Shara Larson Joins Bankruptcy Division
MAC Law's newest associate Shara Larson spends most of her time working in consumer and business bankruptcies, representing debtors. In particular, Mrs. Larson handles Chapter 11 bankruptcies for both individuals and business entities. Mrs. Larson also has significant experience in guardianship and family law. Prior to switching her practice focus to bankruptcy, Mrs. Larson primarily handled commercial litigation matters and medical malpractice defense.
Mrs. Larson was born in Willoughby, Ohio, a suburb east of Cleveland. Her family moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she attended high school. Mrs. Larson received her Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from Syracuse University in 1998. In 2001, Mrs. Larson received her Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from Pepperdine University, School of Law. At Pepperdine, Mrs. Larson was a member of the Honors Trial team. She won first place for best brief in the school's Appellate Advocacy Tournament and first place in Pepperdine's Trial Advocacy Tournament.
Read Shara Larson's Full Attorney Profile...
MAC Muscles Up With Top Bankruptcy Lawyer
A sad, stark reminder of the state of the economy is that business bankruptcy remains one of the fastest-growing areas of the law. Across Southern Nevada, record numbers of firms that have long been fixtures in the economic bedrock have stumbled and failed under the relentless pressure of a crushing recession.
Thankfully, Las Vegas powerhouse firm Marquis Aurbach Coffing has expanded its ability to help business owners facing the specter of financial ruin by hiring one of the top bankruptcy attorneys in the American West.
Zachariah Larson, a seasoned veteran bankruptcy attorney, President of the Clark County Bar Association and founder of Las Vegas-based firm Larson & Larson, has joined Marquis Aurbach Coffing, where he's now helping business owners to reorganize their operations and avoid bankruptcy altogether. Part strategist, part lawyer and part counselor, Larson is an experienced hand at advising owners of any size company – whether it's a handful of employees or a workforce of hundreds – on how to keep their doors open while protecting business owners' homes and other private assets.
"Being prepared doesn't cost very much, and it's crucial for business owners to know their options as early as possible," says Larson.
Having a firm grasp on their financial options might very well have saved many larger local businesses that have filed for bankruptcy this year – a growing trend, says Larson, with little sign of abating in the foreseeable future.
"One troubling aspect of business bankruptcies, frankly, is they're getting bigger," Larson says. "The bigger guys seem to be failing because they're out of cash, and you can't help but wonder what you could have done to help them do things differently if only you had gotten to them earlier."
For those companies searching for a way out of persistent financial hardship and possible bankruptcy, however, Larson and his colleagues at Marquis Aurbach Coffing – which goes by the new moniker MAC Law – provide help that is both readily available and surprisingly affordable. Larson says if businesses begin the process early enough, they can ensure their firms are ones that will weather the ongoing financial storm and eventually be able to re-emerge – all because they took the time to plan while reorganization was still an option.
"The cost of an initial consultation is ridiculously small and is often far cheaper than the amount most businesses spend each month on office supplies such as printer ink cartridges," says Larson. "It just doesn't really cost very much to learn what all of your options are. If you wait too long, however, you're no longer a candidate for reorganization; you become a candidate for liquidation."
Larson's addition to the fast-growing MAC Law team is another reason the firm remains one of the top five in Southern Nevada.
"As trusted advisers and counselors, MAC Law has again positioned itself among the elite firms in the state," says firm Managing Partner Terry Coffing. "Whether it be asset protection, dispute resolution, litigation or, in this case, bankruptcy protection, MAC Law remains committed to providing teams of trusted advocates who work tirelessly for our clients across the country."
Iraq War Veteran Jason Gerber Named Partner At Marquis Aurbach Coffing
Las Vegas, NV. – Lawyers like to position themselves as “strategists” and as being “fighters for their clients.” These concepts are something Iraq War Veteran Jason Gerber knows all about. While serving as an Army Trial Defense Counsel, one of his high profile cases involved a serviceman who executed an Iraqi citizen at close range during a door to door search in the Baghdad slum of Sadr City.
“He was told by his squad leader before they came to Iraq that they would not be taking any prisoners. They are going to kill the oldest male in the home even if there were no threat," said Attorney Jason Gerber, director (partner) at Marquis Aurbach Coffing. "He was a good soldier that unfortunately followed illegal orders.”
The case went to trial with the then Captain Gerber helping defend the soldier on murder charges. Eventually, the soldier was convicted of manslaughter only and was sentenced to four years in prison. With time served and credit for good behavior, he served only two years, came home, finished college and got his life back.
Like a lot of Veterans, Gerber’s commitment to military service began on September 11th during his final year of law school. His brother is a West Point graduate, and the choice seemed obvious. Gerber wrapped up his last year of law school and joined the Army as an officer in the US Army JAG Corps. After spending about a year representing soldiers and their family members at Ft. Irwin in California, Gerber volunteered to deploy to Iraq for a year in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
In addition to the young soldier charged in the Sadr City murder case, Gerber successfully defended a reservist with more than 20 years of service who was accused of wrongfully firing over a fence line during what was perceived as the beginning of an attack by Muslim Cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr’s Mehdi Army. Iraqi soldiers and officers backed up the serviceman’s account and the general court martial charges were dismissed.
By January of 2006, Gerber’s military commitment came to an end while he and his new wife Tammy were establishing a life together in Las Vegas. Gerber interviewed with one of the largest most prestigious law firms in Nevada, Marquis & Aurbach which has since evolved into Marquis Aurbach Coffing (MAC Law). In March of 2006, he landed the job as an associate handling construction and business litigation and defending the rights of business owners against a long list of threats.
It is official, Gerber’s hard work and commitment paid off, and he was named director, a partner, in the firm. Gerber now serves on the firm’s hiring and marketing commitees and is in the process of revamping the MAC Law web presence and online outreach. His next big challenge?
“Tammy and I recently began fostering to adopt three wonderful children ages 10, 11 and 14.” said Gerber. "Back in 2009, we made the decision this was the path we were going down together. We spent more than a year getting our foster care licenses and the kids finally came to visit with us during Thanksgiving. We were able to have them move in for good just in time for Christmas of last year. For Tammy and I ,the first priority has always been about building a stable, productive life. I want that for us, I want that for our children.”
Judge Elissa Cadish Rules Clark County Officials Cannot Raid $21,560,482 Health District Building Account
Las Vegas, NV. – District Court Judge Elissa Cadish has ruled that Clark County officials have no claim on building fund money amassed by Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) officials. The decision from the Court reverses Clark County’s attempt to reduce the SNHD budget by $21,560,482. That budget cut essentially raided the millions of dollars which SNHD officials had set aside for a new building fund. The current headquarters were built more than 30 years ago when the population of Southern Nevada is a tiny fraction of what it is today. The current headquarters would have required millions of dollars in repair and renovation in order to properly serve the public in the coming years.
“The Southern Nevada Health District is a critically important guardian of public health, that serves a multitude of government entities and their citizens, and Clark County simply swoops in and essentially grabs the money that SNHD officials had judiciously set aside for new construction to serve the public,” said Terry Coffing, managing partner of the Law Firm of Marquis Aurbach Coffing. Coffing successfully argued that Clark County’s attempt to reduce funding to the Health District by $15,867,987 amounted to a cash grab by Clark County officials.
Said Coffing, “It is important to note that Health District officials did not raise any taxes, surcharges or any other fees to build the surplus. This is the money set aside from customers, patients and contributions from the governments and citizens of Clark County, Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas, Boulder City and Mesquite. It took a lot of chutzpah for the County to simply say it was theirs and they were grabbing it, particularly in light of the fact that Clark County officials are claiming that the State of Nevada had no right to seize money from Clean Water Coalition of which Clark County is one of several major contributors.
Coffing adds that the SNHD has been an effective steward during exceptionally challenging times. “It is to the Southern Nevada Health District’s credit that they have dealt with massive emergent health issues like the endoscopy issue and the never ending fight to inoculate the community against the latest flu threat and still remain viable. Instead of rewarding the people who have served the public so well, the county essentially treated the Health District as an ATM whose budget surplus was too healthy to pass up."