Dennis R. Haney and Brian W. Boschee are featured in the recent 2013 Practice Group Edition of Attorney at Law Magazine, Greater Las Vegas Edition, Volume 2, Issue 3. Article by Vicki Hogue-Davies.
When it comes to the complex field of construction law, the adage “there is no substitute for experience” is especially apt. Shareholders Dennis R. Haney and Brian W. Boschee of Cotton, Driggs, Walch, Holley, Woloson & Thompson bring more than 50 years of construction law expertise to their clients. Haney, who came to the firm in 2007 and helped establish the construction law group, has specialized in the field since graduating from law school in the 1960s. Boschee has worked in construction litigation for over 10 years and he also practices in commercial litigation. Between them, and with the help of several of the firm’s associate attorneys, they provide complete legal services including contract preparation, contractor licensing, alternative dispute resolution and litigation to contractors, casinos, hotels, design professionals, and others in the construction arena.
Complementary Experience
“There is no dispute or issue that is going to arise that Dennis hasn’t seen,” Boschee says. “And there are very few things I haven’t seen, and if something does come up that I haven’t seen, I can pick up the phone and call Dennis. So there is nothing that could occur in construction law that we can’t handle for our clients. And while I personally enjoy litigating, the best solution for clients is not always to go to full-blown litigation. Dennis’ expertise in drafting a good contract early on ensures issues are understood between the parties and can short circuit potential disputes.”
Haney agrees. “My goal is always to have no liens and no lawsuits,” he says. “If you catch issues early you can do a better job for your clients. Some of that has to do with how much experience you have. I’ve seen and done a lot throughout the state, worked with the contractor board for over 30 years and dealt with many different lawyers. When the Nevada Legislature is in session its construction law section has meetings to go over all the bills, to help make sure you can catch areas of potential concern before they become disastrous. It is important to keep up with what is happening in the industry.”
Entering the construction law field was pretty natural for Haney. Prior to law school, he had worked as a plumber and when word got out about his background, he was contacted by another attorney with construction law questions, which led to him doing some work for the Nevada State Contractors Board. He soon became immersed in the field, including representing the board for 35 years, authoring Nevada Construction Law and Mechanics Liens and lecturing to universities, colleges and law groups about construction law. Haney is recognized by Martindale-Hubbell with an AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating. He has also been rated the best construction lawyer in Nevada by Las Vegas Business Press.
For Boschee, who was recognized by Super Lawyers Magazine as a rising star in the Mountain States for 2011 and 2012, his prior work in politics influenced his law career. Before becoming an attorney, he worked with a United States senator and ran a North Dakota Supreme Court campaign. Boschee credits these experiences with helping him hit the ground running in his first litigation cases.
“I wasn’t the typical nervous guy just coming out of law school,” he says. “Because I was used to being in front of the public and public speaking, I could get in front of a judge, jury or arbitrator and just let it fly.”
He enjoys the interaction with clients in the practice and helping them resolve problems. “Clients come to you with problems,” Boschee says. “Sometimes they involve litigation and sometimes we are able to work out alternatives to litigation. A lot of times we are able to get them results without knock-down drag-out litigation. It is all about solving their problems.”
Full-Service Practice
Just as the backgrounds and unique strengths of the two attorneys are complementary to each other, so are the two construction law practice offices—one in Las Vegas and the other in Reno. Conveniently, the Nevada State Contractors Board also has offices in both of those locations, Haney points out. He spends much of his time working out of the Reno law office while Boschee practices in Las Vegas.
“It helps when you work in this end of the state too,” Haney says. “Things are done a little differently here than in the south. There are different types of conditions in each end of the state. Even the soil is different [making a difference in building methods]. It helps to have that experience in both ends and that coverage back and forth.”
The ability to provide full-service help to clients doesn’t stop with the complementary strengths of the two attorneys and the coverage provided by having two offices. The foundation of being part of a multi-practice law firm allows for another important benefit to clients, Boschee notes, which is the ability to provide a full range of legal services.
In addition to construction law, the other practice areas of Cotton, Driggs, Walch, Holley, Woloson & Thompson include bankruptcy, business, commercial litigation, eminent domain (condemnation), estate planning, natural resources, real property, tax, technology and intellectual property.
“It is one of the nice things our law firm can offer that a lot of firms can’t,” Boschee says. “If our construction clients have intellectual property issues or other transactional elements they need help with, we have great attorneys in those areas. If they need help outside the realm of construction, we can offer that. They don’t have to go look for another firm.”
“That is what we bring to the table,” he continues. “We are very experienced and have ‘been there and done that.’ There is nothing we can’t handle.”