Celebrating Over 75 Years of Serving Nevada’s Legal, Business, Government, and Civic Communities

Business Entities & Transactions

Practice Areas

Rated Tier 1, Band 1, and Best Lawyers in Corporate Law and Commercial Transactions

Our Business Entities & Transactions Practice Group attorneys provide comprehensive expertise in all areas of corporate law and commercial transactions. McDonald Carano is also the go-to Nevada firm for incorporating in and relocating a business to Nevada or changing and converting the state of incorporation from other states, such as Delaware, to Nevada.

Awards and Recognitions – At the Practice Group level, our team is rated in the highest Tier 1 category in the 2026 edition of The Best Law Firms in America for our business law and transactional law expertise in Reno and Las Vegas.  At the attorney level, in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America we received our eighth Lawyer of the Year award in Corporate Law. Our team also received the highest Band 1 ranking in Corporate & Commercial Law in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2026. Chambers’ ranking process includes confidential surveys and interviews with clients. Below are comments our clients have provided to Chambers researchers during annual client feedback reviews.

“The corporate team at McDonald Carano is knowledgeable and very helpful.” “The McDonald Carano team is strong.” “The team has really done a terrific job, they have people covering all specialties and so we can bounce ideas off other attorneys within the firm.” “We have been very impressed and are 100% satisfied with their services, which have encompassed a wide range of services.” “They are very well rounded in many areas of the law.” “They are very thorough in listening, researching and proposing solutions. I haven’t seen them presented with a challenge they couldn’t solve.” “I appreciate that they are very down to earth and take the time to make sure you fully understand.” “They know what to look for in a deal to make sure their clients are fully covered.”

Brian Schusterman, Chair – Brian Schusterman, the Chair of our Business Entities and Transactions Practice Group, received the Lawyer of the Year award in Corporate Law for the northern Nevada region from The Best Lawyers in America in 2026 and 2024. Brian is recognized in the highest AV Preeminent Peer Review rating by Martindale-Hubbell and is ranked Band 2 in Corporate/Commercial Law in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.

Specialty Credentials and Qualifications – Six McDonald Carano attorneys have an M.B.A., nine have an LL.M. in Taxation, one has an LL.M. in Global Antitrust Law & Economics, and one has an LL.M. in Public International Law. Two of our attorneys are CPAs, and one has an M.S. in Accounting-Taxation. One of our attorneys is on the Board of Directors of the Nevada Taxpayers Association and one is a Fellow in the American College of Tax Counsel.

Amendments to Title 7 of NRS Governing Business Entities – During the 2025 Nevada Legislative Session, Governor Lombardo signed AB 239 into law. Andy Gabriel authored an article titled “AB 239: Notable Changes to Title 7 of Nevada Revised Statutes Governing Business Entities” in the September 2025 issue of Communique’. Andy explains five changes under AB 239 that are designed to keep Title 7 current and address issues identified in practice, including through judicial decisions.

OUR SCOPE OF SERVICES AND DEPTH OF EXPERTISE

We take the time to get to know our clients and understand their business goals because we pride ourselves in providing efficient, effective, and practical advice that overcomes obstacles and achieves the business objective. Our corporate law and transactional law attorneys advise on critical day-to-day business operations issues, as well as domestic or cross-border business transactions, including regulatory, commercial, financial, and tax. We also advise on entity selection, formation, governance, and long-range strategic planning and growth.

In addition to providing local outside legal counsel to larger publicly held national and global businesses doing business in Nevada, we also serve in the role of in-house general counsel for smaller sole proprietors and closely held businesses. Our clients include corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, business trusts, and other statutory entities. Our team works closely with companies on the full range of issues that arise throughout their lifecycles. We deliver comprehensive legal counsel on the complete array of business contracts, as well as on dispute mitigation and resolution, including among entities and their owners.

We handle all types of mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, and dissolutions that are subject to Nevada corporate law, limited liability company (LLC) law, and partnership law. Our expertise includes the purchase and sale of business entities and assets, secured financing of commercial transactions, representation of commercial loan borrowers and lenders, and private equity transactions. We also represent clients acquiring business assets from companies involved in bankruptcy proceedings.

We represent shareholders, directors, partners, members, and managers involved in all types of commercial transactions, including contracts with distributors, vendors, suppliers, wholesalers, customers, and strategic partners. We provide contract review, drafting, interpreting, negotiation, and enforcement counsel. Our Nevada business lawyers understand and provide perspective on a broad range of industries and specialized market segments, including healthcare, finance, mining, energy, gaming, tourism, real estate, construction, manufacturing, transportation, restaurant, entertainment, retail, professional services, and many others.

Our experience includes:

  • All commercial transactional law matters
  • Business planning and development initiatives
  • Changing and converting the state of incorporation from other states to Nevada
  • Contract review, drafting, negotiation, and documentation
  • Corporate Transparency Act
  • Corporate maintenance endeavors, including minutes, minute books and statutory records
  • Formation of corporations, limited liability companies (LLC), and partnerships
  • Incorporation in and relocation to Nevada
  • Labor and employment agreements
  • Mergers, acquisitions, spinoffs, dispositions and dissolutions
  • Monitoring changes in Nevada laws that affect commercial transactions
  • Purchase and sale of business entities and assets
  • Secured financing of commercial transactions

Practice Area News

DExit: Nevada vs. Delaware Corporate Law and Practice

With increasing national attention focused on Nevada corporate law as an alternative to the corporate laws of other jurisdictions, such as Delaware and Texas, we write to provide information to…

McDonald Carano Receives Most Rankings in Chambers 2026

Chambers produces the legal profession’s most respected and comprehensive rankings of individual lawyers and law firm practice groups “essential for anyone seeking reliable insight and recommendations when researching, selecting and…

What Do Clients Say About Our Top Ranked Attorneys?

McDonald Carano proudly announces that Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2026 and Chambers High Net Worth Guide (Private Wealth Law) 2026 awarded top rankings to 14 attorneys in…

Our Business Entities & Transactions Group

Brian H.
Schusterman

Partner Business Entities & TransactionsChair Direct775.398.7417 Office775.788.2000 V-Card PDF (Print)

Robert E.
Armstrong

Partner Direct775.326.4339 Office775.788.2000 V-Card PDF (Print)

Zachary D.
Besso

Attorney Direct775.326.4318 Office775.788.2000 V-Card PDF (Print)

Young
Chang

Attorney Direct702.257.4524 Office702.873.4100 V-Card PDF (Print)

Ian
DeValliere

Attorney Direct775.326.4370 Office775.788.2000 V-Card PDF (Print)

Jared C.
Dixon

Attorney Direct702.257.4563 Office702.873.4100 V-Card PDF (Print)

Eric
Duhon

Attorney Direct775.326.4366 Office775.788.2000 V-Card PDF (Print)

Andrew S.
Gabriel

Partner Office702.873.4100 V-Card PDF (Print)

Jonah
Gavish

Attorney Direct702.257.4540 Cell702.469.6881 V-Card PDF (Print)

Mark
Knobel

Partner Direct775.398.7402 Office775.788.2000 V-Card PDF (Print)

William A. S.
Magrath II

Partner Office775.788.2000 V-Card PDF (Print)

Lance N.
McKenzie

Partner Direct775.398.7408 Office775.788.2000 V-Card PDF (Print)

Christopher
Molina

Counsel Direct702.257.4545 Office702.873.4100 V-Card PDF (Print)

Cody R.
Noble

Partner Office702.873.4100 V-Card PDF (Print)

Zach
Noland

Attorney Direct775.326.4337 Office775.788.2000 V-Card PDF (Print)

Michael A. T.
Pagni

Of Counsel Direct775.326.4361 Office775.788.2000 V-Card PDF (Print)

Brian S.
Pick

Of Counsel Office775.788.2000 V-Card PDF (Print)

James B.
Robertson

Partner Direct775.326.4353 Office775.788.2000 V-Card PDF (Print)

Scott A.
Swain

Partner Office702.873.4100 V-Card PDF (Print)

Michael G.
Whittaker

Partner Office702.873.4100 V-Card PDF (Print)

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