Cory A. Santos Sr., Esq., Criminal Defense Attorney in Reno, Nevada

“Equalize the playing field for you and your family, call my office to speak with me personally”

Cory A. Santos, Sr., Esq. is the owner/manager of Santos Law, PLLC. Attorney Santos has a long and distinguished history of helping clients throughout Nevada by equalizing the playing field for his clients. Practicing mainly in Workers’ Compensation, Entertainment Law, Personal Injury, and Criminal Law, he has helped thousands of clients over the last two decades. His dedication to fighting for his client’s rights has earned him recognition by the legal website AVVO.com which has awarded him the Client’s Choice Award for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.

His client reviews can be found at: https://www.avvo.com/attorneys/89501-nv-cory-santos-4286686.html

Mr. Santos has litigated several cases up to the Nevada Supreme Court. He was successful in a major precedent setting case in workers’ compensation. In Flamingo Hilton v. Gilbert, 122 Nev. 1279, 148 P.3d 738 (2006), the treating physician stated that the injured worker required ongoing medications to maintain maximum medical improvement (MMI), however, then inappropriately stated that the injured worker needed to pay for the medications with his own private insurance once the case closed after he took his Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) settlement. After several appeals, the Nevada Supreme Court agreed with Attorney Santos’ argument and now injured workers are able to accept their PPD and the insurance company has to provide ongoing medical maintenance if the physician recommends it to maintain MMI status. This case opened the door for injured workers to finally not have to utilize their PPD settlement or their own private health insurance to pay for maintenance that the workers compensation insurer is responsible for. Additionally, the Court held that when a doctor provides an opinion which goes beyond a medical opinion but becomes a legal conclusion, it is an improper opinion (in Gilbert, the treating physician stated Mr. Gilbert should use his private health insurance to provide for his medications). Lastly, the Court clarified that when an insurance company issues several determinations regarding a subject (in Gilbert it was claim closure) in a certain time frame, an injured worker need only appeal the last in time determination to perfect an appeal. This decision was a big win for injured workers in Nevada.

In another case in which Attorney Santos represented an injured worker before the Nevada Supreme Court, CCSD v. Marshall, (Supreme Court No. 41374 (2005)), the injured worker had surgery on his shoulder and eventually was sent for a PPD evaluation. The first PPD doctor stated that Marshall was entitled to a 10% PPD award. The 10% PPD award was denied by the self-insured CCSD and it had another doctor review the information. The second doctor agreed with the first doctor and stated Marshall should get a 10% award. However, CCSD still refused to pay the 10% award and had a third doctor review the file. The third doctor stated Marshall should only get a 5% PPD award which CCSD then offered to him. Attorney Santos stood behind his client and argued to the Nevada Supreme Court that his client deserved the full 10% PPD award based on the first two doctors’ opinions. The Nevada Supreme Court agreed in an unpublished decision ruling for Marshall.

At the forefront of Nevada Workers’ Compensation policy, Attorney Santos has testified before the Nevada Legislature regarding workers’ compensation issues and has written on Nevada Workers’ Compensation law in the Nevada Justice Association magazine, “Advocate”.

Attorney Santos has had success in other areas of law for his clients. For example, in the area of Personal Injury, he successfully represented a person injured in the nationally covered infamous Mizpah Hotel Fire in Reno, Nevada obtaining a settlement for his client after a battle with the insurance company. In the area of Entertainment Law, he has been legal counsel for 2 feature films (1 Interrogation, Project: Puppies for Christmas), represented entertainers, producers, directors, musicians, athletes, and well known casting director Marilee Lear of Lear Entertainment. He has a background in acting, having worked in commercials and on several films (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8435386/) which augments his courtroom representation of his clients. In the area of Criminal Law, he has represented individuals charged with misdemeanors, gross misdemeanors and felonies. Charges have ranged from battery, assault, domestic violence and driving violations. He has also represented clients with traffic tickets all across Nevada (Goldfield, Tonopah, Hawthorne, Fernley, Searchlight, Las Vegas, Reno).

Mr. Santos is admitted to practice law before the following courts:

The Supreme Court of Nevada and all state courts since 2002.

The Supreme Court of Utah and all state courts since 2002.

The Supreme Court of the United States of America, since 2006.

The United States Circuit Court, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, since 2003.

The United States Circuit Court, Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, since 2003.

The United States District Court, District of Nevada, since 2002.

The United States District Court, District of Utah, since 2002.

Mr. Santos is a member of the following legal organizations:

The Nevada Justice Association (Sustaining Member)

The Federalist Society.

Attorney Santos’ legal career started out as a law clerk for several law offices in Reno and Las Vegas. The son of Jeannette Santos and legendary trial attorney and Boxing Hall of Fame inductee Herbert J. Santos, Sr., Esq., he learned trial techniques and tactics at a young age watching his father in the courtroom. During law school, he was fortunate to law clerk for several experienced litigation firms. At one firm, he worked on the infamous Equinox pyramid scheme lawsuit. At another firm, he worked on motor vehicle accidents, trip/slip and falls, and premises liability. He also clerked at an insurance defense firm. While at these positions, he learned from some of the most experienced attorneys in southern Nevada. He took this valuable knowledge with him when he was admitted to the Nevada and Utah state Bars, respectively.

In 2002, he made the choice to represent injured workers when he accepted a position as a Deputy Attorney for the State of Nevada at Nevada Attorney for Injured Workers where he worked in the Las Vegas office until 2008. He then litigated cases with his brother Joel for ten years. In 2018, he opened Santos Law, PLLC. where he now represents clients in northern and southern Nevada.

A native Nevadan, Attorney Santos is proud to be a member of the prestigious charter class of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) William S. Boyd School of Law. At Boyd, he received several scholarships, most notably, the Nevada Trial Lawyers Scholarship and the Boyd School of Law Community Service Scholarship. Prior to receiving his Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from Boyd, he received his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from the University of Nevada, where he received several academic scholarships in history. Graduating on the Dean’s List, he majored in history with a minor in criminal justice. At the University of Nevada, he was a member of the Nevada Boxing Team from 1993-1996, wrote for the university newspaper, and was a member of several university organizations. Prior to that, he graduated from Robert McQueen High School in Reno, Nevada in 1993 where he participated on the football and track teams.

Attorney Santos is married to an attorney and has four children. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus, The Prospectors' Club in Reno and the FBI InfraGard. Over the years he has been active in various non-profit activities such as serving on the Board of Governors for Bishop Manogue High School in Reno, Nevada, the Board of Directors for the UNLV Interfaith Student Center, and on the Child Abuse Prevention Council for Olive Crest Homes and Services for Abused Children and Families.

Attorney Santos is also active in the sport of boxing. A former college boxer at the University of Nevada, Reno, he also was active years later in Las Vegas at the open class boxer level. He is a professional boxing judge licensed by the state of Nevada, the state of Texas, the state of Utah, the World Boxing Council (WBC), and is a former amateur boxing official with USA Boxing-the sanctioning body of Olympic style boxing in the United States of America-officiating local and regional tournaments including college level events for the National Collegiate Boxing Association (NCBA). Lastly, he is proud to serve on the Honorary Board of Directors for the Boxing Hall of Fame, Las Vegas, since 2013. https://boxinghalloffame.com/

Contact Santos Law, PLLC. today to discuss your legal issue personally with Attorney Santos. Let him equalize the playing field for you and your family.