Utah law firm makes play for strong Nevada presence

Parsons Behle and Latimer, based in Salt Lake City, has acquired Reno business law firm Marshall Hill Cassas and de Lipkau.

"We want to grow and develop along with the growth in Nevada," says Raymond Etcheverry, president and chairman.

With more than 100 attorneys, Parsons Behle and Latimer is the largest law firm in Utah, says Ann Waters, manager of marketing and communications.

The firm fields six lawyers in Las Vegas and now eight in Reno.

Previously, the firm had served Nevada clients from its Salt Lake City office.

"But we wanted a presence on the ground," says Etcheverry.

Primary Nevada clients include mining companies, highway construction and retail entities developing real estate, such as Home Depot.

Southern Nevada work includes cleanup of former industrial sites, now deemed more valuable for residential development.

And, water issues are prevalent throughout the state.

In northern Nevada, the firm has a strong intellectual property litigation practice, says Etcheverry.And it plans to further beef up that practice to keep pace with the many technology companies migrating from the Bay Area, which he expects to yield business on patents, trademarks, trade secrets and technical products.

"Historically, we have a strong mining and environmental background," says Etcheverry.

The firm's founder,W.H."Judge"Dickson, served as territorial district judge in Carson City; he opened a law office in Virginia City around 1874 to practice mining law, then moved it to Salt Lake City in 1882.

The Reno attorneys formerly with Marshall Hill Cassas and de Pipkau who have joined Parsons Behle and Latimer are Robert Marshall, Earl Hill, Frank Cassas, Ross de Lipkau, Rew Goodenow and Adam Pernsteiner.

They join Jim Butler, who had been a resident partner in Reno of Persons Behle and Latimer.