Our law firm was born on the shores of Lake Tahoe in October 1975. After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1970, Bob Maddox commenced his legal career with one of the premier American law firms in San Francisco. After gaining five years experience in complex business litigation, Bob decided he wanted to live in a beautiful natural environment and to have a closer connection to the clients he would be representing – being closer to the ski slopes sealed the deal.
In the early years at Tahoe, we were retained by numerous homeowner associations. In 1977, we filed our first homeowner association construction defect lawsuit. The condominium complex had had two fires in a very short period of time with fire spreading much too rapidly to adjoining condominium units. The defects were identified, the case was pursued to a negotiated resolution, and all of the defects were corrected at no cost to the homeowners.
In 1986, we settled a lawsuit in South Lake Tahoe, California involving 91 townhomes for a total of $7.6 million. At $83,500.00 per unit, this was one of the largest settlements of a construction defect case on a per unit basis anywhere in the country at that time.
In 1991, we moved to Reno because of the large volume of business that the firm had taken on in the Reno-Sparks area. We continued to develop representation of homeowners’ associations as general counsel as well as representation of homeowners and homeowners’ associations in pursuit of construction defect claims. Notable successes included the Ironhorse Village Condominium, Clear Acre Condominium, and Huffaker Hills Townhouse construction defect cases, all of which were favorably resolved. In each case, all construction defects were repaired at no cost to homeowners.
During the 1995 legislative session, the homebuilders of Southern Nevada proposed legislation that would dramatically reduce the rights of Nevada homeowner to pursue construction defect claims. Bob Maddox and other lawyers with the Nevada Trial Lawyers Association jumped in seeking to defeat the proposed legislation. Ultimately, a compromise legislative package was worked out and passed as SB 395 The legislation, enacted as NRS 40.600 through 40.695, commonly referred to as “Chapter 40" essentially constituted a Bill of Rights for Nevada Homeowners. Among the most important aspects of the legislation was a provision entitling Nevada homeowners pursuing construction defect claims to recover not only cost of repairing the homes but attorneys’ fees, expert fees and all of the costs incurred by or on behalf of the homeowners in pursuit of the claims. In subsequent legislative sessions, the home builders and their allies, have sought to change the law, but Bob Maddox with the help of other NTLA lawyers have managed to preserve the rights of Nevada homeowners. The protection of homeowner rights in the legislature has also included defending various provisions of NRS Chapter 116 governing homeowner associations in Nevada.
Our Las Vegas office was opened in 1997, and has continuously and aggressively pursued the interests of homeowners and homeowners’ associations in the southern part of the state. The firm’s accomplishments in construction defect cases are legion. Although the majority of our cases are resolved by negotiation, we do not hesitate to go to trial if that proves to be necessary. In early 2003, we obtained one of the largest judgments ($14.2 million) in a construction defect case in Nevada history.
In 1999, Bob Maddox was elected President of the Nevada Trial Lawyers Association, and in the year 2000, he was named Nevada Trial Lawyer of the Year. Over the years, Bob and other lawyers in the firm have taught seminars on various aspects of homeowner association law in Nevada and on construction defect law on behalf of the Nevada Trial Lawyers Association, the Community Association’s Institute, the Institute for Real Estate Management, as well as other organizations. Currently, the firm has obtained authorization from the Nevada Commission for Common Interest Communities and the Nevada Real Estate Commission to teach various courses for which association managers can obtain certification and use as credits as Continuing Education. Bob Maddox’s articles on homeowners association law, construction defect law and general trial practice have been published in association and legal publications in numerous states. Copies of some of these publications are available on our website.
In addition to our successes in negotiating settlements on behalf of our clients and our superb track record in trying cases, we have obtained numerous notable decisions in the Nevada Supreme Court including:
Wardleign v. Second Judicial Dist.Court, 111 Nev. 345 (1995)
McKeeman v. General Am. Life Ins. Co., 111 Nev. 1042 (1995)
Calloway v. City of Reno, 116 Nev. 250 (2000)
Burch v. District Court, 118 Nev. 438, 442, 49 P.3d 647, 650 (2002).
Desert Fireplaces Plus, Inc. v. Eighth Judicial Dist Court, 120 Nev. Ad. Op. 70 (2004)
We at Robert C. Maddox & Associates remain committed to our mission of delivering practical, incisive advice aimed at helping homeowners and homeowners’ associations alike make knowledgeable decisions when confronted with otherwise overwhelming legal issues.
