Ariz. law firm sues State Bar of Nevada

Wednesday, June 16, 1999 | 11:09 a.m.

A Phoenix law firm sued the head of the State Bar of Nevada, demanding the right to use its corporate name in this state.

Lewis & Roca, currently operating in Las Vegas as Ashcraft & Heinz, is challenging the constitutionality of Nevada Supreme Court Rule 199, which prohibits using the names of attorneys in a law firm's name if those attorneys were never admitted to the Nevada bar. Lewis & Roca claims Nevada is the only state in the nation to enforce such a rule.

Lewis and Roca, both deceased, practiced law in Arizona, and were never admitted to the Nevada bar.

The law firm established an office in Las Vegas under the Lewis & Roca name on May 3. Rob Bare, counsel to the state bar, then ordered the firm and its three local attorneys to cease using the name or face disciplinary action.

By being forced to change its name in Nevada, the firm is suffering "incalculable loss of goodwill," Lewis & Roca argued.

"(Rule 199) serves no meaningful purpose other than to hamstring out-of-state law firms that wish to practice law in Nevada," the lawsuit said.

Bare declined to comment.