Capabilities
- Insurance Defense
- For Insurers
- Professional Liability Defense
- Commercial Litigation
- Corporate Governance
- Real Estate Litigation and Transactions
- Creditor’s Rights
- Personal Injury
Insurance Defense
Schnitzer Johnson & Watson provides experienced, knowledgeable, and efficient representation to licensed professionals in a wide variety of trades including, but not limited to, doctors, dentists, real estate brokers and agents, community managers, and insurance brokers and agents. We understand the stress and personal disruption that an administrative complaint or civil suit can cause, and work quickly to provide the most comprehensive defense possible. KSJW has a proven track record of obtaining dismissals of administrative claims made against our clients by working closely with various governing boards, and works closely with insurers for the benefit of every professional client. KSJW takes pride in providing Nevada professionals with the protection and guidance they need to keep serving our community.
Premises Liability
Defending Nevada’s hospitality, retail, and gaming industries requires an intimate knowledge of local foreseeability standards and liability frameworks. SJW is a premier defense firm for high-exposure premises liability claims in Clark County and throughout the state. We aggressively defend property owners against claims of negligent security, catastrophic slip-and-falls, and third-party criminal acts. Our trial teams specialize in deconstructing plaintiff narratives, exposing fraudulent claims, and securing summary judgment or outright defense verdicts.
Product Liability
Schnitzer Johnson & Watson defends national manufacturers, distributors, and retailers against high-exposure product liability claims in Nevada. We handle complex litigation involving alleged design defects, manufacturing flaws, and failure-to-warn claims across consumer goods, industrial machinery, and automotive components. Our trial attorneys collaborate with elite engineers and biomechanical experts to dismantle plaintiff causation theories. Whether navigating strict liability statutes or complex warranty disputes, we aggressively defend the integrity of our clients' products and mitigate multi-million-dollar exposure in both state and federal courts.
Negligent Security
Defending negligent security claims in Nevada requires highly specialized knowledge of the hospitality, gaming, and nightlife industries. SJW provides aggressive civil trial defense for world-famous hotels, casinos, restaurants, nightclubs, and commercial property owners facing catastrophic injury or wrongful death claims arising from third-party criminal acts. Our attorneys meticulously analyze foreseeability standards, internal security protocols, and local crime grid data. We specialize in deconstructing plaintiff narratives regarding inadequate security, lighting, or crowd control, consistently securing summary judgment and outright defense verdicts.
Transportation & Catastrophic Loss
SJW represents national motor carriers, logistics companies, and their commercial insurers in high-stakes transportation litigation across Nevada. Catastrophic loss requires immediate, sophisticated intervention. Our firm understands the importance of rapid-response accident investigation protocols to secure critical scene evidence, driver logs, and ECM (black box) data before spoliation can occur. Our litigators are deeply versed in Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations, aggressively defending commercial trucking entities against multi-million-dollar exposure involving wrongful death, traumatic brain injuries, and multi-vehicle catastrophic accidents.
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Schnitzer Johnson & Watson delivers highly effective defense representation for auto insurers, commercial fleets, and individual insureds in complex motor vehicle accident litigation. From standard bodily injury claims to complex multi-party collisions and UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) disputes, our Nevada trial attorneys specialize in dismantling inflated damage models. We utilize accident reconstructionists and medical experts to challenge causation and injury severity, ensuring cost-effective early resolutions or robust civil trial defense against fraudulent and exaggerated claims.
Bad Faith Defense
Schnitzer Johnson & Watson provides aggressive defense for national and regional insurers facing bad faith claims and extra-contractual exposure in Nevada. Claims alleging violations of the Nevada Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act require immediate, sophisticated intervention. Our trial attorneys possess a deep understanding of Nevada’s evolving insurance jurisprudence, routinely defending carriers against allegations of improper claims handling, failure to settle, and demands for punitive damages. We proactively mitigate exposure through strategic motion practice and are fully prepared to take complex bad faith matters to trial in both state and federal courts.
Insurance Coverage
Uncertainty in policy interpretation carries immense financial risk. Schnitzer Johnson & Watson delivers definitive, actionable insurance coverage opinions for primary, excess, and umbrella carriers operating in Nevada. Our attorneys meticulously analyze complex commercial general liability (CGL), professional liability (E&O/D&O), and personal lines policies to determine the precise scope of the duty to defend and indemnify. When coverage disputes cannot be resolved through negotiation, our firm actively pursues declaratory judgment actions in Nevada federal and state courts to secure binding legal clarity and protect our clients' financial interests.
Insurance Examinations Under Oath
The Examination Under Oath (“EUO”) is a critical tool for verifying complex claims and mitigating insurance fraud. Schnitzer Johnson & Watson regularly conducts rigorous EUOs on behalf of Special Investigative Units (SIU) and claims adjusters across Nevada. We systematically secure sworn testimony to investigate suspected material misrepresentations, arson, exaggerated injuries, and complex property losses. Our attorneys ensure absolute compliance with Nevada policy conditions while building a definitive evidentiary record that empowers insurers to make confident, legally sound coverage determinations.
Prelitigation Investigations
Favorable trial outcomes are often determined before a lawsuit is even filed. SJW provides rapid-response prelitigation investigations for corporate entities, insurers, and hospitality clients facing catastrophic incidents in Nevada. Our attorneys immediately mobilize to direct site inspections, coordinate with elite forensic experts, and ensure the strict preservation of evidence to prevent spoliation claims. By conducting a meticulous early risk assessment, we establish the factual leverage necessary to secure highly favorable early resolutions or lay the indestructible groundwork for a successful civil defense.
Professional Liability Defense
A professional liability claim threatens not only financial stability but an entire career and reputation. SJW offers discreet, highly effective defense counsel for licensed professionals across Nevada, including physicians, architects, engineers, brokers, and corporate directors. We navigate complex standard-of-care disputes and represent clients in civil malpractice litigation as well as before Nevada administrative and licensing boards. Our goal is the absolute preservation of your professional license, reputation, and livelihood through targeted, aggressive defense strategies.
Commercial Litigation
Schnitzer Johnson & Watson represents corporations, executives, and stakeholders in high-stakes commercial litigation. When a complex dispute threatens your enterprise, our Las Vegas-based trial attorneys provide strategic representation designed to protect your bottom line and ensure operational continuity. We routinely litigate multi-million-dollar breach of contract actions, partnership and shareholder disputes, business torts, and trade secret violations. Unencumbered by bureaucracy, our partners make rapid, creative decisions to eliminate logjams and secure decisive victories in Nevada state and federal courts.
Corporate Governance
Corporate Counsel and Formation
Establishing a solid legal foundation is critical for long-term corporate success. Schnitzer Johnson & Watson provides comprehensive entity formation and outside general counsel services for businesses operating in Nevada. Our attorneys guide entrepreneurs and established corporations through the complexities of forming LLCs, C-Corps, and partnerships under Nevada law. Beyond formation, we provide ongoing, strategic counsel regarding regulatory compliance, corporate governance, and day-to-day operational risks, allowing business owners to focus on growth while we manage their legal exposure.
Corporate Contracts and Transactions
The strongest defense against a lawsuit is a precisely drafted agreement. Schnitzer Johnson & Watson’s corporate attorneys structure, negotiate, and execute everything from complex business transactions to simple purchase agreements. We specialize in drafting comprehensive operating agreements, commercial leases, vendor contracts, and buy-sell agreements. By prioritizing strict risk allocation and clear indemnification clauses, we ensure our clients’ strategic interests are fully protected, preventing costly ambiguities and future commercial litigation.
Registered Agent Services
A reliable registered agent is a corporation's first line of defense against default judgments. SJW provides professional, statutory Registered Agent services for domestic and foreign corporations, LLCs, and partnerships operating in Nevada. By designating our firm, businesses ensure that service of process, legal subpoenas, and critical communications from the Nevada Secretary of State are received and immediately evaluated by experienced corporate counsel. This seamless integration allows for instantaneous litigation assessment, rapid response to filings, and absolute compliance with Nevada’s strict corporate governance deadlines.
Real Estate Litigation and Transactions
Commercial real estate in Nevada demands precision and foresight. Schnitzer Johnson & Watson provides proactive transactional counsel and aggressive litigation defense for property developers, landlords, investors, and corporate entities. Our real estate practice encompasses the negotiation of high-value commercial leases, acquisitions, and land-use agreements. When conflicts arise, our seasoned litigators rapidly resolve title disputes, commercial eviction proceedings, boundary conflicts, and construction defect claims, ensuring your real estate assets remain protected and profitable.
Creditor's Rights
At Schnitzer, Johnson, & Watson, we take pride in meeting the highest standards of the legal profession. The firm maintains a Creditors’ Rights Department that provides all-inclusive collection services to our clients. From automobile and payday loans to delinquent credit cards, our dedicated Creditors’ Rights attorneys are deeply involved in all aspects of collection litigation and post-judgment remedies. We aspire to maximize our clients’ recovery, while treating all sides with courtesy and respect. We further endeavor to avoid creditor liability by consistently sharpening our procedures to ensure compliance with the always changing rules and regulations governing the recovery of unpaid debt.
Personal Injury
Schnitzer Johnson & Watson brings decades of high-stakes trial experience to complex personal injury and catastrophic tort litigation. Leveraging our deep background in evaluating injury claims, mitigating exposure, and deconstructing complex medical evidence, our attorneys meticulously analyze every aspect of an accident. Whether navigating severe motor vehicle collisions, catastrophic workplace injuries, or complex product liability matters, our trial teams utilize forensic experts and aggressive litigation planning to ensure maximum recovery for injured individuals in Nevada courts.
