Leland Eugene Backus, J.D., C.L.M.P.
Nevada
Backus | Burden
3050 S. Durango Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89117
United States
Tel: (702) 872-5555
Email:
gbackus@backuslaw.com
Web:
www.backuslaw.com
Leland Eugene (Gene) Backus was born in Winnemucca, Nevada on August 8, 1947. He is a Juris Doctor graduate of University of California at Los Angeles having received honors in the Order of Barristers and Moot Court. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree at University of Nevada at Las Vegas in Economics in 1969.
His law firm, Backus | Burden, is located in Las Vegas with 7 lawyers specializing in construction law, professional liability, hotel/casino, complex and insurance litigation, health care law, and international law. The firm provides representation to hotels, general contractors, construction managers, subcontractors, design professionals, lawyers, physicians, hospitals, medical device manufacturers, product manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies, and numerous public companies. The firm provides business and commercial transactional services to their clients.
Mr. Backus is a trained and approved arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association for construction and commercial disputes.
He was designated Best Lawyer in Nevada in 2023 in Construction Law and has been featured in Super Lawyers every year since 2007. Additionally, he has been awarded the designation of Certified Litigation Management Professional.
Mr. Backus is a member of the ABA Forum Committee on Construction Industry for Construction Management, Design/Build and Related Concepts. He has been appointed as Nevada Chairperson of the Defense Research Institute Construction Law Committee Marketing/Publicity Subcommittee. Mr. Backus is director of Eagle International Associates, Inc., a network of law firms and adjustors throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe.
He is an author for the Nevada Civil Practice Manual and has authored several articles in the field of litigation. He has lectured on an international basis on a variety of topics pertaining to construction law, mass disaster litigation, computer use in litigation, litigation practice, claims presentation, insurance law, pharmaceutical and medical device litigation, and a variety of litigation and procedural areas of the law.
Mr. Backus was a trustee and past chairman of the Nevada Law Foundation, past president of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Southern Nevada, past director of The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee, past charter president of the Exchange Club of Las Vegas, and former Chairman of the State of Nevada Certified Court Reporters Board. Currently, he is Chairman, Director and Secretary for the 501(c)(3) charity, Send Me On Vacation, Inc., which sends low income breast cancer survivors on healing vacations following treatment.
Halcrow, Inc. v. Eighth Jud. Dist. Ct., 302 P.3d 1148 (Nev. 2013)
General contractor sued developer for failure to make timely payments on contract for construction of high-rise. Developer counterclaimed for alleged defects in steel installation and reinforcement and other nonconforming work. Contractor then filed third-party claims against steel installation subcontractors for indemnity. Steel subcontractor and its successor-in-interest in turn filed claims against structural engineer/designer and others. The District Court granted subcontractor and successor’s requests for leave to amend third- and fourth-party complaints to add claim against engineer/designer for negligent misrepresentation. Petition for writ of mandamus was filed.
In re City Center Const. Litigation, Slip Copy, 2011 WL 5847207 (Nev. 2011).
Found that district court improperly authorized Rocker discovery absent necessary averments in third- and fourth-party complaints by subcontractors against structural engineer, Halcrow, Inc. In Rocker, the Nevada Supreme Court recognized an exception to NRCP 9(b)‘s heightened pleading requirements. Rocker, 122 Nev. at 1193–95, 148 P.3d at 708–09. The Court held that where the facts necessary for pleading with particularity are “ ‘peculiarly within the defendant’s knowledge or are readily obtainable by him,’ “ a relaxed pleading standard may be applied because the plaintiff could not be expected to have personal knowledge of the relevant facts. Id. at 1195, 148 P.3d at 709 (quoting Neubronner v. Milken, 6 F.3d 666, 672 (9th Cir.1993)). Had such a situation been properly pleaded by the reinforcing steel subcontractors, the district court may have been permitted to allow Pacific Coast Steel and Century Steel to conduct limited discovery such that such proposed amended pleadings alleging fraud with particularity could be filed.
- Fellow, Construction Lawyers Society of America
- Fellow, International Academy of Construction Lawyers
- Defense Research Institute
- Positions: Nevada Chairperson for the DRI Construction Law Committee Marketing/Publicity Subcommittee
- Dispute Resolution Board Foundation
- American Bar Association
- Sections: Litigation, Public Contracts and Torts and Insurance Law
- Forum on the Construction Industry: Committees: Manufacturer’s Liability, Design/Build and Related Concepts Division
- International Association of Defense Counsel
- Construction Law and Litigation Committee
- Senior Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America, The Trial Lawyer Honorary Society
- Member, Diversity Law Institute
- Member, Trial Law Institute
- Barrister, Order of Justitia
- Best Attorneys in America
- Lifetime Charter Membership
The firm has had the honor of handling cases of every size and dimension, often managing to prevent the escalation of matters before they could become a threat to clients.
From small business owners to large corporations, our clients know they can depend on our team’s experience, dedication and thoroughness when it comes to representing any aspect of their business.
The team at Backus | Burden have over 50 years of experience in civil litigation, including construction, health care, real estate, professional liability, business, premise liability, and product liability.
The firm is known for their ability to handle complex legal matters and are rated as a top law firm by Martindale Hubbell and U.S. News & World Report.
Backus | Burden have successfully represented both large international businesses and local Nevadans. The firm prides itself on its ability to represent its clients in effectively in even the toughest cases.