VEGAS INC Magazine - Latest Las Vegas business news, features and commentaries about gaming, tourism, real estate and more
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/141962
J U LY 8 , 2 0 1 3 / Y O U R b u s i n e s s - t o - b u s i n e s s w e e k ly SPECIAL FOCUS LAWYERS AND THE LEGAL INDUSTRY PROTECTING BRIGHT IDEAS This month, VEGAS INC highlights attorneys and the Las Vegas Valley's legal community. HOW NV ENERGY WILL EXIT COAL AND MAKE MONEY DOING IT By Andrew Doughman staff writer U.S. Sen. Harry Reid arrived in Carson City on a Wednesday in February, commandeered an office at the Legislature and sat down with state Sen. Kelvin Atkinson to hatch a plan. A sweeping proposal to move coal out of Nevada's energy mix had incubated for months among a group of powerful and influential politicians, business executives and lobbyists before they stepped forward and selected Atkinson to help execute it — at least publicly. What emerged from that meeting was a legislative power play reaching from D.C. to Nevada that illustrates how consummate insiders can dictate energy cost and policy for every Nevadan for the next decade. The big idea: Nevada would cease its investments in three coal-fired power plants and NV Energy, the state's energy monopoly, would get to build expensive gas and renewable energy power plants How to safeguard your company's intellectual property By Richard N. Velotta staff writer One glance at the Las Vegas Strip makes it clear that Southern Nevada is a center of creativity. New ideas, catchy phrases and eye-catching displays battle to attract attention. But the city also is a danger zone for thieves who hope to profit from that creativity by appropriating protected trademarks or concepts for their own use. "This is a city built on ideas," said Mark Tratos, one of the top intellectual property lawyers in the country. "When you have ideas, some ideas are so good that everybody's going to emulate them." Most major casino companies and gaming equipment manufacturers employ their own intellectual property experts. Their responsibilities are twofold: They protect their companies' assets from patent trolls and cybersquatters while making sure their own companies don't trample on someone else's intellectual property. see ENERGY, page 16 INSIDE TODAY BIDDING WAR | P. 5 Ultimate Auctioneers sells heavy duty equipment to the highest bidders SUGAR COATED | P. 7 see TRADEMARKS, page 14 Are 'entertainment fees' and 'resort fees' an easy way for hotels to raise rates? THE LIST | P. 22 Available commercial space chris morris Trusted for over 30 years by business owners and their families...the law firm to call for estate planning, probate and asset protection. 702.433.4455 ◆ jeffreyburr.com Estate Planning ◆ Probate ◆ Wills ◆ Limited Liability Companies ◆ Asset Protection ◆ Family Limited Partnerships ◆ Succession Planning ◆ Guardianship ◆ Trust Administration ◆ Elder Law TRUST BANNER VEGAS INC.indd 1 20130708_VI01_F.indd 1 3/7/13 10:07 AM 7/3/13 12:03:37 PM