinct legal series as separate businesses but local business license people state that you are only licensable business if you are separately registered with the Nevada Secretary of State. This obviously kills the entire purpose of those provisions in Chapter 86 of the Nevada Revised Statutes if the only way you can get local business licenses is to separately organize.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 16, 2022 11:07 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

I am no fan of the geniuses over in Henderson but they have a point. If you want to do business, each series needs to let Henderson wet its beak a bit. Just a taste, you see? Series LLCs are meant to screw over legitimate creditors, not the city. Pay the fees and move on.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 17, 2022 1:35 am
Reply to  Anonymous

Fair 3:07 but that is not what is actually happening according to the OP. In this case, the Master LLC has filed with the NVSOS one time. There are 12 separate series that are each willing to get 12 separate Henderson business licenses (and pay Henderson 12 separate local business license fees). Henderson's beak would be wetted and whetted 12 times. But Henderson is saying unless you can show 12 separate state business licenses (meaning you filed 12 separate entities and wetted the NVSOS 12 times) we will not let you pay us 12 times for 12 separate business licenses. That defeats the whole purpose and statutory scheme under Chapter 86.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 19, 2022 5:09 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

I am a 10+ year corporate practitioner and for reasons like this would never be able to recommend a series LLC to a client. Indeed, not to pile on, but also consider the ramifications of 12 "separate" businesses operating under one state business license, one city business license, one EIN (or SS# assuming a disregarded entity for tax purposes), and whatever other legal formalities are often missed by our clients, in the face of a litigation claim being brought by a claimant against this series LLC.

For clients asking about a series LLC, I will instead encourage clients to form a master/holdco LLC and then place separate assets or "businesses" underneath the master/holdco LLC into separate LLCs that are single member and, therefore, disregarded for tax purposes making it possible to file on one consolidated tax return.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 20, 2022 4:22 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Series LLCs are a title nightmare, at least for real estate. Especially when title is in a sub-series, with the same company name as someone else's LLC. Title Company checks the NVSOS website, and sees the sub's name with other managers and members. I've mopped up a number of these,

Anonymous
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Anonymous
December 16, 2022 7:44 pm

9 – in-house – 180k base – $45k bonus (Also not CIS white male, fwiw)

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 20, 2023 6:07 am

10 – civil/big law – $275k + 15k bonus – 1850 hrs