Reno NV
5470 Kietzke Lane, Suite 300, Reno, Nevada 89511
Reno Nevada Attorney: Legal Services for Reno Residents and Businesses
Reno counted 264,165 residents at the 2020 census, and it sits at the center of Washoe County's court system, with the district court, the justice court and the municipal court all within a short drive of downtown. A Reno Nevada attorney has to start by placing a problem in the right one of them. Milan Legal represents individuals, families and businesses across Reno, from Midtown and the Old Southwest to Somersett, Damonte Ranch and the North Valleys, on matters governed by Nevada law and heard in Washoe County courts.
Attorney Milan Chatterjee is licensed in Nevada (Bar No. 15159) and California, and he works directly with every client. A dispute, contract, rental problem or criminal charge usually has more options early than it does after a deadline passes.
Milan Legal handles business, real estate, landlord-tenant, HOA, employee-side employment, estate planning, litigation and criminal defense matters for Reno clients. Civil claims up to $15,000, evictions and misdemeanors outside city limits go to Reno Justice Court, misdemeanors inside city limits go to Reno Municipal Court, and larger civil cases and felony trials go to the Second Judicial District Court.
Legal Matters We Handle for Reno Clients
Most Reno matters fall into a handful of practice areas. Each link below opens the full practice page with the Nevada law behind it.
Business law and outside general counsel: entity formation, contracts, vendor and commercial lease disputes, and ongoing counsel for Reno companies and startups.
Employment law for employees: wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation and unpaid wages for people who live or work in Reno, including staff in manufacturing, logistics, healthcare and gaming.
Landlord-tenant matters: lease disputes, deposits, habitability problems and summary eviction proceedings under NRS 40.253.
HOA disputes: fines, assessments, architectural decisions and records requests in Somersett, Damonte Ranch, ArrowCreek, Caughlin Ranch and other planned communities.
Civil litigation: contract, business and personal claims in Reno Justice Court and the Second Judicial District Court.
Criminal defense: misdemeanor and felony charges, including DUI, from first appearance onward.
Wills, trusts and estate planning: plans that account for Nevada community property and Reno real estate holdings.
Why Reno Legal Matters Need Local Knowledge
Reno's housing market has two very different halves. Near downtown and the University of Nevada, Reno, a large share of residents rent, so lease disputes, security deposit fights and evictions come up constantly. On the edges of the valley, much of the newer housing sits inside master-planned communities such as Somersett in the northwest, which includes the age-restricted Sierra Canyon, along with Damonte Ranch and ArrowCreek in the south and Caughlin Ranch in the southwest. Homes there are governed by associations under NRS Chapter 116, and before a civil action over the interpretation or enforcement of the governing documents can be filed, Nevada generally requires the claim to be submitted first to mediation through the Nevada Real Estate Division (NRS 38.310). A court must dismiss a case filed without that step.
Reno's workforce also reaches past the city line. Many residents commute east to the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center in Storey County, while others work in Reno's hospitals, casinos, warehouses and growing technology sector. Nevada's wage and anti-discrimination statutes apply statewide, so a claim against an employer in Storey County is decided under the same law as one in downtown Reno, but the employer's location can change where a lawsuit is filed. The facts that decide those claims are still local: the time records, the handbook, the supervisor and the written warning.
Business owners face a licensing rule with a twist. Every business operating in Nevada needs a state business license under NRS Chapter 76, and the City of Reno requires its own business license when the business is located in the city or physically conducts work inside city limits. A contractor or service company based in Sparks or unincorporated Washoe County that does jobs in Reno therefore needs a separate "Not in City" Reno license. The city will not process an application without the state license and Department of Taxation registration, and a business using a name other than its legal name must also file a fictitious name with the Washoe County Clerk.
Not sure which court or agency your Reno matter belongs in?
That is the first thing we sort out, before any deadline passes.
Reno Courts and Where Your Case Will Be Heard
Reno sits in Washoe County's Second Judicial District. Downtown Reno holds the district court, its Family Division and the municipal court, while Reno Justice Court sits a short drive east on Ninth Street, so checking the address on your notice before a hearing date matters.
| Court | What It Hears | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Reno Justice Court | Civil claims up to $15,000, small claims up to $10,000, evictions, stalking and harassment orders, misdemeanors outside Reno city limits, and felony and gross misdemeanor cases through the preliminary hearing | 1001 E. Ninth Street, Reno |
| Reno Municipal Court | Misdemeanors committed inside Reno city limits, including misdemeanor DUI | 1 S. Sierra Street, Reno |
| Second Judicial District Court | Civil cases above $15,000, felony and gross misdemeanor trials, and appeals from the justice and municipal courts | 75 Court Street, Reno |
| Second Judicial District Court, Family Division | Divorce, custody and domestic violence protection orders | 1 S. Sierra Street, Reno |
For criminal charges, the level of the offense and the place it happened decide the court. A misdemeanor inside city limits goes to Reno Municipal Court, while a misdemeanor in the surrounding township stays in Reno Justice Court. A felony or gross misdemeanor starts in Reno Justice Court, where the judge decides at the preliminary examination whether there is probable cause to send the case to district court. On the civil side, the dollar amount controls: justice court jurisdiction stops at $15,000 (NRS 4.370), and small claims stop at $10,000 (NRS 73.010). Anything larger, or a case that needs an injunction, is filed in the Second Judicial District Court on Court Street.
What to Gather Before Your First Reno Consultation
The first meeting with a Reno Nevada attorney is faster and more useful when the documents that control the issue are on the table. For a rental matter, including a student lease near the university, bring the lease, every notice served or received and the payment history. For an HOA matter, bring the CC&Rs, the violation or hearing notice and the association's account statement. A workplace problem starts with pay stubs, time records, the handbook and any written warning or termination letter, plus the employer's address if you work outside Washoe County. A business matter starts with the contract, your Secretary of State filing and any Reno license or zoning correspondence. For a criminal charge, bring the citation or release paperwork, which names the court and the first appearance date. Write down the date each notice was served, because Nevada deadlines usually run from service, not from when you opened the envelope.
Reno Neighborhoods and Communities We Serve
We represent clients across the whole city: Downtown, Midtown, the Old Southwest, the University area, Caughlin Ranch, Somersett and Sierra Canyon, the North Valleys, Damonte Ranch, ArrowCreek and South Meadows. That covers Reno ZIP codes 89501, 89502, 89503, 89506, 89509, 89511, 89512, 89519, 89521 and 89523, though a ZIP code alone does not confirm city limits, because parts of the valley sit in unincorporated Washoe County. Consultations take place by phone or video, so a Reno client can start without travel.
For an overview of everything we handle across northern Nevada, see our Washoe County legal services page, and clients at the lake can see our Lake Tahoe legal services page.
The Milan Legal Perspective
Milan Chatterjee founded Milan Legal after serving as Associate Compliance Counsel at Las Vegas Sands Corporation, where he advised on regulatory compliance and business risk inside one of Nevada's largest companies. He is a graduate of UCLA School of Law, was admitted to the State Bar of Nevada in 2020 (Bar No. 15159) and to the State Bar of California in 2022 (Bar No. 345165), was appointed to the Nevada Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission, and is the Founding President of the South Asian Bar Association of Las Vegas.
That background shapes how Reno matters are handled. The first conversation identifies the forum, the deadline and the documents that decide the issue, whether that is a lease clause, a CC&R provision, a city license condition or a charging document. You work with Milan directly from that first call through resolution, and you get a plain explanation of the options before any step is taken. Learn more about Milan Chatterjee.
Specialty Resources for Reno Homeowners
Somersett, Damonte Ranch, ArrowCreek and Reno's other planned communities are governed by homeowner associations, and Milan Legal maintains a dedicated association resource covering NRS 116 fines, records, assessments and liens in northern Nevada. You can explore Reno and Lake Tahoe homeowner association resources there before deciding on next steps.
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Reno Nevada Attorney FAQs
No. What matters is a Nevada license and working knowledge of the Washoe County courts. Milan Legal represents Reno clients in Reno Justice Court, Reno Municipal Court and the Second Judicial District Court, and consultations take place by phone or video.
You can file in Reno Justice Court when the defendant lives, works or does business in Reno Township. Small claims are limited to $10,000 (NRS 73.010), and attorney's fees generally are not awarded to either side in small claims cases (NRS 73.040).
A misdemeanor DUI inside Reno city limits goes to Reno Municipal Court on Sierra Street. A misdemeanor DUI elsewhere in the township goes to Reno Justice Court, and a felony DUI begins in Reno Justice Court and moves to the Second Judicial District Court only if probable cause is found at the preliminary examination.
Usually yes. The City of Reno requires a business license when work is physically conducted inside city limits, even if the business is located elsewhere, and offers a separate "Not in City" application for that situation. You still need your Nevada state business license first.
Usually not at first. NRS 38.310 generally requires a civil action over the interpretation or enforcement of an association's governing documents to be submitted to mediation through the Nevada Real Estate Division first, or to a Division program if both sides agree. The exceptions are narrow, such as an injunction where there is an immediate threat of irreparable harm, or an action over title to the property.
Residential evictions for property in Reno Township are heard in Reno Justice Court, most often through the summary eviction process under NRS 40.253. A tenant who wants to contest the eviction must file an affidavit with the court within the short deadline stated in the notice.
Yes. Nevada's wage and anti-discrimination statutes apply statewide, so working in Storey County does not change your basic rights. It can affect which county a lawsuit is filed in, which is one reason to bring your employer's address to the first consultation.
Talk With Milan About Your Reno Matter
Milan Legal serves as a Reno Nevada attorney for individuals and businesses alike. Whether the issue is a lease, an HOA notice, a workplace problem, a business contract or a criminal charge, a short conversation will tell you where it stands under Nevada law and what to do next.