Remembering and Honoring Larry R. Hicks

Reno, NV (May 30, 2024) It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Larry R. Hicks who died after being struck by a vehicle near the federal courthouse in Reno.

On May 30, 2024, the national legal publication Law360 interviewed Reno office Partner Matt Addison. The article titled “Judge In Fatal Crash Remembered As Extraordinary Mentor” is provided below and available online here.

At the time of his death, he was serving as a U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Nevada. Larry was nominated by President George W. Bush to the U.S. District Court bench in 2001 and received bipartisan support from Nevada’s U.S. Senators John Ensign and Harry Reid. During his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing, Senator Reid described Larry as “a lawyer’s lawyer” and “simply one of the best.” Judge Hicks was sworn in as a federal judge in 2001. In 2013, he assumed Senior status and continued to carry an active caseload. In 2020, he was awarded the Nevada State Bar President’s Award for lifetime achievement.

Before joining the federal bench, Judge Hicks joined McDonald Carano in 1979 as a Partner and served as Chair of the firm’s litigation group from 1986 until joining the Court in 2001. During his time with McDonald Carano, Larry was elected President of the State Bar of Nevada in 1993 and served on its Board of Governors from 1988 to 1994. He was also a past president and master of the Bruce R. Thompson Chapter of the American Inns of Court in Reno and was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers in 1998. He also served as a delegate to the American Bar Association from 1994 until 2000.

Legal Legacy of Excellence
Larry, A.J. “Bud”, Josh, and Chris Hicks are featured in a special issue of Attorney at Law magazine titled “The Hicks Dynasty: a Legal Legacy of Excellence.”  The February 2025 issue “showcases lawyers who have carried on the family legacy of practicing law and the inspiration previous generations of lawyers have sparked in them. The practice of law has long been a family business with generations of lawyers following in the footsteps of their predecessors.” As the feature story explains, “With proud roots that run five generations deep in Nevada, the name Hicks has long been synonymous with premier legal acumen, an unwavering commitment to justice, and dedication to public service.” Please read the article here.

“Judge In Fatal Crash Remembered As ‘Extraordinary’ Mentor,” Law360, 5/30/2024

A Nevada federal judge who was reportedly struck and killed by a vehicle near the federal courthouse Wednesday is remembered as a loving family man, hardworking judge and mentor who was generous with his time. Senior U.S. District Judge Larry R. Hicks, 80, for the District of Nevada died Wednesday after the accident, according to a spokesperson for Judge Hicks’ son, Christopher Hicks, who currently serves as the Washoe County district attorney.

Before joining the federal bench, Judge Hicks was a senior partner at McDonald Carano. Matthew C. Addison, partner in McDonald Carano’s Reno office, told Law360 Pulse on Thursday that Judge Hicks was a trial lawyer who handled plaintiffs’ matters. Addison said Judge Hicks had mentored him before he joined the bench — offering him a summer associate job, then an associate role and finally offering a partnership at the firm.

“All the while he coached me, mentored me, gave me my first set of trials,”Addison said. “I actually tried a case with him one time as second chair and we won big. My impression is that he was the hardest worker that I had ever been around.” During a jury trial in rural Nevada, Addison said, he and Judge Hicks worked long hours into the night and still started again the next day at 7 a.m. “We went five straight days, he never blinked,” Addison said. “You could never tell he was tired or anything. He was the same guy the whole time and I was just so impressed by that.”

Addison said that while he was intimidated by Judge Hicks when he first met him, Judge Hicks quickly put him at ease. “He was also a very accomplished trial lawyer and I was just getting started in law school,” Addison said. “I was very intimidated by him at first, but then we started talking about Nevada. He went to Reno High School, too, and so did I; and how we shared a love for hunting and the outdoors, so he made me comfortable immediately.”

While Judge Hicks left the firm, his brother, A. J. “Bud” Hicks, is senior counsel at McDonald Carano and Bud Hicks’ son, Joshua Hicks, is head of its government affairs and advocacy group, Addison said. Addison said that Judge Hicks enjoyed spending time outdoors, duck hunting and spending time with family. “Everything in Judge Hicks’ life revolved around his family and eventually his grandchildren,” Addison said.

Judge Hicks also left a mark by helping young attorneys, Addison said. “He was always gracious,” Addison said. “He was always generous with his time. He was mostly generous with experiences.” Addison said Judge Hicks had a way of providing true learning experiences for young lawyers when he was in private practice. “He gave me my first jury trial when I was less than two years out of law school,” Addison said. “He sat in the back and watched me. For that, I think he did more for this legal community than anybody I can think of in terms of being an example of how to be an honorable, trustworthy and incredible lawyer. He was the kind of guy everyone trusted his word and knew he was a straight shooter.”

Judge Hicks first served as an attorney for the Washoe County district attorney’s office from 1968 until 1974 and then as the county’s district attorney from 1975 through 1979. After serving as a prosecutor, he was in private practice at McDonald Carano from 1979 until he joined the bench. He began serving on the federal bench in 2001 after being nominated by former President George W. Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Judge Hicks served as a senior judge since December 2012, according to the Federal Judicial Center’s website. Judge Hicks was a member of the State Bar of Nevada since 1968. Judge Hicks earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Nevada, Reno, and his law degree from the University of Colorado Law School.

Senior U.S. District Judge Robert C. Jones told Law360 Pulse on Thursday that he had served alongside Judge Hicks since he was appointed to the bench in 2003, a couple of years after Hicks was appointed to the federal bench. “Judge Hicks, when I moved up to Reno, he was a mentor, he was an example,” Judge Jones said. “I’d say his greatest qualities were his fairness, his patience, his tolerance and demeanor of people in the courtroom. People always felt welcomed in his courtroom. Without challenge, he’d let them say their piece but then he’d rule straightforward.”

Christopher Hicks said in a statement on behalf of the family that Judge Hicks was “an extraordinary man.” “Judge Larry Hicks was a deeply admired lawyer and judge, a devoted friend, mentor, and a committed servant to the administration of justice,” Hicks said. “To us, he was first and foremost a man who put nothing before family. He was a hero in all manners, a loving husband of nearly 59 years, a doting dad, an adoring papa, and brother. His loss is beyond comprehension.”

Michael W. Large, board member for the Washoe County Bar Association and deputy district attorney for the civil division for the Washoe County District, told Law360 Pulse on Thursday that Judge Hicks was a great man and will be truly missed. Large first met Judge Hicks while Large was doing a federal law clerkship for another judge. Large said he had tried cases in front of Judge Hicks when he was previously in the U.S. attorney’s office. “It was a pleasure to try cases in front of him,” Large said. “He was even- and fair-handed. I didn’t always agree with his rulings, but I understand the logic and intelligence behind his decisions.”

Large said Judge Hicks was a brilliant jurist, the epitome of a professional and a wonderful judge. On a personal level, Judge Hicks had a wry sense of humor and he was compassionate and caring, Large said. Large said knowing Judge Hicks was a privilege. “He was incredibly well trusted,” Large said. “He had impeccable integrity and people and clients really viewed as someone they could trust with their legal work and he brought that same passion into his personal life. He was very trustworthy. He left an indelible mark on the community.”

Judge Hicks’ high-profile cases included:

• Judge Hicks’ decision to grant summary judgment to Barrick Gold Corp. was affirmed in March 2014 when the Ninth Circuit refused to block a major Barrick mining project in Nevada and rejected a bid from Indian tribes claiming that work shouldn’t move forward because the project area includes a sacred religious site. After Barrick submitted a proposal for its gold mining project to the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management, three tribes and an advocacy group argued in a 2008 suit that the project violated the National Environmental Policy Act and other federal laws. The proposal covered more than 6,000 acres of public land and 221 acres of land owned by Barrick, which had intervened in the suit.
• Judge Hicks’ conviction of F. Harvey Whittemore, an attorney and former Nevada lobbyist accused of making more than $130,000 in illegal campaign contributions to U.S. Sen. Harry Reid’s 2010 reelection campaign, was upheld by the Ninth Circuit, which found enough evidence to support the conviction.
• Throughout his career, Judge Hicks also handled a case involving False Claims Act claims, an insurance coverage dispute and a breach of fiduciary duty suit that was sent to state court.

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