Leo P. Bergin III

Leo P. Bergin III earned his B.S. from the University of Notre Dame in 1958 and his J.D. from Stanford University in 1961, and was admitted to practice law in Nevada that same year. He built his entire legal career in Reno, joining McDonald Carano in 1970 and dedicating more than five decades to the firm and to the practice of law in Nevada.

Beyond his own practice, Mr. Bergin was the institutional backbone of his firm. He served as the firm's first Managing Partner from 1972 to 2002 and acted as its financial and operations manager as it grew from a small partnership into a medium-sized, multi-disciplinary firm, later continuing to serve on its Executive Committee. He was also a founding member of Meritas, a global network of law firms established in 1990. His practice focused on real estate, real property financing, agricultural law, construction law, energy and natural resources, and general business law, counseling clients that ranged from title companies and construction firms to ranching and farming operations, and he was recognized for his work with an AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating and repeated listings in The Best Lawyers in America and Mountain States Super Lawyers.

A farmer as well as a lawyer, Mr. Bergin was a longtime supporter of 4-H and Future Farmers of America. He gave generously to his community, serving on the Board of Directors of the Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows from 2004 onward, including as President in 2011, and as Trustee and Treasurer of the Jack Van Sickle Foundation. He passed away on May 3, 2026, remembered for his profound and lasting influence on his firm, his profession, and his community.