Stephen Kent

Stephen Kent is a veteran trial lawyer with 30 years of experience resolving lawsuits and, when necessary, successfully taking them to trial. Steve is a member of a pioneer Nevada family, growing up in Fallon, Nevada, working in the family grocery and ranching businesses. He graduated from the University of Nevada and then attended University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law, graduating in 1980. He was then a law clerk for State District Court Judge William N. Forman. In 1981, he began his practice in insurance defense, working with several of Nevada’s most well-known defense lawyers and several of Nevada’s largest law firms. In 2010, Steve started his own boutique defense trial practice, KENT LAW, located in downtown Reno, two blocks from the State and Federal Courts. During his 30 years as a trial lawyer, Steve has also developed an expertise handling aviation cases and is one of the top aviation defense attorneys in Nevada. Steve also has had success in insurance bad faith litigation, real estate, corporate and securities litigation, including successfully defending a local realtor and recovery of a one million dollar commission after an eleven day jury trial in April, 2008 and has obtained numerous defense verdicts in personal injury trials where he was defense counsel. Steve has also handled over fifteen appeals to the Nevada Supreme Court and Ninth Circuit Court, including Dietrich v. Sparks Nugget, 548 F.3d 892 (2008), Old Republic Ins. Co. v. Jensen, Griffin, 402 F.3d 876 (9th Cir. 2005), 276 F.Supp.2d 1097 (D.Nev. 2003) (Aviation, Insurance Coverage); Kennedy v. Hertz Equipment Rental, 121 Nev., Advance Opinion __, No. 43384, (2005) (Joinder); Dahya v. Dist. Ct., 117 Nev. 208, 19 P.3d 239 (2001) (Jurisdiction/Service of process, treaties); Kirkpatrick v. Temme, 98 Nev. 523, 654 P.2d 1011 (1982)(Construction Contracts); Villa v. NN Investors Life Insurance Co. Inc., 914 F.2d 265, 1990 WL 131830 (9th Cir. 1990) (Insurance Bad Faith); Rabbe v. Maddex, 103 Nev. 817, 809 P.2d 45 (1987) (Receivers); Royal Insurance v. Eagle Valley Construction, Inc., 110 Nev. 119, 867 P.2d 1146 (1994) (Costs/Jurisdictional Amount); Judson v. Camelot Food Inc., 104 Nev. 324, 756 P.2d 1198 (1988) (Res Ipsa Loquitur); Levinson v. Second Judicial District Court, and Real Party in Interest Wister, 103 Nev. 404, 742 P.2d 1024 (1987) (Jurisdiction).

Steve’s strength is his very broad experience taking cases to trial throughout Nevada and the insight he has gained in knowing the nuances of communities, judges and juries throughout Nevada, but primarily Northern Nevada. Numerous local and national corporations turn to Steve when they are faced with minor and major lawsuits, including AIG Aviation/ Chartis Aerospace, Avemco, US Specialty Insurance Company, Phoenix Aviation Managers, TravelCenters of America/Petro, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Hertz Corporation, and Winco Foods, LLC.

Steve is the author of Exclusionary Clauses in Aviation Insurance Policies, DRI Covered Events, April, 2004. Steve is also the co-author and instructor of Insurance Coverage Law in Nevada, NBI 1998, Limiting Damages in Nevada, NBI 1990, Nevada Uninsured Motorist Law, State Bar of Nevada, 1995, The Legal Issues of Problem Collections in Nevada, NBI 1989, and Nevada Discovery, Pretrial and Trial Procedures, PESI, 1988.

Steve is a Certified Civil Trial Advocate with the National Board of Trial Attorneys; a member of the Washoe County Bar Association; American Bar Association (Litigation Section, Tort and Insurance Practice Sections; Committees on Trial Techniques, Insurance Coverage and Business Torts); State Bar of Nevada Member, Disciplinary Committee; Former Young Lawyers Section Board Member; Former Insurance Committee Member; Former Fee Dispute Committee Member); Northern California-Nevada Association of Defense Counsel; Defense Research Institute; International Association of Defense Counsel (Member, Committees on: Aviation; Life, Health and Accident Insurance; Casualty Insurance; Medical Malpractice); Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America; Reno Rotary; Reno Rodeo Association.