WE ARE A “COMPANY” FIRM

By Albert G. Marquis , Esq.

People often ask, “What kind of law do you practice?” The answer to that question is that we do almost everything: real estate law, employment law, estate planning, construction law, commercial litigation, insurance defense, tax planning, government affairs and much else. But primarily, we represent companies and associations. We routinely form corporations, limited liabilities, partnerships, associations and charitable organizations for our clients. We like to act as “general counsel” for these companies--taking care of all of their legal needs and succeeding with them, almost like a partnership. (Some of our clients also have “in-house counsel.” I suppose that makes us “out-house counsel.”)

One of our routine tasks for these companies is to act as resident agent. We receive the annual list from the Secretary of State, make sure that it is updated and returned and that the proper fees are paid, remind our clients about the importance of annual minutes, and receipt important legal documents such as a summons and complaint when a client gets sued. This is an important function which we perform for the modest fee of $150 per year. As important as anything else, we ensure that a lawsuit does not go unanswered, as sometimes happens when a client handles these papers themselves.

At last count, M&A represented 830 corporations, limited liability companies and partnerships as well as several large non-profit organizations including the Las Vegas Police Department, the Greater Las Vegas Association of REALTORS® and the Clark County Housing Authority. We are proud to represent such prestigious organizations, and we want to thank all of the companies we represent for their faith and trust in our law firm. We will do everything within our power to exceed your expectations.

There is one reason that so many companies have chosen M&A as their law firm: We place the clients' interest first, and we are dedicated to protecting and promoting those interests to the very best of our ability. We only hire the best and brightest attorneys and professional staff, and along the way, we weed out individuals who do not demonstrate this dedication for the clients' interest. Consequently, we are left with the most capable, most dedicated attorneys and professional staff that you will find absolutely anywhere.

We have added all these additional people not because it is our objective to grow to a particular size, but because we never want to be too busy to handle our clients' needs. These 830 companies have come to rely upon the fact that we will be there when they need us, and we strive to have the expertise and the manpower to meet these needs on any given day. Therefore, none of our clients should be reluctant to bounce ideas off of us, send new business our way or recommend us to friends. We are always available for our clients.

When we moved into our new building on July 1, 2001, we had 18 attorneys. We anticipated that we would grow by two attorneys per year, and that we would not fully occupy our building for another 10 years. However, it seems like the word about our law firm has gotten around. At present, we have 33 attorneys along with three law clerks and 10 paralegals (75 employees altogether). We have been here for four years, and already we have to start making plans for more space.

But we are not complaining. We love the fact that employees and clients stick with us for the long term. We love the fact that clients recommend us to others. We will just have to continue bringing in good people and looking for more office space.

Our goal is to make our clients successful. Along the way, we get to become successful too. What a great relationship!