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Practice Emphasis Employment and Labor Law Professional Experience Malani L. Kotchka is a shareholder in the Firm's Litigation Department. Ms. Kotchka has represented employers for 30 years in all aspects of labor and employment law. She was a partner/shareholder with the labor and employment law firm of Smith & Kotchka from 1982-2007. From 1979-1982 Ms. Kotchka was an associate at Lionel Sawyer & Collins, where she litigated before the National Labor Relations Board and other federal and state administrative agencies, in federal and state courts, and represented management in union organizing campaigns, union contract negotiations, arbitrations and strike injunctions. At Smith & Kotchka, she represented both public and private sector employers. During her legal career she has represented employers before the Internal Revenue Service, the United States Department of Labor, the Nevada Employee-Management Relations Board, the Nevada Equal Rights Commission, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Ms. Kotchka has also developed a strong practice in employment advice in safety and industrial insurance compensation matters before Nevada hearing officers, appeals officers, regulatory agencies, the OSHA Review Board and before the courts, where she represents only employers. Ms. Kotchka is listed in The Best Lawyers in America and in Nevada Super Lawyers for Labor and Employment Law. She is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell. Reported Cases Kaplan v. City of North Las Vegas, 323 F.3d 1226 (9th Cir. 2003) Bonilla v. Las Vegas Cigar Company, 61 F. Supp. 2d 1129 (D. Nev. 1999) Harris v. Rio Hotel & Casino, Inc., 25 P.3d 206 (Nev. 2001) Nevada Power Company v. Haggerty, 989 P.2d 870 (Nev. 1999) Professional and Civic Affiliations Member, Clark County Bar Association Member, State Bar of Nevada Member, State Bar of Arizona Member, American Bar Association Education University of Cincinnati College of Law, J.D. 1977 Member, University of Cincinnati Law Review Wright State University, B.S., summa cum laude, 1974 University of Cincinnati, B.A., with High Honors in Political Science, summa cum laude, 1974 Bar/Court Admissions State Bar of Arizona (inactive), 1977 Court of Appeals of the Navajo Nation, 1977 State Bar of Nevada, 1979 U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit 1982 U.S. Supreme Court, 1994. | 