Overview
Brian Blakley is a litigator and focuses his practice on class actions and complex disputes. He regularly represents banks, insurers, government entities, religious institutions, and Nevada businesses. His experience involves all aspects of pretrial and trial work, including the following:
- Briefing and arguing motions for temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions
- Deposing fact and expert witnesses
- E-discovery
- Complex discovery disputes
- Briefing class certification motions
- Briefing and arguing dispositive and pre-trial motions
- Serving as first- and second-chair trial counsel
- Briefing post-judgment motions
- Briefing appeals and writ petitions
- Practicing before administrative agencies
Prior to joining the firm, Brian served as a law clerk to Judge Robert C. Jones on the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada. He also worked as a judicial extern to Justice Thomas R. Lee on the Utah Supreme Court and Judge Lloyd D. George on the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada.
Memberships & Affiliations
- Clark County Bar Association, Member
- Defense Research Institute (DRI), State Membership Chair for Nevada, 2017-Present
- Federal Bar Association, Member
- Las Vegas Defense Lawyers, Member
- American Bar Association, Member
- The Federalist Society, Member
- Nevada Rise Academy, Board of Directors
Representative Matters
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Won and collected a nearly $1 million award for the spouse of a former NFL player in the NFL concussion litigation.
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Successfully moved to dismiss numerous federal claims asserted against the Clark County School District in a wrongful death action and briefed a successful opposition to plaintiffs’ appeal. Lamberth v. Clark Cty. Sch. Dist., 698 F. App’x 387 (9th Cir. 2017)
- Successfully moved for pre-discovery dismissal of all claims in a wage-and-hour class action. Reynolds v. Granite Gaming Grp. I, LLC, No. A-16-737106-C (Nev. Dist. Ct. 2017)
- Won nearly $2 million in judgments for a group of 25 plaintiffs in two consolidated cases against the operators of one of the largest mortgage fraud scams in Nevada history. Gonzalez v. RED Las Vegas, Inc. No. A-13-693627-C (Nev. Dist. Ct. 2016); Serpas v. RED Las Vegas, Inc. No. A-13-693695-C (Nev. Dist. Ct. 2016)
- Won summary judgment for all damages claimed against a contractor and bonding company in relation to a freeway expansion project and collected nearly all attorney fees billed. Ergon Asphalt and Emulsions, Inc. v. Capriati Constr. Corp., Inc., No. 2:13-cv-1683-GMN-NJK, 2015 WL 1959851 (D. Nev. 2015)
Related News
Presentations
- Presenter, “Drones & Privacy,” Colorado CLE, April 2016
- Presenter, “Patent Troll Control 2015: Intellectual Property Litigation Strategies Every Corporate Counsel Should Know Following The U.S. Supreme Court's Patent-Focused 2014 Term,” The Association of Corporate Counsel Nevada Chapter, December 2014
Publications
- Author, "Article III and Class Certification," Nevada Lawyer, also available at: NVbar.org, 11/06/2017
- Co-Author, "Nevada's New ‘Goldilocks' Asbestos Causation Standard," Communiqué, April 2015
- Author, "From Handbills to Proposed Bills: Suggestions for Regulating the Las Vegas "Strip" Tease," Brigham Young University Law Review, November 2012
Distinctions
- Nevada Business Magazine - “Southern Nevada’s Top Attorneys” and “Best Up and Coming Attorneys” - Legal Elite, 2016-2017
- John P. Frank Pro Bono Awards Luncheon - Recognized for commitment to pro bono service, 2015-2018
- J. Reuben Clark Award for Academic Excellence, Integrity, and Service
- BYU Law Review - Lead articles editor
Other Info