A merger between two Las Vegas-based law firms in May brought finality to a long-planned partnership between the two entities.
John Steffen, managing partner at Hutchison &Steffen, said merger discussions with Greene, Roberts &Rasmussen started back in 2010, but the firms never found the time to sit down and finalize anything.
Combining into one entity brings benefits to both sides, said Steffen. The new entity will work under the Hutchison &Steffen name.
Steffen said his firm mainly practices in business litigation and had very little depth in doing corporate transactions and probate, which his now-partner specializes in.
On the other end of the deal, Greene, Roberts &Rasmussen is benefiting from not having to outsource all of its litigation work.
Steffen, along with his partner Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison, will join with industry veteran Kent Greene, who has practiced law for more than 40 years in Las Vegas, along with Thomas Roberts. The firm also welcomes Michael Rasmussen and Aaron Hegji.
“We really feel like this merger will allow us to expand services for the benefits of our clients,” said Steffen. “We’re blending two completely different practices into one law firm. We feel like combining the synergies of both of these firms will allow us to reach out to clients that we haven’t been able to reach out to before, provide better services and continue to grow the firm as needed in the future.”
Both firms have existed in Las Vegas for several years. Greene, Roberts &Rasmussen opened its doors in Las Vegas in 1968, though it was known under a different name at that time.
Hutchison &Steffen started to form in the mid-’90s when Hutchison got the idea to start a law firm made up of Las Vegas natives. Initially there were four in the lineup of potential partners, but only half stayed on board to the end.
Today, the firm has nearly 50 attorneys for its hundreds of clients. Some of the names include Fidelity National Title, Nevada Power, Desert Radiology and Ahern Rentals, along with numerous clients in the insurance, taxi and casino sectors.
Steffen said his firm also does work in Utah, Arizona and Reno.
Greene, Roberts &Rasmussen, which has only worked locally, could benefit from the geographic reach of its new partner. Steffen said the firm would continue to look and see if it makes sense to expand its presence in markets it does business in outside of Las Vegas.