|
Biography
Licensed in Nevada and California
Neal Hyman is a native Nevadan who grew up in Reno (Washoe County) and has resided in Henderson (Clark County) with his family since 1999. Neal graduated from Reno High School and the University of Nevada in Reno with a B.A. degree in Criminal Justice and a minor degree in Business Management. He obtained his law degree from California Western School of Law in San Diego, California. Neal is licensed to practice law in the States of Nevada and California, in both state and federal court.
While studying law, Neal attained various achievements, including being named to the Dean's Honor List, receiving the American Jurisprudence Award in Federal Courts and becoming a member of the Law Honor's Society, Phi Delta Phi. During his summer breaks, Neal externed for Senior U.S. District Judge Edward C. Reed, Jr. and U.S. Magistrate Judge Phyllis Halsey Atkins.
Upon graduating law school, Neal served a one year term as law clerk for Senior District Judge Peter I. Breen in Reno. The clerkship gave him valuable insight into the reasoning and expectations of judges and he became familiar with the behind the scenes operations of the court system. Aftering clerking for Judge Breen, he became an associate attorney in Reno for the Honorable James W. Hardesty's (former Chief District Judge in Reno and now a Supreme Court Justice) former law firm, Hardesty Bader & Ryan, where he worked on large cases involving corporate and commercial clients, as well as cases involving civil rights defense and freedom of speech/defamation law. He also performed transactional work, including contract, real estate, probate and estate matters.
After working for Justice Hardesty's old firm, Neal served as a Washoe County Deputy District Attorney, where he prosecuted and tried numerous criminal cases. Neal prosecuted misdemeanor and felony cases ranging from property crimes and battery to DUI's, drug offenses and violent crimes like assault/battery with a deadly weapon, battery causing substantial bodily harm, kidnaping, burglary, stalking and robbery. He also handled hundreds of traffic citations and took many cases to trial. His experience as a criminal prosecutor gave him valuable insight into defending criminal cases, negotiating plea bargains and formulating defenses to charges. Neal's knowledge of the inner workings of the D.A.'s Office proves useful when negotiating and defending cases. As a plaintiff's attorney, Neal applies his skills and knowledge as a former Deputy D.A. in his civil cases involving criminal conduct as he is familiar with prosecuting such crimes and knows how to apply the results in a criminal proceeding or trial to support his civil cases. While at the D.A.'s Office, Neal was a member of the Nevada State Bar's Consumer Protection Committee and a member of the prestigious Bruce R. Thompson Inns of Court.
Neal left the D.A.'s Office and temporarily relocated to San Diego, California, where he worked for an insurance coverage/litigation firm (formerly Blick Doty & Gill). There he prepared detailed coverage opinions and handled insurance coverage and bad faith litigation for national and international insurance companies, some of which issued commercial general liability policies to contractors and subcontractors. That experience and knowledge have proven valuable in Neal's construction defect and personal injury practice, where insurance coverage defenses are frequently asserted. Seeing a unique opportunity in rapidly growing Southern Nevada, and wanting to settle down and raise a family there, Neal and his family moved to Henderson.
For over five years, Neal was an attorney employed by the construction defect firm, Canepa Riedy & Rubino (formerly Vannah Costello Canepa Riedy Rubino & Lattie). He was the senior litigation associate attorney who worked on all aspects of complex construction defect cases, including representation of homeowners' associations (and homeowners) in single-family home, townhome and condominium cases. Those cases involved architectural, structural, civil/soils, electrical, plumbing/mechanical, acoustical and mold-related defects, as well as failures to disclose defects. The cases ranged from common area defects like streets, sidewalks and walls, to defects inside homes such as leaking roofs, windows, decks and stucco. From dealing with insurance adjusters to mediating/arbitrating claims, filing lawsuits, conducting discovery, filing and arguing motions and prosecuting claims through trial, Neal has handled all aspects of construction defect litigation.
While at Canepa Riedy & Rubino, Neal provided general counsel services to community associations, and handled contract/lease, real estate, premises liability, products liability, slander/libel, civil rights and Americans with Diabilities (ADA)/Fair Housing Act (FHAA) matters. He worked on numerous project-wide construction defect cases, which resulted in favorable recoveries for those clients. Those cases ranged from common area cases involving streets, sidewalks, walls and lighting, to entire communities consisting of over 700 condominium units.
When the firm was known as Vannah Costello Canepa Riedy Rubino & Lattie, Neal represented various companies, through their insurance carriers, to defend them in premises liability cases. Some of those clients were major hotel/casinos in Las Vegas. He also worked on cases for insurance carriers to dermine whether or not coverage for a loss existed. Neal's background as an insurance defense lawyer proves valuable when negotiating with claims adjusters and insurance companies and prosecuting personal injury claims against automobile drivers, taxicab companies, retail stores, hotels, casinos, restaurants, buildings, gyms and owners of other areas open to the public. That experience is valuable because he knows what to anticipate from insurance defense lawyers and how to value cases for settlement and trial, which helps maximize recoveries.
Neal's current practice is diverse, consisting of: construction defect cases, real estate disclosure and contract disputes, personal injury cases (including automobile and premises liability matters), criminal defense cases, insurance coverage and bad faith matters, homeowner/homeowner association representation and contract/corporate matters.
Neal is BV rated by Martindale-Hubbell, which is high-very high in legal ability and very high in general ethical standards. To become rated, an attorney must be practicing for a requisite number of years and acknowledged in the legal community by attorneys and judges throughout Nevada. He is an active member of the Clark County and Washoe County Bar Associations, the Nevada and California State Bars and the Nevada Trial Lawyers Association.
Neal recently obtained a jury verdict in Pahrump, Nye County, Nevada, in the amount of $552,500. The case involved construction defect claims against a builder, seller disclosure violations against a seller and real estate agent disclosure violations. With respect to the builder, seller and seller's real estate agent, the total judgment was $715,000.
|
