George F. Ogilvie III
Nevada
McDonald Carano LLP
2300 W. Sahara Avenue
Suite 1200
Las Vegas, NV 89102
Tel: 702.873.4100
Email:
gogilvie@mcdonaldcarano.com
Web:
www.mcdonaldcarano.com
George’s construction work primarily involves public works projects and large private commercial projects, including contractor-owner disputes, general contractor-subcontractor disputes, and construction defects. He also acts on behalf of clients with regard to licensing, bonding, and lien issues. George was lead counsel for the general contractor in the $1.1 billion litigation involving the construction of Project CityCenter, and he was also lead counsel for the general contractor in the litigation involving the $500 million Planet Hollywood Towers project. He additionally acted as lead counsel for the general contractor in the litigation involving the River Mountains Water Treatment Facility and the litigation involving the Raw Water Pumping System Expansion at Lake Mead (the “Second Straw”).
His litigation practice involves representing clients in complex construction and commercial disputes. He is recognized by the prestigious and rigorously researched Chambers USA and other publications for his courtroom skills. His clients, including publicly traded multinational corporations, national and regional construction companies, and mid-size to large local businesses, have benefited from his experience as he has successfully first-chaired dozens of jury trials, bench trials, and private arbitrations, and numerous prevailing oral arguments before the Nevada Supreme Court.
Most recently, the Nevada Supreme Court affirmed a $20 million dollar judgment in favor of his client. George regularly appears before the state and federal bench, as well as before various municipal boards and governmental agencies in Southern Nevada.
A native Las Vegan and fifth-generation Nevadan, George has been deeply involved in the Las Vegas community, including having served from 2007 to 2016 on the Colorado River Commission, which is charged with acquiring, managing, and protecting Nevada’s water and hydroelectric power resources from the Colorado River. George was appointed as Chairman of the Commission by Governor Gibbons in 2009, and Governor Sandoval reappointed him to that role in June 2013. He continued to serve as Chairman until 2016.
A member of the firm’s Executive Committee since 1994, the partners of the firm elected him Managing Partner in 2019. He continues his rigorous law practice, and is a member of the firm’s Construction Law Group and Litigation Practice Group.
McDonald Carano has been an active participant in defining Nevada’s construction industry for decades. We protect the rights of local, regional, national, and international clients involved in both private and public works projects and in disputes throughout the state and beyond. Owners, developers, design professionals, general contractors, subcontractors and suppliers all turn to us to ensure that their construction projects remain viable and successful. Our team resolves every type of construction law dispute. Our experience ranges from pre-construction counseling and negotiation to mediation, arbitration and litigation through trial and, when necessary, on appeal. That deep bench of experience allows us to ably navigate and overcome even the most problematic and potentially expensive construction challenges.
We understand the construction industry, construction companies and construction projects, including the unique aspects of building in Nevada. By identifying potential obstacles early on, we work with clients to assess and mitigate risk and potential claims. In fact, we have been known to favorably resolve even the most hotly contested disputes outside of court and with minimal delay and expense. We provide our clients with the proper resources, such as in-house seminars, to educate their employees in order to maintain a knowledgeable workforce.
Project-level decision making can avoid a lawsuit. We work with our transactional, financing, employment, planning, and zoning team as a foundational risk management asset. Our combined practices give us unique insights. When the stakes are high, litigation is sometimes the only option, and we efficiently and tenaciously advocate our client’s position. We have handled countless construction cases before state and federal courts and state and federal administrative agencies.
Entrepreneurial thinking is at the heart of our commercial law practice–and creativity makes up our institutional DNA. Our clients consistently value the firm’s longevity, reliability, commitment and practicality. We are passionate about safeguarding our clients’ assets. Our government affairs, lobbying and advocacy experience, as well as our undeniable specialized industry acumen in a region that is constantly evolving, give our clients the confidence they need to retain us again and again.