Named one of the Best Lawyers for Commercial, Construction, Land Use & Zoning, and Real Estate Litigation by US News, Bill Coulthard has tried more than a dozen complex cases to judgment or verdict and has successfully achieved numerous multi‑million dollar settlements for the benefit of his clients. Bill’s practice embraces commercial, business, and real estate litigation. Bill has been named a Top Lawyer in Litigation by American Lawyer and Corporate Counsel beginning in 2009 and recognized in 2014 as a Top Attorney in the Mountain States in Business Litigation. He has also been recognized as a Super Lawyer in 2012-2017 in Business Litigation, Class Action/Mass Torts, and Construction Litigation. Bill served as co‑lead trial counsel in the In re: Kitec Fitting Litigation, the largest construction defect class action case ever prosecuted in Nevada, and was instrumental in obtaining nearly $300 million in verdicts and settlements for the 32,000 Nevada homeowner class members.
A recipient of Martindale‑Hubbell’s preeminent AV rating since 2005 for the highest competency and ethical standards, Bill has represented professional athletes including prize fighters Nonito “Filipino Flash” Donaire and Jose Luis Castillo in litigation and before the Nevada Athletic Commission. Licensed to practice law in both Nevada and Idaho, Bill has also represented and litigated against some of Nevada’s largest contractors and national builders, and he has developed a strong reputation as a leading attorney in business litigation and large‑scale class actions. Bill has litigated numerous inverse condemnation cases and successfully prosecuted pre-condemnation damages cases against local municipalities. Mr. Coulthard’s published opinion by the Nevada Supreme Court established important pre-condemnation damage claim precedent. City of North Las Vegas v. 5th & Centennial, LLC, 130 Nev. Advanced Opinion 66 (2014). Community‑minded Bill also heads up the Firm’s pro bono program, encouraging his associates and colleagues to give back to the Las Vegas community by providing the highest quality of free legal services through the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada.
Admired and respected by clients and his colleagues, native Las Vegan Bill is a devoted husband, father, and avid outdoorsman who also dedicates his time to serve on the Board of Trustees for the Nature Conservancy of Nevada. Bill is a 1990 graduate of the California Western School of Law, obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of California Davis, and has served on the State Bar of Nevada’s Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee. Bill is a member of the American Trial Lawyers Association and the Nevada Justice Association. He is admitted in Nevada and Idaho State and Federal Courts, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.
Areas Of Practice
- Commercial Litigation
- Business Litigation
- Real Estate Law
Bar Admissions
- Nevada, 1990
- Idaho, 1991
- U.S. District Court District of Nevada, 1990
- U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1994
- U.S. District Court District of Idaho, 1991
- U.S. Supreme Court
Education
- California Western School of Law, San Diego, California
- J.D. - 1990
- Honors: Professional Responsibility Committee.
- Honors: State Bar of Nevada’s Ethics
- University of California at Davis
- B.S. - 1982
Representative Cases
- City of North Las Vegas v. 5th & Centennial, LLC, 130 Nev. Advanced Opinion 66, 2014
Honors and Awards
- Martindale-Hubbell, AV Preeminent
- Best Lawyers, Commercial Litigation, Construction Litigation, Land Use and Zoning Litigation, and Real Estate Litigation
- Super Lawyers, Mountain States, 2012 - Present
- Top Lawyer in Litigation, American Lawyer and Corporate Counsel
- Top Attorney, Mountain States, Business Litigation
- Super Lawyer, Business Litigation, Class Action/Mass Torts, and Construction Litigation
Professional Associations and Memberships
- State Bar of Nevada
- State Bar of Idaho
- Clark County Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- Nevada Justice Association
- American Association for Justice
- American Trial Lawyers Association, Member
Past Employment Positions
- In re: Kitec Fitting Litigation, Co‑Lead Trial Counsel
Pro Bono Activities
- Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada
- Nature Conservancy of Nevada, Board of Trustees