McDonald Carano

Employment & Labor Law attorney Emily Dubansky will be presenting on the topic of “Discrimination Claims Related to Marijuana Use” at the joint meeting of the Meritas Litigation Group and Labor & Employment Group. Emily’s co-panelist is Jonathan Trafimow from Carter Ledyard. McDonald Carano is a founding member of Meritas Law Firms Worldwide, the premier global network of independent law firms helping clients do business around the world. Emily’s recent presentations for employers have also included the topics of Sexual Harassment Awareness & Prevention, Employment Law Priorities for In-House Counsel, Supreme Court Employment Law Update, and Workers’ Compensation Update. Additional information about Emily’s expertise and experience is available at https://lnkd.in/gYnpuh94.

Robert Armstrong was interviewed by Of Counsel: The Legal Practice and Management Report to discuss his path to the legal profession, the factors that led him to the field of trusts and estates, and his 45-year career at McDonald Carano where he developed and continues to grow the Firm’s Trust & Estates Practice. Bob shares his insights on opportunities for lawyers interested in the trusts and estates arena particularly in the coming years as the Baby Boomer generation transfers an estimated 30 trillion dollars to their progeny. Bob also explains why Nevada has become the leading jurisdiction with the most favorable laws for trusts. Please read Bob’s interview article at https://lnkd.in/gsxBEN5v.  

The results of the 2024 election will influence the future of domestic and foreign policies impacting Nevada's economy. Please join Susan Fisher, Senior Advisor in McDonald Carano’s Government Affairs & Advocacy Group, for a Nov. 14 luncheon program on what the future holds for economic growth in key industries in Nevada. The panelists will discuss how potential shifts in tax laws, government spending, regulatory frameworks, and international trade relations may affect our State's economy. Susan’s co-panelists include Zachary Conine, Nevada State Treasurer, Brian Bonnenfant, UNR Center for Regional Studies, and Dennis Cuneo, DC Strategic Business Advisors. The program is provided by the Northern Nevada Development Authority. Tickets are available at https://lnkd.in/gSJy7hRs.

McDonald Carano welcomes David Dazlich to the Government Affairs & Advocacy Group in our Reno office. Dave brings 15 years of specialty expertise from a comprehensive range of experience, including serving as Vice President of Government Affairs for the Colorado Springs Chamber & Economic Development Corporation, Director of Government Affairs for the Vegas Chamber, and Deputy Director of Government Affairs for the Building Industry Association of Southern California. He has also served as Policy Director for ballot initiatives as well as Campaign Manager and Field Director for numerous candidates. More information about Dave’s background is available at https://lnkd.in/gkRkXN3N. 

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits religious discrimination in the workplace. Covered employers are required to reasonably accommodate an employee’s religious belief, observance, and practice, unless doing so would create an “undue hardship” on the employer’s business. To help employers understand how to demonstrate “undue hardship,” Daniel Aquino published an article in Communique’ magazine titled “Costs are Key: Religious Accommodations in the Workplace after Groff v. DeJoy.” Dan analyzed three cases decided after the U.S. Supreme Court’s holding in Groff v. DeJoy, which upended nearly 50 years of precedent when it replaced the previous de minimis standard with a more stringent inquiry that requires employers to prove substantial increased costs. Dan’s article is available at https://lnkd.in/g2hd9wfA. 

Nevadans have a constitutional right to file an initiative petition seeking changes in the law. Josh Hicks, Chair of McDonald Carano’s Government Affairs & Advocacy Group, published an article in Nevada Lawyer explaining the requirements to qualify a petition for the ballot and the steps for legal challenges against petitions. In his article titled “Litigating the Constitutional Right to File an Initiative Petition,” Josh also describes how a side effect of the requirements has been to provide fertile ground for litigants who oppose a petition. Josh points out the difficulties in the timely processing of challenges to ballot petitions and outlines steps that could be taken to expedite challenges while ensuring that legal concerns with a petition are properly vetted by the courts. Josh’s article is available at https://lnkd.in/gXS8BGMg.

The Las Vegas National Bar Association held its Awards & Scholarships fundraising gala on November 2. McDonald Carano received the Law Firm of the Year Award in recognition of our contributions to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession and the community. We proudly shared the event with additional award winners that included Nevada Supreme Court Associate Justice Patricia Lee (President’s Award), Las Vegas Raiders Government & Community Relations Department (Organization of the Year), Angela Cook (Attorney of the Year), and The Honorable Judge Karen Bennett-Haron (Ret.) (Lifetime Achievement Award). McDonald Carano would like to acknowledge and thank Karyna Armstrong, Esq., MPA for her service on the LVNBA Board of Directors.   “We are very proud to be honored with this award in our 75th anniversary year. The genesis of our DEI Committee’s success is in the institutional values that have been the foundation of our Firm for 75 years. Those values have at their core doing the right thing. We are proud to receive this award for doing what’s right for the members of our Firm, the legal profession, our clients, and our communities,” said George F. Ogilvie III, Firm Managing Partner.   More information about the event, including a video of remarks from community and business leaders congratulating awardees, is available at https://lnkd.in/gqhjAjgU.

McDonald Carano welcomes Jared Dixon to our Las Vegas office. Jared is a member of the Tax, Trust & Estates, and Business Entities & Transactions Practice Groups. Jared’s tax experience includes serving as a Tax Intern in the Seattle office of a global provider of tax, valuation, financial advisory and consulting services; a Legal Intern in the Tax Practice in the Washington, D.C. office of an AmLaw 100 law firm; and a Partner in the Provo office of the State of Utah’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. Jared also served as a Law Clerk in the Estate Planning Practice in a California law firm. More information about Jared and his background is available at https://lnkd.in/gjN-vhFs.

In Nevada, the taxable value of improved property is calculated using a replacement-cost approach defined by state law. In an article published in Western Real Estate Business, Paul Bancroft and Josh Hicks compared the taxable value of two homes that recently sold in Washoe County to show that the valuation methodology skews some property assessments and results in different taxable values for similar properties. The problem extends to all property types, including commercial, because the assessor is required to follow the same statutory replacement-cost approach. Paul and Josh explain what their findings mean for property owners, particularly those with relatively recent construction improvements. Please read their article at https://lnkd.in/gmYzpaRY.

McDonald Carano congratulates Chelsea Latino on receiving a “Women Worth Watching in Leadership” award from Profiles in Diversity Journal. The leadership award recognizes women “who exhibit dedication to their careers, families, community, and the young adults they mentor. They have outstanding talent and have raised the bar. These overachievers are truly worth watching.” Chelsea is a Partner in our Appellate, Commercial & Complex Litigation, and Employment & Labor Law Practice Groups. She serves as Vice-Chair of the Employment & Labor Law Practice Group. Chelsea also serves on the executive boards of the Appellate Litigation Section of the Nevada State Bar, Nevada Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, and Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows. The leadership award includes a Q&A with Chelsea available at https://lnkd.in/gS6KXdcH.