State Of The Market – January 2020

  • Law

Here we are nearing the end of the first month of January 2020. It is as good of time as any to discuss the state of the legal market in Nevada. What do you think about how things are going? Is there enough work to go around or not enough work? Is the market crowded with lawyers? Is any practice area dying? What practice areas do you think are going to take off? Any trends you think are going to dominate the market in the coming year?

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Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 28, 2020 5:11 pm

I think the legal market is good, and due to increasing population in Nevada (thanks CA), the fear of having "too many lawyers" will hopefully go away. that being said, I am waiting for another oversized regional firm to implode like LSC and Gordon Silver. Alverson Taylor perhaps?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 28, 2020 5:14 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Alverson Taylor has been reduced to filing frivolous Lanham Act cases on behalf of internet models against every club (strip club or otherwise) in town. Wouldn't surprise me if they bit the bullet soon.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 28, 2020 6:26 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Thought AT was a defense outfit?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 28, 2020 6:32 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Same with Marquis Aubach.

anonymous
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anonymous
January 28, 2020 6:36 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Has anyone bought their horrible building on Charleston? It was still for sale last time I drove by. Depressing basement with no cell signal, lobby that looks like a funeral parlor/casket showroom, a few giant offices and a bunch of veal-fattening pens. It would have to be completely gutted in order to be of use to anyone.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 28, 2020 6:45 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

It was supposedly modeled after the Nevada Supreme Court Building in Carson City. That was the plan any way.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 28, 2020 7:09 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

It looks nothing like the Supreme Court in Carson City.

The most recent recording on the West Charleston Building says it is owned by West Charleston Trust but lists a recording by "Resources Group" and an address affiliated with Eddie Haddad. Yes the irony. ATM&S which has Kurt Bonds representing HOAs ended up having its building owned by Eddie Haddad.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 28, 2020 7:22 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

With a growing population I wonder which big firm will buy into the market next and which firm they will swoop up. Any bets?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 29, 2020 9:51 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Fun fact that is not very widely known.

When AT left that building on West Charleston, they had just renegotiated their financing and the bank had released the partners from their personal guarantees.

AT then stovepipes the building and walks away. Heads for Montecito. Nice.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 29, 2020 10:40 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Eric and Bruce? That would not surprise me. Is Bruce on wife number 4?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 28, 2020 6:08 pm

Lots of California P.I. firms trying to get into the market. Hope they fail miserably.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 31, 2020 2:54 am
Reply to  Anonymous

We do not need more PI firms.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 28, 2020 7:23 pm

Associate salaries have been on the rise. I wonder when it will stabilize/how fast it will keep up.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 28, 2020 11:29 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Anywhere to track this? This is the sense I have and I feel like my firm has not been keeping up…

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 29, 2020 12:09 am
Reply to  Anonymous

I heard this as well from people entering the job market after clerkships and from people moving firms. The big regional firms have all gone up 5-10k for starting salary. I don't know how the pace works going to 3rd, 4th, and 5th year etc.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 29, 2020 7:46 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

NALP says BHFS is 140k for first years now, and Snell is 135k. Is that right? If so, I am being paid less in base as a sixth year at a peer firm.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 29, 2020 10:38 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Sucks to suck, 11:46.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 29, 2020 11:00 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Seems like it. Maybe just sucks to stay in one place.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 29, 2020 11:03 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

I'm just messing with you man.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 30, 2020 2:36 am
Reply to  Anonymous

This will probably be hard to hear, but if you are making less than that as a sixth year, you are not at a peer firm…

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 28, 2020 9:00 pm

I have to take the deposition of an insane pro per that has sued my client. His facebook is full of pics of his guns and posts about how many people he killed in Iraq. I'd obviously rather not have it at my office. Do any of the deposition spaces have metal detectors?

anonymous
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anonymous
January 28, 2020 9:17 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Maybe you can do it at the courthouse. That happens frequently in the rural counties. I've never done it here so don't know the logistics of how to set that up, if it can be done.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 28, 2020 9:28 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

I believe you can arrange to have a deposition at the federal courthouse. It was suggested by a magistrate judge in one of my cases but we ended up not needing to.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 28, 2020 9:38 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

If you can, before you depose him, FOIA his DD-214. Then ask him about his service as part of the warm-up and introduction phase. If he lies (and he will, guys that brag about that crap are almost always 100% posers), slap him with his lies about his service at the end and ruin his credibility.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 28, 2020 11:11 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Agreed with 1:38. I've deposed folks before who embellished their service records and now wish I'd had the foresight to get their DD-214's.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 29, 2020 2:07 am
Reply to  Anonymous

Find two separate places with high-quality video conferencing and do it remotely.

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
January 29, 2020 7:07 am
Reply to  Anonymous

Former military here, good call by 1:38. There was a saying. Those who talk, didn't. Those who don't, did. Sorry if this was a bit pithy!

Anonymous
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Anonymous
January 29, 2020 6:01 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Thanks for the advice, all. Sounds like remote is the best move. I can conveniently be out of the area that week.

I will FOIA his DD-214. It looks like all I'll know is if he was honorably discharged and whether he was court martialed, so who knows if that'll get me anywhere. Definitely worth a shot.

I'll need to tiptoe around the military stuff, because I don't want to make it look like I'm questioning his service, especially as a non-military guy. And I don't want to give him anything to hang his hat on since at it is, he's so insane that he'll already come across terrible to the jury.