George F. Ogilvie III

Contact

Office: 702.873.4100 gogilvie@mcdonaldcarano.com

Practice Areas

Professional Background

George serves as the Firm Managing Partner of McDonald Carano LLP, a preeminent statewide law firm founded in 1949 with offices in Las Vegas, Reno, and Carson City. George joined McDonald Carano in 1992, and in 1994 was elected to the Partnership of the firm, and became the Managing Partner of the Las Vegas office and a member of the Executive Committee. In 2019, he was elected to serve as Firm Managing Partner. When George joined McDonald Carano in 1992, the Firm was comprised of 23 attorneys and has grown to more than 60 attorneys and government affairs professionals serving clients throughout Nevada.

George’s litigation practice focuses on representing clients in complex high-exposure construction and commercial disputes. He has successfully first-chaired dozens of jury trials, bench trials, and private arbitrations, and numerous prevailing oral arguments before the Nevada Supreme Court. George also appears on behalf of clients before municipal boards and governmental agencies.

George’s construction law and litigation practice primarily involves major public works projects and critical energy infrastructure, as well as large-scale private commercial projects including mixed-use development and redevelopment projects, state-of-the-art industrial and manufacturing facilities, the most advanced professional sports stadiums, and high-end casinos, hotels, resorts and entertainment complexes that continually reinvent the Las Vegas Skyline.

With more than 30 years of experience, George’s comprehensive expertise encompasses the life span of a construction project, including planning, permitting, licensing, site acquisition, easements, development, design, engineering, bidding, procurement, contracts and contracting, risk management, and dispute resolution. Geroge has represented owners, developers, contractors, subcontractors, designers, engineers, architects, suppliers, and other major vendors on projects of all types throughout Nevada. The majority of George’s representations include contractor-owner disputes, general contractor-subcontractor disputes, and construction defects.

George has handled many highly publicized legal issues relating to the prominent business activities that have transformed the Las Vegas landscape. For example, George was lead counsel for the general contractor in the $1 Billion litigation involving the construction of the $8+ Billion CityCenter, lead counsel for the general contractor in the litigation involving the $500 million Planet Hollywood Towers project, and lead counsel for the general contractor in the litigation involving the River Mountains Water Treatment Facility and the Raw Water Pumping System Expansion at Lake Mead. (On May 29, 2026, George was interviewed on Nevada Newsmakers about the CityCenter litigation. You may view the interview at https://www.nevadanewsmakers.com/video/default.asp?showID=4744.)

George is ranked in the highest Band 1 category in Construction Law & Litigation in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, the premier global resource for selecting outside counsel. Clients describe George to Chambers researchers as “outstanding and fearless which is important to being a great litigator.” “George is an extremely good lawyer.” “He has a very good reputation in construction law cases, where he handles the larger matters.” “George is a very experienced attorney with a very good reputation among both lawyers and judges.” “George is a consummate professional.” “We are lucky to have George litigate our case. He is brilliant and has a wealth of knowledge. What impresses us most is his hands on approach – he is personally involved on a day-to-day basis.”

As a native Las Vegan and fifth generation Nevadan, George is committed to public service and advocacy for the people of Nevada by serving in leadership positions at numerous civic organizations. In 2007, the Governor of the State of Nevada appointed George to the Colorado River Commission, which acts as the steward of Nevada’s allocation of Colorado River water and electrical resources. He served as Chairman of the Commission under two Governors from 2009 to 2016. For nearly 10 years, he led, served, and worked with staff and other Commission members on water and energy issues critical to Nevada’s future. He has also provided numerous years of volunteer service to Nevada’s judicial system by serving on multiple Eighth Judicial District Court committees, including its Technology Committee and the Business Court Rules Committee. George currently serves on the Government Affairs Committee of the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce.

Education and Certifications

J.D., University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law, 1988
B.A., Philosophy, University of California, Los Angeles, 1985

Bar Admissions

Nevada

Awards and Recognition

100 Managing Partners You Need To Know – Lawdragon (2026)
Nevada Business Magazine – Most Respected Leaders (2025)
Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business – Band 1, Construction Law & Litigation (2013-2026)
Martindale-Hubbell – AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating (since 2003)
100 Managing Partners You Need To Know – Lawdragon (2025)
Top 100 Alumni – University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law, 100-Year Anniversary celebration of “100 Exceptional Alumni” (2024)
The Best Lawyers in America “Lawyer of the Year” – Construction Law (2026, 2024, 2020)
The Best Lawyers in America “Lawyer of the Year” – Construction Litigation (2026, 2019)
The Best Lawyers in America – Construction Law (2008-2026)
The Best Lawyers in America – Construction Litigation (2011-2026)
The Best Lawyers in America – Commercial Litigation (2016-2026)
The Best Lawyers in America – Municipal Litigation (2024-2026)
Mountain States Super Lawyers – “Super Lawyers” (2007-2026)
Real Las Vegas – “Leading Lawyers of Las Vegas” (2024-2025)
Vegas Inc – “Top Lawyers” in Construction Law (2022-2024, the only lawyer listed in 2024 and 2022, and one of only two in 2023)
Nevada Business Magazine – “Top Rank Attorneys” (2008, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2019)

Publications

Feature Interview: Resolution of $1 Billion CityCenter Construction Litigation, Nevada Newsmakers, May 29, 2026
Author, “Five Principles of Law Firm Management: A Managing Partner’s Perspective,” Nevada Lawyer, September 2025
Feature Q&A: “How I Made Managing Partner: ‘Be the Uniting Voice of the Firm,’” Law Firm Leadership Series, Law.com, January 31, 2025
Feature Q&A: “Managing Partner Offers Leadership Insights on Nevada Firm’s 75th Anniversary,” Of Counsel: The Legal Practice and Management Report, September 2024
Quoted: “Prominent Nevada law firm looks back on 75 years of operations,” Las Vegas Review-Journal, June 9, 2024
Feature Q&A: “George Ogilvie: Managing Partner of Nevada’s Oldest Full-Service Law Firm,” Communiqué, June/July, 2024
Feature Interview: McDonald Carano Celebrates 75^th Anniversary, Nevada Newsmakers, April 30, 2024

Presentations

Panel Presenter: “Issues Facing Nevada’s Legal Profession,” Attorney Roundtable, Nevada Business Magazine, December 2024
Panel Presenter: “Issues Facing Nevada’s Legal Profession,” Attorney Roundtable, Nevada Business Magazine, December 1, 2023
Panel Moderator: “The View from Inside,” in-house counsel panel discussion, Meritas Law Firms Worldwide joint meeting of the US/Canada Litigation Practice Group and the Labor & Employment Practice Group, October 25, 2022
Panel Presenter: “Impact of COVID on the Legal Profession,” Attorney Roundtable, Nevada Business Magazine, December 1, 2021

Professional Affiliations

Member, Government Affairs Committee, Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce (29-member body representing a broad range of industries and employers)
Charter Fellow, Construction Lawyers Society of America (invitation-only international association of construction industry lawyers limited to 1,200 practicing Fellows)

Community Involvement

Past Trustee, Nevada Museum of Art
Past Chair, Colorado River Commission
Past Member, Las Vegas Founders Foundation
Past Chair, UNLV’s intercollegiate golf tournament
Past Coach, Nevada’s Olympic Development Program