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“One of the things that makes us stand out is that here no one is an island. We work collectively and I’ve always liked the collective think-tank mentality of our law firm. Everybody brings something different to the table. We all have different perspectives and we all work hard for each other because we know it’s for the good of the group, the law firm, and ultimately for the good of the client. So, I think the thing that really puts us above the other law firms is not only that we’re willing to work hard, but we have the resources at our fingertips with our other partners and associates who help us shine when there’s pressure on,” says Shareholder Ogonna M. Atamoh of Cotton, Driggs, Walch, Holley, Woloson & Thompson.

Fellow Shareholder Victoria L. Nelson agrees. “The collective group here has the ability to think outside the box. In bankruptcy court there is never one right answer. We’re able to look at every problem with a different and fresh perspective. That is a benefit that puts us head and shoulders above other law firms.”

Cotton, Driggs, Walch, Holley, Woloson & Thompson is one of southern Nevada’s premier bankruptcy practice groups, practicing primarily on creditors’ rights and representing debtors in local and national bankruptcy cases. The bankruptcy practice group is headed by Richard F. Holley. The firm’s other practice groups are business, commercial litigation, construction, eminent domain (condemnation), estate planning, natural resources, real property, tax, and technology and intellectual property.

Nelson and Atamoh are fascinated by their chosen practice. Nelson says, “Bankruptcy laws are constantly changing. In 2005, we had our most pronounced changes under BAPCPA – Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act. And so there’s a constant process of educating and re-educating yourself. In the area of bankruptcy what is so fascinating is you have to be a jack of all trades in that you are applying the laws of the state in a jurisdiction in which you practice law as well the federal bankruptcy code. What you have is a balancing act.

Atamoh adds, “The thing I find fascinating about bankruptcy work is that it is code driven. I’ve never seen myself as a woman in bankruptcy law. I’ve always seen myself as part of group of wonderful attorneys at my law firm. We have an interesting bankruptcy practice and it’s driven by the code. When you go in
front of a judge, they speak code. So, it doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman if you work hard and produce a polished product at the end of the day that’s what the judges care about. We have a specialized group of judges who read all the cases and I’ve never felt like I haven’t gotten a fair shake because I’m a woman. If you do the work and you speak the language of code and you have good facts and the codes behind you, you can have really good results in bankruptcy court.”

Nelson sees the bankruptcy field as an opportunity for women to excel in the profession. “Being a woman practicing bankruptcy law is very challenging and I think it’s very exciting right now because I think the  eld is opening up more and more to women than it was before. I’ve been at this for a long time and I feel that each day is more fascinating and more exciting each day. We’re in an area where it’s predominantly men who are in the bankruptcy arena so it’s an opportunity to shine and do well.“

Atamoh emphasizes the importance of teamwork. “If any one of us brings in a case and a client wants us to act quickly, which happens all the time, we move quickly. You can have a case where a debtor files for bankruptcy and he or she files the first-day motions and then two or three days later we have to go in front of a judge. In the mean time we’ve had to meet with the client, review documents, and file a meaningful pleading for the judge to review – all before the hearing. That can’t be done by one person. It requires a group. People have to be willing to work together and you have to be able to negotiate and bend to get the best results for your client.”

Nelson has more than 20 years of experience in bankruptcy and commercial litigation. She is board certified in business bankruptcy by the American Bankruptcy Board of Certification. She says, “In bankruptcy it’s how creative you can be to measure the ability of your success and the beauty of it is that our bankruptcy group practices di erent types of bankruptcy law. Richard and Ogonna practice a good deal of creditor rights in representing financial institutions and various creditors. I have a lot of experience and background in working with creditors’ committees, and I am also a federal Chapter 7 bankruptcy trustee.”

Each woman finds enormous satisfaction with her work environment, her profession and her chosen area of expertise. Atamoh says, “The best part of the job is the people I work with and the type of work I get to do.” Nelson agrees. “The best part of the job is coming to work every day.”

Nelson took an indirect route to bankruptcy practice. “My undergraduate degree is in accounting. At law school, my classes were geared toward an emphasis in tax law, estate and probate courses figuring that I would use my creative abilities to practice estate and probate planning. As luck would have it I ended up in Las Vegas and there wasn’t a lot of tax law going on in the city. I figured that bankruptcy was just another form of code work and the rest is history.”

“Some days you wish you had more time and you regret that you don’t and on other days you’re living off the adrenalin of the practice of what you’re doing. I love it. And if you don’t love it I think you have to leave it because there’s not enough money to be paid to do this work.”

Atamoh focuses primarily on bankruptcy reorganization, creditor/debtor litigation, secured party representation, and commercial litigation. She also “fell into” bankruptcy practice. “It was purely random. I thought because I’m from Germany and I speak three languages I’d do international corporate law. When I got to the law firm I realized there was no such thing unless you do gaming law where you can actually use your languages and travel. I sent a memo to Richard Holley that had to do with a jury demand in a bankruptcy case and we went back and forth about including a footnote and it made it into the oppositon and the judge made a comment on it and I thought “I love bankruptcy. This is what I want to do. I was hooked after that case.”

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The Super Lawyers selection process is a rigorous, multiphase process involving peer nominations, evaluations, and third party research. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. No more than five percent of the total lawyers in the state are selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers.

CDW shareholders receiving recognition as Super Lawyers in their practice areas were Dennis R. Haney (construction litigation), John H. Cotton (business litigation/medical malpractice defense), Kenneth A. Woloson (business/corporate), J. Douglas Driggs, Jr. (real estate), Gregory J. Walch (environmental), Victoria L. Nelson (bankruptcy and creditor/debtor rights), Richard F. Holley (bankruptcy and creditor/debtor rights), and Ronald J. Thompson (real estate). In addition, shareholders Bryce K. Earl (intellectual property), Brian W. Boschee (business litigation), Ogonna M. Atamoh (bankrupcty and creditor/debtor rights) and  F. Thomas Edwards (business litigation) were listed in the publication’s “Rising Star” list, along with attorneys Michael Navratil (professional liability), Katherine Turpen (professional liability), Adam Schneider (professional liability), and Chris Rigler (professional liability).

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