Appellate

Practice Areas

No matter the result in the trial court, many disputes are decided at the appellate level.  Often, the counsel you retain will make or break your chance of success on appeal because getting the right result requires specific appellate skills.  These include: insightful analysis of the issues; thorough research of the law; careful review of the factual record; persuasive brief writing; cogent oral argument; and knowledge of the rules.  McDonald Carano’s appellate team has the abilities in each of these areas to place it among the most experienced and qualified in Nevada.

McDonald Carano handles appeals – simple to complex – at all levels of appellate court and administrative agency review.  Our success spans the Nevada Supreme Court, California’s Court of Appeals and the Federal Court of Appeal, in particular the Ninth Circuit.  McDonald Carano played an instrumental role in the formation of Nevada’s Court of Appeals and the concurrent overhaul of the Nevada Rules of Appellate Procedure.  Our attorneys also serve as authors of numerous chapters in the regularly updated Nevada Appellate Practice Manual (2016, 2018 and 2021 editions).

The practice of appellate law demands intellectual acuity and discipline to develop precision briefs and compelling arguments. Our appellate team consistently delivers the exceptional writing, analytical acumen and oral advocacy skills needed to present our clients’ position in the most persuasive way possible. We also use our extensive and collective experience as judicial law clerks in the Nevada Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and other state and federal courts to develop appellate strategy and provide the highest caliber representation.

Practice Area News

Pat Lundvall Receives Women Inspiring Nevada Award

McDonald Carano congratulates Pat Lundvall, Chair of the Commercial & Complex Litigation Practice, on receiving a Women Inspiring Nevada award from Vegas Inc. that recognizes women leaders who “have the…

Appellate Motion Practice: 10 Most Common Missteps, Mistakes and Misunderstandings

Motions in appellate practice can be a crucial component of a successful appeal. To effectively utilize the advantages of motion practice in front of Nevada’s appellate courts, litigators need to…

Hyatt vs. CA State Franchise Tax Board:
Complete defense judgment, $2M+ million awarded in costs, 24 years of litigation

After a complete defense victory, on April 6, 2022, the Clark County District Court awarded McDonald Carano’s client $2,262,815.56 in recoverable costs, representing a celebratory conclusion to more than 24…

You have chosen to send an email to McDonald Carano. The sending or receipt of this email and the information in it does not in itself create an attorney-client relationship. If you are not already a client, you should not provide us with information that you wish to have treated as privileged or confidential without first speaking to one of our lawyers. If you provide information before we confirm that you are a client and that we are willing and able to represent you, we may not be required to treat that information as privileged, confidential, or protected information, and we may be able to represent a party adverse to you.

I have read this and want to send an email.

People Practice Areas Government Affairs Offices