Eighth Judicial District Court, Clark County, Nevada
Judge Elissa Cadish graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 1986, receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in Political Science. She received her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1989. After graduation, she moved to Las Vegas and clerked for two years for Honorable Philip M. Pro in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada.
Judge Cadish then entered private practice where she focused on commercial litigation and employment law. She practiced most recently at Hale Lane Peek Dennison and Howard, where she worked from 1995 until August of 2007, becoming a shareholder at Hale Lane in 2000. In July of 2007, she was appointed to fill the District Judge vacancy in Department 6 where she presently serves.
Judge Cadish was President of the Southern Nevada Association of Women Attorneys from 2004 to 2006, and remains an active member in that organization. She is also a Master in the Howard D. McKibben Inn of Court. She was Chair of the Court’s Civil Bench Bar Committee from 2008 until 2011, President of the Howard D. McKibben Chapter of the American Inn of Court from 2010 to 2012, Judicial Representative on the Clark County Bar Association’s Executive Board from January 2010 to December 2011, and is currently Chair of the State Bar’s Law Related Education Committee. She was honored as the Clark County Bar Association’s Ambassador of the Year for 2010, the Trial by Peers Judge of the Year for 2009, and a recipient of the Clark County Law Foundation’s Liberty Bell Award in 2016. She was recently elected to membership in the American Law Institute. Judge Cadish hears civil and criminal cases in District Court.
Lieutenant Governor, State of Nevada
A third generation Nevadan, born and raised in Las Vegas, Lieutenant Governor Mark Hutchison is a husband, father and grandfather, constitutional lawyer, and business owner. He has a strong sense of commitment and dedication to Nevada and is deeply honored to represent the Silver State.
Mark was raised in a modest blue-collar family and is the product of Nevada’s public education system. After he graduated from Bonanza High School Mark earned his business administration degree, Phi Kappa Phi, from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and received his law degree, magna cum laude, from Brigham Young University. Following law school Mark clerked for a judge on the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Indiana. Mark then worked for a national law firm until returning to Nevada and founding his own law firm in 1996 with his good friend, John Steffen. Today, Mark is the senior partner at Hutchison & Steffen, one of the largest law firms in the state, employing nearly one hundred Nevadans. Mark has been widely recognized by his peers and clients as a skilled an effective lawyer. As a result, Mark has been a key figure in some of Nevada’s most significant governmental disputes at the intersection of law and politics.
On November 4, 2014, Mark Hutchison was elected to serve as Nevada’s 34th Lieutenant Governor. Prior to running for lieutenant governor, Mark had a long history of public service. Mark served on the Nevada Commission on Ethics for six years, two of which he chaired the commission. Mark also had the pleasure of serving in the Nevada State Senate (Senate District 6) to which he was elected in 2012. In addition to his service in the public sector Mark served as a member of numerous non-profit and community organizations, some of which he is still active in today.
Mark was sworn in to office on January 5, 2015. As Lieutenant Governor, Mark is a member of Governor Brian Sandoval’s cabinet and serves as President of the State Senate. Mark is the Chairman of the Commission on Tourism, Vice-Chairman of the State Board of Transportation, a member of the Board of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, and a member of the Executive Budget Audit Committee. On November 17, 2015 Mark was appointed to the Governor’s Commission on Homeland Security and was later appointed to the Commission’s subcommittee on Cyber Security where he serves as Chairman. On February 9, 2017, Mark was appointed as Chairman of the Governor's Committee on Energy Choice. Mark also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Public Education Foundation and as Co-Chair of What’s Next Nevada?
When not focused on his duties as Lieutenant Governor or at his law firm, Mark is focused on his family. Mark and his wife Cary have been married for thirty years and together they have six children and six grandchildren. Mark enjoys doing just about anything with his family and has spent many enjoyable years coaching the athletic teams of his children and their friends. When he can, Mark continues to help the football team at Palo Verde High School where his youngest son still plays. Mark and his family are also active in their church. During his limited free time, Mark enjoys running, collecting leatherback books, and writing.
Managing Shareholder, Saltzman Mugan Dushoff, PLLC
Over the course of his twenty-plus years as an attorney in Las Vegas, Mr. Saltzman has developed a corporate law practice focused on financial institution and liquor law. He assists businesses in their formation, licensing and governance matters; he also counsels businesses on corporate mergers and acquisition matters. He assists highly regulated financial institutions and captive insurance companies in corporate and regulatory compliance matters and he has testified before the Nevada legislature as an expert on trust company legislation and drafted portions of Nevada law relating to the chartering and operation of Nevada trust companies. He has counseled trust companies and financial service firms on Blockchain and cryptocurrency related legal compliance matters.
Mr. Saltzman has developed and managed the firm’s liquor law practice into Nevada’s largest alcohol beverage specialty law practice group. He and his team of attorneys and paralegals assist a wide range of liquor retailers, wholesalers and suppliers in licensing and compliance matters in all Nevada jurisdictions. More information on Mr. Saltzman’s liquor law practice can be found at his blog: www.nvliquorlaw.com
Matthew Saltzman received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Philosophy from University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1987. In 1993, he received his Juris Doctor from University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where he was also Executive Editor of the University of Pittsburgh Law Review and served as teaching assistant for the Legal Research and Writing course.
Nevada Court of Appeals, Department 1
Judge Jerome T. Tao was appointed to the Court of Appeals, Department 1, by Governor Brian Sandoval in December 2014.
Judge Tao was appointed by Governor Sandoval in January 2011 to the Eighth Judicial District Court. As a District Court Judge, he earned a retention rating of 86 percent in the December 2013 Las Vegas Review-Journal “Judging the Judges” survey, which was the fourth-highest score among the 32 judges in the civil-criminal division of the Eighth Judicial District Court. In 2014, Judge Tao was re-elected to the District Court in a landslide, winning more than 67% of the vote, and following his appointment to the Court of Appeals was re-elected in 2016 with 70% of the vote.
Previously he served at various times as a Clark County Deputy District Attorney, Chief Deputy Public Defender, and as a civil attorney in private practice. He has been active in a variety of community organizations including Leadership Las Vegas, Focus Las Vegas, the UNLV Vice-President’s Commission on Diversity, and serves on the adjunct faculty of the UNLV Boyd Law School, teaching classes in trial advocacy.
In 2017, Judge Tao was elected to The American Law Institute, the leading independent organization in the United States producing scholarly work to clarify, modernize, and improve the law. By participating in the Institute’s work, Judge Tao influences the development of the law in both existing and emerging areas.
Judge Tao is a graduate of Cornell University (B.S. 1989) and the George Washington University (J.D. 1992, with honors), where he served on the Law Review and the Moot Court Board.
Jason Bedrick is director of policy for EdChoice. Previously, he was policy analyst with the Cato Institute’s Center for Educational Freedom. He also served as a legislator in the New Hampshire House of Representatives and was an education policy research fellow at the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy.
Bedrick received his master’s degree in public policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where he was a fellow at the Taubman Center for State and Local Government. His thesis, “Choosing to Learn,” assessed scholarship tax credit programs operating in eight states, including their program design, impact on student performance, fiscal impact, and popularity.
Of Counsel, Fisher & Phillips, LLP
Greg Grisham has over 25 years of successful experience counseling and representing employers in all aspects of workplace law in Tennessee and across the United States.
He has helped employers avoid claims, charges and lawsuits with a focus on preventative practices. Preventative practices include counseling in situations involving discipline, termination, demotion, promotion and other workplace changes in the terms and conditions of employment, harassment investigations, wage and hour compliance, FMLA Compliance, Reasonable Accommodation assessment, supervisor training and the review of employment policies and procedures. In addition, Greg's practice includes the representation of business entities subject to Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act in Public Accommodation cases.
Greg has successfully litigated hundreds of administrative charges, employment lawsuits, and arbitration demands on behalf of employers, including federal and state law claims alleging discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, defamation, invasion of privacy, breach of contract, wage and hour violations and ERISA violations, among others. He also represents employers before the National Labor Relations Board in unfair labor practice proceedings. He represents employers in the enforcement of post-employment restrictive covenants such as non-compete, non-solicitation and non-disclosure agreements and related trade secret litigation. Greg's practice also includes the defense of property owners and property management companies in federal and state Housing Discrimination charges and litigation. He also advises Tennessee Public Charter Schools on education law and workplace compliance matters.
Greg has extensive experience working with insurance carriers and their insureds in the defense of EPLI claims. He is a regular speaker at public seminars on workplace law issues and has authored numerous articles on a variety of labor and employment law related topics.
Greg holds an AV Preeminent Peer Review rating from Martindale-Hubbell and has been selected for inclusion in Mid-South Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America for Employment Litigation-Management side. Greg was elected as a 2016 Fellow to the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and has been selected to the “Top 20 Lawyers in Traditional Labor & Employment Law” list in conjunction with Human Resource Executive Magazine and LawDragon’s 2017 and 2018 “Most Powerful Employment Attorneys” lists and specialty guides. Greg was also named a Fellow in the American Bar Foundation in 2017.
Partner and Co-Chair, Public Policy Group, Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP
Mark Behrens co-chairs Shook's Washington, DC-based Public Policy Practice Group and is a leading national expert on civil justice issues with over thirty years of experience. A substantial part of his practice is working to improve the civil litigation environment through state and federal legislation; in the courts through amicus curiae briefs; through legal scholarship and judicial education; and in the court of public opinion.
Mark is actively involved in civil justice reform efforts at the federal and state levels. He has testified before the U.S. Congress and most state legislatures on behalf of business and civil justice organizations. Mark also has an active amicus brief practice specializing in tort liability and civil justice issues. He has authored or co-authored over 150 amicus briefs in cases before the United States Supreme Court and federal and state appellate courts on behalf of business, civil justice, and defense lawyer organizations. In addition, Mark routinely files comments on behalf of business, civil justice, and defense lawyer organizations regarding potential changes to federal and state court rules. He chairs the International Association of Defense Counsel’s (IADC) Civil Justice Response Committee and serves on the Board of Directors of Lawyers for Civil Justice (LCJ).
Mark is a member of the American Law Institute (ALI). He received his J.D. in 1990 from Vanderbilt University Law School, where he was a member of the Vanderbilt Law Review. He received his B.A. in economics from the University of Wisconsin in 1987.
Of Counsel, Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP
Chris’ public policy work focuses on tort law and civil justice system reform. His work is generally divided among legislative efforts, appellate litigation, and liability counseling. Chris has drafted model legislation to be introduced on the state and federal level, testified on numerous legislative initiatives, and authored amicus briefs to state supreme courts and federal appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. He also serves as an adviser to various business groups and trade associations interested in tort liability issues and civil justice system reform.
In addition, Chris is an elected member of the American Law Institute (ALI), and has assisted in the development of a variety of ALI projects implicating liability law. He has also been a recurrent guest lecturer at the U.S. Department of Justice and Wake Forest University School of Law, as well as a speaker at numerous legal conferences and industry group meetings, on issues related to tort law. Chris has additionally produced significant scholarship in the area of liability law. He has authored more than 50 legal publications on a wide range of liability issues, including articles in the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, UPenn Journal of Business Law, and Duke Journal of Constitutional Law & Public Policy, and has served as a contributor to tort casebooks.
Partner and Co-Chair, Public Policy Group, Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP
Mark Behrens co-chairs Shook's Washington, DC-based Public Policy Practice Group and is a leading national expert on civil justice issues with over thirty years of experience. A substantial part of his practice is working to improve the civil litigation environment through state and federal legislation; in the courts through amicus curiae briefs; through legal scholarship and judicial education; and in the court of public opinion.
Mark is actively involved in civil justice reform efforts at the federal and state levels. He has testified before the U.S. Congress and most state legislatures on behalf of business and civil justice organizations. Mark also has an active amicus brief practice specializing in tort liability and civil justice issues. He has authored or co-authored over 150 amicus briefs in cases before the United States Supreme Court and federal and state appellate courts on behalf of business, civil justice, and defense lawyer organizations. In addition, Mark routinely files comments on behalf of business, civil justice, and defense lawyer organizations regarding potential changes to federal and state court rules. He chairs the International Association of Defense Counsel’s (IADC) Civil Justice Response Committee and serves on the Board of Directors of Lawyers for Civil Justice (LCJ).
Mark is a member of the American Law Institute (ALI). He received his J.D. in 1990 from Vanderbilt University Law School, where he was a member of the Vanderbilt Law Review. He received his B.A. in economics from the University of Wisconsin in 1987.
Assemblyman, Nevada State Assembly
Erven T. Nelson represents Assembly District 5 in the Nevada Assembly. Previously, he was a partner at Durham, Jones & Pinegar where he specialized in real estate and business law. Erv has deep roots in this community, moving to Las Vegas as a child. As a boy and teenager he was involved in little league, Boy Scouts, church activities, water sports at Lake Mead and skiing at Lee Canyon.
After graduating from Clark High School, Erv served a two-year mission for his church in Tokyo, Japan. When he returned from japan, Erv entered BYU where he met and married his wife, Lisa. Erv went on to study law at BYU graduating with honors in 1983. The Nelsons returned to Las Vegas in 1987 moving to the Lakes area where they continue to raise thier 7 children. Erv has been active in the community in many volunteer and leadership positions.
Managing Shareholder, Saltzman Mugan Dushoff, PLLC
Over the course of his twenty-plus years as an attorney in Las Vegas, Mr. Saltzman has developed a corporate law practice focused on financial institution and liquor law. He assists businesses in their formation, licensing and governance matters; he also counsels businesses on corporate mergers and acquisition matters. He assists highly regulated financial institutions and captive insurance companies in corporate and regulatory compliance matters and he has testified before the Nevada legislature as an expert on trust company legislation and drafted portions of Nevada law relating to the chartering and operation of Nevada trust companies. He has counseled trust companies and financial service firms on Blockchain and cryptocurrency related legal compliance matters.
Mr. Saltzman has developed and managed the firm’s liquor law practice into Nevada’s largest alcohol beverage specialty law practice group. He and his team of attorneys and paralegals assist a wide range of liquor retailers, wholesalers and suppliers in licensing and compliance matters in all Nevada jurisdictions. More information on Mr. Saltzman’s liquor law practice can be found at his blog: www.nvliquorlaw.com
Matthew Saltzman received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Philosophy from University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1987. In 1993, he received his Juris Doctor from University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where he was also Executive Editor of the University of Pittsburgh Law Review and served as teaching assistant for the Legal Research and Writing course.
Partner, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
Andy excels at solving complex problems for his clients using a variety of effective strategies. As former Chief Deputy Attorney General for the State of Wisconsin, Andy Cook has extensive experience representing businesses before state Attorneys General involving investigations and lawsuits. His strong relationships with Attorneys General and their senior staff frequently facilitate the successful resolution of client issues through diplomacy and negotiations. When litigation becomes necessary, Andy effectively advocates for clients throughout the litigation process.
Andy combines his legal expertise in numerous areas of law covered by state Attorneys General, an understanding of how state AG offices operate, and vast knowledge of legal and regulatory issues facing his clients. This substantive and comprehensive legal approach is crucial to effectively representing clients before state Attorneys General. Andy also has substantial experience drafting and enacting complex civil liability reforms before state legislatures to successfully address client goals.
Andy’s main practice focuses on advising Fortune 500 companies before state Attorneys General in the areas of antitrust, consumer protection, False Claims Act, environmental law, and cybersecurity and data privacy. Andy, in collaboration with a team of attorneys, successfully navigated a client through antitrust regulatory review by state Attorneys General in one of the nation’s largest mergers of two major telecommunication companies. Andy also worked with a team of lawyers representing a large corporation involving the multistate opioids litigation brought by state Attorneys General.
Andy gained valuable experience serving as Deputy Attorney General for the State of Wisconsin where he was the second in command of the 700-plus state agency. In his role as Chief Deputy Attorney General, Andy oversaw the day-to-day operations at the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ); directed the State’s litigation strategy; negotiated, reviewed, and approved all settlements; drafted and reviewed attorney general opinions; managed the agency’s budget; oversaw civil and criminal investigations handled by DOJ; and managed DOJ’s legislative agenda.
Andy played college hockey and remains active by running, cross country skiing, and playing golf. On the weekends, Andy and his wife enjoy watching their kids’ sporting events, including soccer, baseball, gymnastics, and track. In his rare spare time, Andy reads history books.
Attorney, Lobbyist & Communications Professional, Kelchen Consulting
Eighth Judicial District Court, Clark County, Nevada
Judge Elissa Cadish graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 1986, receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in Political Science. She received her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1989. After graduation, she moved to Las Vegas and clerked for two years for Honorable Philip M. Pro in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada.
Judge Cadish then entered private practice where she focused on commercial litigation and employment law. She practiced most recently at Hale Lane Peek Dennison and Howard, where she worked from 1995 until August of 2007, becoming a shareholder at Hale Lane in 2000. In July of 2007, she was appointed to fill the District Judge vacancy in Department 6 where she presently serves.
Judge Cadish was President of the Southern Nevada Association of Women Attorneys from 2004 to 2006, and remains an active member in that organization. She is also a Master in the Howard D. McKibben Inn of Court. She was Chair of the Court’s Civil Bench Bar Committee from 2008 until 2011, President of the Howard D. McKibben Chapter of the American Inn of Court from 2010 to 2012, Judicial Representative on the Clark County Bar Association’s Executive Board from January 2010 to December 2011, and is currently Chair of the State Bar’s Law Related Education Committee. She was honored as the Clark County Bar Association’s Ambassador of the Year for 2010, the Trial by Peers Judge of the Year for 2009, and a recipient of the Clark County Law Foundation’s Liberty Bell Award in 2016. She was recently elected to membership in the American Law Institute. Judge Cadish hears civil and criminal cases in District Court.
Lieutenant Governor, State of Nevada
A third generation Nevadan, born and raised in Las Vegas, Lieutenant Governor Mark Hutchison is a husband, father and grandfather, constitutional lawyer, and business owner. He has a strong sense of commitment and dedication to Nevada and is deeply honored to represent the Silver State.
Mark was raised in a modest blue-collar family and is the product of Nevada’s public education system. After he graduated from Bonanza High School Mark earned his business administration degree, Phi Kappa Phi, from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and received his law degree, magna cum laude, from Brigham Young University. Following law school Mark clerked for a judge on the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Indiana. Mark then worked for a national law firm until returning to Nevada and founding his own law firm in 1996 with his good friend, John Steffen. Today, Mark is the senior partner at Hutchison & Steffen, one of the largest law firms in the state, employing nearly one hundred Nevadans. Mark has been widely recognized by his peers and clients as a skilled an effective lawyer. As a result, Mark has been a key figure in some of Nevada’s most significant governmental disputes at the intersection of law and politics.
On November 4, 2014, Mark Hutchison was elected to serve as Nevada’s 34th Lieutenant Governor. Prior to running for lieutenant governor, Mark had a long history of public service. Mark served on the Nevada Commission on Ethics for six years, two of which he chaired the commission. Mark also had the pleasure of serving in the Nevada State Senate (Senate District 6) to which he was elected in 2012. In addition to his service in the public sector Mark served as a member of numerous non-profit and community organizations, some of which he is still active in today.
Mark was sworn in to office on January 5, 2015. As Lieutenant Governor, Mark is a member of Governor Brian Sandoval’s cabinet and serves as President of the State Senate. Mark is the Chairman of the Commission on Tourism, Vice-Chairman of the State Board of Transportation, a member of the Board of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, and a member of the Executive Budget Audit Committee. On November 17, 2015 Mark was appointed to the Governor’s Commission on Homeland Security and was later appointed to the Commission’s subcommittee on Cyber Security where he serves as Chairman. On February 9, 2017, Mark was appointed as Chairman of the Governor's Committee on Energy Choice. Mark also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Public Education Foundation and as Co-Chair of What’s Next Nevada?
When not focused on his duties as Lieutenant Governor or at his law firm, Mark is focused on his family. Mark and his wife Cary have been married for thirty years and together they have six children and six grandchildren. Mark enjoys doing just about anything with his family and has spent many enjoyable years coaching the athletic teams of his children and their friends. When he can, Mark continues to help the football team at Palo Verde High School where his youngest son still plays. Mark and his family are also active in their church. During his limited free time, Mark enjoys running, collecting leatherback books, and writing.
Managing Shareholder, Saltzman Mugan Dushoff, PLLC
Over the course of his twenty-plus years as an attorney in Las Vegas, Mr. Saltzman has developed a corporate law practice focused on financial institution and liquor law. He assists businesses in their formation, licensing and governance matters; he also counsels businesses on corporate mergers and acquisition matters. He assists highly regulated financial institutions and captive insurance companies in corporate and regulatory compliance matters and he has testified before the Nevada legislature as an expert on trust company legislation and drafted portions of Nevada law relating to the chartering and operation of Nevada trust companies. He has counseled trust companies and financial service firms on Blockchain and cryptocurrency related legal compliance matters.
Mr. Saltzman has developed and managed the firm’s liquor law practice into Nevada’s largest alcohol beverage specialty law practice group. He and his team of attorneys and paralegals assist a wide range of liquor retailers, wholesalers and suppliers in licensing and compliance matters in all Nevada jurisdictions. More information on Mr. Saltzman’s liquor law practice can be found at his blog: www.nvliquorlaw.com
Matthew Saltzman received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Philosophy from University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1987. In 1993, he received his Juris Doctor from University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where he was also Executive Editor of the University of Pittsburgh Law Review and served as teaching assistant for the Legal Research and Writing course.
Nevada Court of Appeals, Department 1
Judge Jerome T. Tao was appointed to the Court of Appeals, Department 1, by Governor Brian Sandoval in December 2014.
Judge Tao was appointed by Governor Sandoval in January 2011 to the Eighth Judicial District Court. As a District Court Judge, he earned a retention rating of 86 percent in the December 2013 Las Vegas Review-Journal “Judging the Judges” survey, which was the fourth-highest score among the 32 judges in the civil-criminal division of the Eighth Judicial District Court. In 2014, Judge Tao was re-elected to the District Court in a landslide, winning more than 67% of the vote, and following his appointment to the Court of Appeals was re-elected in 2016 with 70% of the vote.
Previously he served at various times as a Clark County Deputy District Attorney, Chief Deputy Public Defender, and as a civil attorney in private practice. He has been active in a variety of community organizations including Leadership Las Vegas, Focus Las Vegas, the UNLV Vice-President’s Commission on Diversity, and serves on the adjunct faculty of the UNLV Boyd Law School, teaching classes in trial advocacy.
In 2017, Judge Tao was elected to The American Law Institute, the leading independent organization in the United States producing scholarly work to clarify, modernize, and improve the law. By participating in the Institute’s work, Judge Tao influences the development of the law in both existing and emerging areas.
Judge Tao is a graduate of Cornell University (B.S. 1989) and the George Washington University (J.D. 1992, with honors), where he served on the Law Review and the Moot Court Board.
Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, and Former United States Secretary of Labor
Eugene Scalia is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, co-chair of the firm’s Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice Group, and a senior member of the firm’s Labor and Employment Practice Group and Financial Institutions Practice Group. He returned to the firm after serving as U.S. Secretary of Labor from September 2019 to January 2021.
Mr. Scalia has a nationally-prominent practice in two areas: Labor and employment law, and advice and litigation regarding the regulatory obligations of federal administrative agencies. He also has extensive appellate experience. Federal regulatory actions he has challenged include the SEC’s “proxy access” rule; the CFTC’s “position limits’” rule; MetLife’s designation as “too big to fail” by the Financial Services Oversight Council; the Labor Department’s “fiduciary” rule; and OSHA’s “cooperative compliance program.”
As Labor Secretary, Mr. Scalia engaged at the highest level with national employment policy and matters affecting the financial services industry and international trade, overseeing the enforcement and administration of more than 180 federal employment laws covering more than 150 million workers and 10 million workplaces. He also served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and as a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. He was closely involved in the drafting and implementation of the CARES Act and other coronavirus-related legislation. Laws administered by the Labor Department also include the workplace safety requirements of OSHA and the Mine Safety and Health Administration, federal minimum wage and overtime protections, the anti-discrimination requirements applicable to federal contractors, and ERISA’s protection of the more than $11 trillion held in employee retirement plans and health plans.
Mr. Scalia served from 2002 to 2003 as Solicitor of the U.S. Department of Labor, with responsibility for all Labor Department litigation and legal advice on rulemakings and administrative law. He is the only person to have served as both Solicitor and Secretary of Labor.
He also served at the U.S. Department of Justice as a Special Assistant to the Attorney General, receiving the Department’s Edmund J. Randolph Award in 1993.
In private practice, Mr. Scalia has represented employers in high-profile matters under the National Labor Relations Act and in class actions and collective actions under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, ERISA, and federal and state wage hour laws. He has extensive experience in federal district court, the courts of appeals, and in the arbitration of employment disputes. He has been a leading authority on “whistleblower” investigations and litigation since the 2002 enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Mr. Scalia also counsels employers on reductions-in-force and the proper conduct of harassment and discrimination investigations. He has provided pro bono representation to workers in discrimination matters, wrongful separation disputes, and other matters.
Mr. Scalia is a Senior Fellow of the Administrative Conference of the United States, a federal agency that makes recommendations to Congress and the Executive Branch on ways to improve the administrative process. He is the author of more than 30 articles and papers on labor and employment law, administrative law, and other subjects. Among other accolades, he has been named an “Employment MVP,” a “Securities MVP,” and an “Appellate MVP” by Law360. The National Law Journal recognized Mr. Scalia as a “Visionary” for his litigation against financial regulatory agencies, and the Nation magazine has called him a “fearsome litigator.” He has been a Lecturer in labor and employment law at the University of Chicago Law School.
Mr. Scalia graduated cum laude from the University of Chicago Law School, where he was editor-in-chief of the Law Review. He graduated With Distinction from the University of Virginia in 1985 and was a speechwriter for Education Secretary William J. Bennett before attending law school. Mr. Scalia and his wife Trish have seven children.
Partner and Co-Chair, Public Policy Group, Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP
Mark Behrens co-chairs Shook's Washington, DC-based Public Policy Practice Group and is a leading national expert on civil justice issues with over thirty years of experience. A substantial part of his practice is working to improve the civil litigation environment through state and federal legislation; in the courts through amicus curiae briefs; through legal scholarship and judicial education; and in the court of public opinion.
Mark is actively involved in civil justice reform efforts at the federal and state levels. He has testified before the U.S. Congress and most state legislatures on behalf of business and civil justice organizations. Mark also has an active amicus brief practice specializing in tort liability and civil justice issues. He has authored or co-authored over 150 amicus briefs in cases before the United States Supreme Court and federal and state appellate courts on behalf of business, civil justice, and defense lawyer organizations. In addition, Mark routinely files comments on behalf of business, civil justice, and defense lawyer organizations regarding potential changes to federal and state court rules. He chairs the International Association of Defense Counsel’s (IADC) Civil Justice Response Committee and serves on the Board of Directors of Lawyers for Civil Justice (LCJ).
Mark is a member of the American Law Institute (ALI). He received his J.D. in 1990 from Vanderbilt University Law School, where he was a member of the Vanderbilt Law Review. He received his B.A. in economics from the University of Wisconsin in 1987.
Assemblyman, Nevada State Assembly
Erven T. Nelson represents Assembly District 5 in the Nevada Assembly. Previously, he was a partner at Durham, Jones & Pinegar where he specialized in real estate and business law. Erv has deep roots in this community, moving to Las Vegas as a child. As a boy and teenager he was involved in little league, Boy Scouts, church activities, water sports at Lake Mead and skiing at Lee Canyon.
After graduating from Clark High School, Erv served a two-year mission for his church in Tokyo, Japan. When he returned from japan, Erv entered BYU where he met and married his wife, Lisa. Erv went on to study law at BYU graduating with honors in 1983. The Nelsons returned to Las Vegas in 1987 moving to the Lakes area where they continue to raise thier 7 children. Erv has been active in the community in many volunteer and leadership positions.
Managing Shareholder, Saltzman Mugan Dushoff, PLLC
Over the course of his twenty-plus years as an attorney in Las Vegas, Mr. Saltzman has developed a corporate law practice focused on financial institution and liquor law. He assists businesses in their formation, licensing and governance matters; he also counsels businesses on corporate mergers and acquisition matters. He assists highly regulated financial institutions and captive insurance companies in corporate and regulatory compliance matters and he has testified before the Nevada legislature as an expert on trust company legislation and drafted portions of Nevada law relating to the chartering and operation of Nevada trust companies. He has counseled trust companies and financial service firms on Blockchain and cryptocurrency related legal compliance matters.
Mr. Saltzman has developed and managed the firm’s liquor law practice into Nevada’s largest alcohol beverage specialty law practice group. He and his team of attorneys and paralegals assist a wide range of liquor retailers, wholesalers and suppliers in licensing and compliance matters in all Nevada jurisdictions. More information on Mr. Saltzman’s liquor law practice can be found at his blog: www.nvliquorlaw.com
Matthew Saltzman received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Philosophy from University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1987. In 1993, he received his Juris Doctor from University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where he was also Executive Editor of the University of Pittsburgh Law Review and served as teaching assistant for the Legal Research and Writing course.
Nevada Supreme Court Candidate Forum
Elissa Cadish, Mark Hutchison, Matthew Saltzman, Jerry Tao
On September 28, 2018, the Las Vegas Lawyers Chapter hosted a luncheon forum featuring two...
Nevada Supreme Court Candidate Forum
Las Vegas Lawyers Chapter
Las Vegas, NVThe Constitutionality of School Choice Tax Credits (Gaddy v. Georgia Department of Revenue)
Jason Bedrick
The Georgia Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in Gaddy v. Georgia Department of Revenue continues the unbroken record...
Beyond the Red-Blue Divide: An Overview of Current Trends in State Non-Compete Law
J. Gregory Grisham
Introduction Covenants not to compete (“non-competes”)[1] have a long history dating back to the medieval...
Topics
SCOTUS Opinions and Orders update
Today the Supreme Court issued three opinions and a new Order List. A short summary follows:...
Small Dinner Event Featuring Eugene Scalia
Washington, District of Columbia2015 Civil Justice Update
Mark A. Behrens, Christopher Appel
This paper recaps key civil justice reforms that occurred in 2015. Part I focuses on...
Judicial Activism and the Nevada Judiciary: A National Perspective
Mark A. Behrens, Erven T. Nelson, Matthew Saltzman
Mark Behrens, co-chair of the Washington, DC-based Public Policy Group of Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.,...
Judicial Activism and the Nevada Judiciary: A National Perspective
Las Vegas Lawyers Chapter
Las Vegas, NVState Court Challenges to Legislatively Enacted Tort Reforms
Andrew Cook, Emily Kelchen
Introduction Over the past three decades, proponents of civil liability reform have made significant gains.1 Propelled...