David H. Hamilton

David Hunter Hamilton was born on May 31, 1942 in St. Louis, Missouri, and was raised in Reno, where he graduated from Reno High School in 1960. After working several years and taking college courses, he served nearly two years in the Nevada Air National Guard following its January 1968 activation - including the Pueblo Incident and a tour of duty in Japan - before returning home to finish college and graduate from the University of Nevada, Reno. He went on to law school at the University of California at Davis, graduating in 1972.

Returning to Northern Nevada, David passed the Nevada and California State Bars and was admitted to those courts in 1972-73. He served as a law clerk for the late Reno Judge James Guinan, worked as a part-time Deputy District Attorney in Churchill County, and built a sole private practice in Reno. In 1987 he joined with the late Vivian Lynch to form Hamilton & Lynch, which became one of the preeminent law firms in Reno, known in the community for how hard and passionately its lawyers fought for their clients. A life-long litigator, David tried more than thirty jury trials and hundreds of bench trials, and was admitted to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and all state and federal courts in Nevada and California.

David was a member of the Washoe County Bar Association and the Nevada State Bar Association, serving on the Fee Dispute Committee and the Arbitration Committee, working as a mediator, and handling numerous foreclosure mediations. He is survived by his wife of almost 22 years, Windy Hamilton; two children, Courtney Hamilton of Reno and Hunter Hamilton of Los Angeles; four step-children; his brother Steve Hamilton of Reno; nieces, nephews, step-grandchildren, extended family, and many friends.