Summary: Lionel Sawyer & Collins will cease to exist as of New Year’s Day as 19 of its attorneys, including co-founder Sam Lionel, move to Fennemore Craig.
The premier law firm in Nevada will close its doors forever today after 47 years, according to The Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The state’s top gaming law firm, Lionel Sawyer & Collins, will join Fennemore Craig. Nineteen of the firm’s lawyers will join Fennemore Craig, including founder Sam Lionel.
Fennemore Craig is 130 years old and is the largest, continuously operating firm in Arizona.
To read more about Fennemore Craig, click here.
Lionel Sawyer never expanded out of Nevada after moving into Reno.
Sam Lionel founded the firm in 1967 along with former Governor Grant Sawyer and Jon Collins.
“The legal profession has gone through profound changes and the old model of a law firm doesn’t meet those needs,” said former U.S. Sen. Richard Bryan. Bryan is an attorney with Fennemore Craig. “This represents a passing of an era. In 1967 when Lionel Sawyer started, most law firms in Las Vegas were three, four or five attorneys at the most. But the winds of change have been blowing. This is kind of an evolution.”
John Mowbray is the managing partner of Fennemore Craig’s Las Vegas office. Mowbray said that the firm wants to construct a gaming practice. He also said the firm wants to expand its government affairs practice.
“Lionel Sawyer set the standard and elevated the practice of law in Nevada. They leave a great legacy,” Mowbray said.
To read more about Lionel Sawyer & Collins, click here.
Bryan discussed the legacy of Lionel Sawyer, saying, “it developed a standard of excellence with all-star lawyers.”
Not all of the attorneys from Lionel Sawyer were asked to join Fennemore Craig and four of them who were asked declined the invitation.
The managing partner for Lionel Sawyer, Paul Hejmanowski, has decided to form a firm of his own with four others from Lionel Sawyer.
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Image credit: Las Vegas Review-Journal