Smith Appeals & Appellate Lawyers

Mr. Matuska was born and raised in the Bay Area, CA, and has resided in Nevada for over 20 years. His allegiance to both states gives him a competitive edge to his legal practice whether representing businesses or real estate matters. Mr. Matuska understands that not every legal problem requires a complex solution. With more than 20 years experience representing clients in state and federal court in Nevada and California, Mr. Matuska has the experience to meet your goals. The goal of Matuska Law Offices is to provide innovative and effective legal representation that is targeted...

Dane Watson is a graduate of Thomas Jefferson School of Law. Dane graduated Cum Laude in 2015 and passed the Nevada State Bar in 2015 on his first attempt. Subsequently, Dane also passed the California State Bar in February of 2019 to give himself more flexibility practicing law in the Western States. Dane is also licensed to practice in Nevada Federal District Court and in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. During Law School, Dane was a board member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Team and attended and competed in several negotiation competitions across the west coast. Prior...

Las Vegas criminal defense attorney Nicholas D. Pitaro uses his experience as a prosecutor to stay one step ahead of the D.A. when fighting to get our clients’ charges reduced or dismissed. Nicholas also served as a law clerk for the Honorable Douglas Smith, and this “backroom” insight informs his strategies for achieving the most favorable resolutions possible for our clients.

Las Vegas Defense Group attorney Seth Strickland practices criminal defense in Nevada. He has great success in convincing prosecutors to dismiss or substantially lessen charges without a trial. Seth earned his J.D. from the William S. Boyd School of Law.

The Tanner Law & Strategy Group, LTD. is a law and government relations office that offers exemplary service to businesses, government agencies, and individuals regarding natural resources, energy, and land use matters.

Carolyn “Lina” Tanner is the managing member of the firm. Before opening the firm, Lina spent much of her career in public service, representing Nevada agencies such as the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Division of Environmental Protection, Division of Water Resources, and as General Counsel to the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada. In addition, Lina served as Senior Research Analyst for the Nevada Legislative Counsel...

Richard F. Cornell has been practicing in Northern Nevada for more than 40 years. He is one of the few Nevada lawyers whose practice emphasizes appeals and post-conviction practice. In active practice in Nevada continuously since 1980, over the years his practice has winnowed into an appellate practice of criminal and domestic appeals before the Ninth Circuit and the Nevada Supreme Court, and a post-conviction habeas practice in state and federal courts, and a practice of sealing of records and appearances before the Nevada Board of Pardons.

Why did you become an attorney? The underlying education was the primary reason for the desire to first become an attorney. Obviously, to make a good living and enjoy what you do is the ultimate career. I have found that becoming an attorney was half the battle, becoming a great attorney involves mastering the art of legal persuasion, which is best acquired by experience, and years of training. The reward of client satisfaction truly makes me happy. I had a very strong influence with my Father, Joseph L. Benson, Sr. who was a personal injury lawyer (and received the 2011 Nevada...

Mr. Yampolsky is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating available to any attorney. This rating is obtained by an independent rating of lawyers and judges who are familiar with his representation of clients. Less than 7% of all law firms in the United States are accorded this honor. Mr. Yampolsky is past President of the Nevada Attorneys for Criminal Justice. Mr. Yampolsky graduated from Boston University in 1976 and the University of San Diego School of Law in 1980. He was admitted to California State Bar in 1981, admitted to Massachusetts State Bar in 1982 (currently inactive), admitted to Nevada...

Alex LeVeque is the managing partner of the firm, where he focuses his practice on trust/estate, real property, and appellate litigation. Alex regularly advises businesses and individuals (foreign and domestic) in complex disputes ranging from breach of contract and fiduciary duty claims to fraud and embezzlement. He has successfully litigated numerous multi-million-dollar disputes and consistently obtains favorable settlements for his clients. Alex has also successfully tried several jury and bench trials in Nevada state courts and has prevailed in several appeals to the Supreme Court of Nevada. More recently, Alex has been actively engaged in the expanding area of domestic...

Las Vegas Criminal Defense lawyer Ross Goodman of Goodman Law Group graduated from the University of San Diego in 1992 and the University of Tulsa in 1995 after which he became an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves completing his service in 2000 after being promoted to the rank of Major. As a native of Las Vegas, Ross returned home to open a boutique practice in 2001 and has been privileged enough to earn the respect of representing professional athletes, celebrities, doctors, lawyers and other professionals. However, Ross has been a tireless and devoted advocate for all...

Dana is a graduate of UNLV's William S. Boy School of Law. She graduated in 2010 and passed the Nevada Bar Exam on her first attempt in July of 2010. Prior to UNLV Law School, Dana graduated from Arizona State University Magna Cum Laude in 2007 with a Bachelor's Degree in Justice Studies and Social Inquiry, with a minor in Political Science. Dana originally hails from the Bay area and is a season ticket holder for the Las Vegas Raiders. In her spare time she enjoys watching sports, exercising and lounging by the pool when weather permits.

Mr. Echols focuses his practice on complex litigation and appeals. He is licensed to practice in all state and federal courts in the State of Nevada, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Echols has handled all types of civil appeals and complex litigation, including constitutional questions, commercial litigation, construction, real estate, insurance, personal injury, contract disputes, and torts. micah@claggettlaw.com or 702-655-2346.

Jennifer is a first generation Mexican-American and a long-time resident of Las Vegas, Nevada. She first relocated to Las Vegas in 1997 and enrolled & graduated from Rancho High School. Quickly after, Jennifer enrolled and graduated from the University of Las Vegas, Nevada with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice. In 2010, she enrolled at the Boyd School of Law in Las Vegas, Nevada. Jennifer demonstrated an innate passion for helping others protect their legal rights. In 2011, she was recognized as Student of the Year for Boyd’s Community Service Program where she taught divorce and custody classes to underprivileged...

WILLICK LAW GROUP is a Family Law firm in Las Vegas, NV. Founded in 1985, the firm has dedicated itself exclusively to the field of Family Law for nearly three decades, and is located across the street from the Family Court building, at Pecos and Bonanza. The firm practices at the trial court level in State and Federal Courts, and in appeals to the Nevada Supreme Court and the Federal Appellate Courts. The Willick Law Group has well earned a reputation for meticulous and comprehensive legal writing, as well as diligent and zealous advocacy in both trial and appellate courts, and...

Attorney Josh Tomsheck is a partner at Hofland & Tomsheck in Las Vegas, where he leads the Criminal Defense Practice Group. Widely recognized as one of the best criminal defense attorneys in Nevada, Josh served as a Chief Deputy District Attorney in the Clark County DA’s office prior to founding Hofland & Tomsheck. His success in the courtroom led to his rapid promotion, ultimately assigned to the Major Violators Unit, specializing in violent felonies and firearm offenses. Josh’s transition to private practice allowed him to bring his extensive trial experience to help individuals in need. He has successfully handled a...

Shoham Segal founded LVNV Legal – Injury Law Firm, a law firm dedicated to bringing justice (and money) to injury and accident victims. Shoham represents his clients with the zeal and experience of a relentless litigator, finding unique ways to protect and preserve his clients’ interests in their times of need. Shoham graduated law school in the top 1% of his 300+ student class, summa cum laude, earning numerous academic awards, scholarships and honors. After graduation, Shoham honed and sharpened his legal skills at two prestigious boutique law firms in South Florida, where he successfully represented businesses and individuals in a...

John C. Courtney, Esq. is an A-V Rated® Attorney, recognized locally by Nevada Business Magazine® (Legal Elite 2014, 2016) and Super Lawyers® (Mountain States Rising Star 2015-2018). John is a past member of the Saltman Center for Dispute Resolution, Boyd Negotiation Team, and was the American Bar Association Champion of the Boyd Client Counseling Competition. Also in law school, John worked as an extern in the Clark County Office of the Public Defender and the Eighth Judicial District Court. After serving under the mentorship of John Peter Lee, Esq. for nearly a decade, John joined LBC Law...

Attorney Benjamin C. Durham received his law degree from Brigham Young University. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish, and has traveled extensively in South America. In the course of his career, he has defended several high-profile prosecutions in Las Vegas, including such defendants as the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, Aryan Warriors, and Rolling 60s Crips.

Mr. Johnson's primary emphasis of practice is in the areas of Trusts, Personal and Business Asset Protection Planning, Estate Planning, Business and Real Estate transactions and Entertainment Law. Mr. Johnson has formed and advised numerous Corporations & Limited Liability Companies. He currently represents and is heavily involved in the careers of a number of musical artists, including Nashville recording artist and grammy nominee Tim Murphy (www.TimMurphyCountry.com and www.TimMurphy.net) and Frankie Moreno (www.FrankieMoreno.com). Mr. Johnson also has substantial experience in the areas of Bankruptcy, Mechanic's Lien Law, and Appellate Practice.

Charles Goodwin hails from UNLV's Boyd School of Law, where he excelled at moot court and scored the highest grade in three of his law school classes, including Immigration and Statutory Interpretation. Charles also completed highly-coveted externships with the Federal Public Defenders Office and the Clark County Public Defender, where he gained invaluable experience in all types of criminal defense cases. Charles speaks fluent Mandarin.

Waleed “Wally” Zaman was born and raised in San Jose, California, where he lived until moving to Las Vegas, Nevada, to complete High School. After graduating High School at age 16, Waleed spent time working with a local debate team, both to develop and hone his public-speaking skills, and to help incoming high-school students learn the basics of argument and rhetoric.

Waleed then attended the University of Nevada Las Vegas, before transferring to Texas A&M. During his time at Texas A&M, Waleed co-managed his family’s hotel and R.V. Park businesses, while he completed his college education, and obtained a bachelors of...

Michael P. Balaban has handled labor and employment cases for mostly employees since 1997. During that time Michael has represented numerous clients in cases involving discrimination or other employment related claims, including cases brought under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, for wrongful termination, for whistle blowing, for wages and hours disputes, for unemployment benefits and for employment benefits. Michael believes his “hands on style” and preparedness is the key to the success he has achieved for his clients over the years. Labor and Employment law is...

Dalton L. Hooks, Jr. is the Founding Partner at Hooks Meng & Clement.

Dalton represents clients in connection with employment related disputes in State and Federal Courts and before administrative agencies. Dalton has more than 30 years of experience in occupational safety and workers’ compensation law in Nevada and was formerly the Chief Administrative Officer of the Nevada OSHA Consultation Section (SCATS).

As a former compliance officer with the Nevada OSHA program, Dalton conducted inspections in both general industry and construction settings including accident and fatality investigations.

Dalton is an experienced trainer and former adjunct professor at UNLV. Mr. Hooks’ unique background...

Garrett Chase is experienced in real property and lien litigation, contract disputes, commercial litigation, and appellate advocacy. Garrett has worked with real estate brokerages, investors, agents, and property managers in both residential and commercial disputes, and has worked closely with Nevada REALTORS on appellate real estate matters. Garrett grew up in Montana, did his undergraduate studies in Seattle where he graduated summa cum laude with a degree in software engineering, and finally settled in Las Vegas. Garrett attended the William Boyd School of Law, UNLV, where he received a full ride academic scholarship, numerous awards for written and oral advocacy...

Adam Garth is the managing partner of the Las Vegas, Nevada office at Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A. With over three decades of legal experience, Mr. Garth is recognized for his expertise in complex commercial litigation and liability defense, particularly in the areas of medical malpractice defense for physicians, health care providers, hospitals, and medical organizations. Mr. Garth brings a unique approach to his litigation practice, aggressively defending health providers and facilities by pursuing all possible avenues for early case disposition and forcing those pursuing a case to adhere to all legal requirements, laws, and rules. His approach...

Robert has worked for both large and small firms in South Carolina, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. He has represented Fortune 500 companies such as Intel, individual homeowners, and in between. Robert won a major appeal that redefined South Carolina defamation law, and is still taught in the law school today. Kern Law is well versed in the complexities of appellate practice and the litigation of appeals in Nevada state and federal courts. We have extensive experience representing both appellants and respondents. We have handled appeals involving a wide variety of issues, and have experience with oral argument in front of the...

Mark J. Bourassa Esq. is the founding Member of The Bourassa Law Group, LLC. Mr. Bourassa’s practice focuses on litigation and trial work in civil matters representing clients in state and federal courts in consumer claims against abusive debt collectors, construction defect claims against negligent builders and personal injury matters. Prior to founding The Bourassa Law Group, Mr. Bourassa was a partner in the Las Vegas office of a multi-jurisdictional law firm with a substantial litigation practice in complex multi-party tort litigation, construction defect claims and general liability litigation. Over the course of his career, Mr. Bourassa has...

Immigration Officer for US Immigration and Naturalization Service
from 1985 to 1996 Held various positions to include Immigration Border Inspector, Criminal Investigator, Supervisory Special Agent, Immigration Attache, Officer in Charge

W. West Allen is a partner with the nationally-recognized law firm of Lewis and Roca LLP where he currently serves on the firm's governing Policy Committee. As part of the firm's Intellectual Property and Technology Group, Mr. Allen has extensive experience litigating and resolving intellectual property disputes concerning trademarks, patents, copyrights, trade dress, trade secrets, unfair competition, as well as other business, Constitutional and related federal claims. Mr. Allen co-founded the Nevada State Bar's Intellectual Property Section and was subsequently elected that Section's first Chair in 2004. In 2005, Mr. Allen was appointed by the Chief Judge of the U.S....

I graduated summa cum laude from New York University and obtained my juris doctorate from the UCLA School of Law, ranked among the top 15 law schools in the country. I am an experienced attorney who handles a diverse range of matters, including civil business litigation, real estate litigation, estate planning, and probates. I also serves as general counsel for several businesses. I have litigated numerous matters in Nevada and California, as well as in the federal courts. I have successfully argued before the Nevada Supreme Court.

Mr. Bowen has over thirty (30) years experience in the legal community. Primary practice areas: complex insurance litigation including but not limited bad faith, auto, pedestrian and truck accidents, wrongful death, premises and property claims, slip-and-fall, products liability, probate, family law, divorce and custody, and estate planning (wills and trusts) Mr. Bowen is currently a member of the State Bar of Nevada, Clark County Bar Association, Nevada Trial Lawyers Association, Association of Trial Lawyers, and the American Bar Association. He is currently admitted to practice before all Nevada state and U.S. District courts, as well as the U.S. Court of Appeals...

NEVADA CREDITOR ATTORNEY
-Consumer loan and account litigation filed against or on behalf of the client;
-Bankruptcy litigation including motions for relief from stay, objections to confirmation, responses to motions to value or objections to proofs of claim, prosecuting or defending adversary actions;
-General and advisory counsel as to state, federal and industry regulatory requirements as to residential loans, motor vehicle loans, unsecured loans, and deposit accounts;
-Proactive advisement as to state/federal law, recent legislation, and litigation trends, including the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act, Regulations B/E/M/Z, CFPB updates;
-Litigation and trial experience in cases involving commercial leases, title disputes, construction...

I graduated from McGeorge School of Law in 1988 and moved to Nevada to work for the criminal defense firm of Goodman, Stein and Chesnoff. While at the Goodman firm, I was responsible for preparing all motions for clients who were assigned to me by each of the partners. This gave me significant experience in researching and preparing motions in Nevada state cases and in federal cases where the clients were usually charged with committing major drug crimes such as Continuing Criminal Enterprise, RICO and Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Sentences in Los Angeles, California, San Diego, California and...

Chad Olsen is a partner with significant contract, business, employment, construction, and insurance experience. Chad represents small, large, and national businesses of all types. Through detailed legal analysis and strategic planning, Chad has eliminated millions of dollars in potential liability for his clients. He has also recovered millions of dollars for these same clients. Simply put, clients not only retain Chad to resolve disputes, but also to prevent them.