Morton R. Galane

Morton R. Galane was a prominent Las Vegas attorney whose career spanned nearly half a century in Nevada. Born in the Bronx, New York, he graduated from George Washington University and moved to Las Vegas in 1952, and was admitted to the Nevada bar in 1955. Over the decades he built and led his own law firm, earning a reputation as a formidable litigator known for meticulous preparation and a demanding work ethic - qualities that made him widely respected by adversaries and colleagues alike.

Galane represented an array of notable clients and matters over his career. He served as special counsel to Governor Paul Laxalt from 1967 to 1970 and later chaired the Governor's Commission on the Future of Nevada from 1979 to 1980. Among his best-known engagements were his representation of entertainer Wayne Newton in Newton's libel case and his participation in the high-profile litigation surrounding Howard Hughes' termination of longtime aide Robert Maheu, where the presiding judge so admired the arguments of Galane and co-counsel that he allowed them to argue at length. Galane's stature in the profession was recognized in John A. Jenkins' 1989 book 'The Litigators.'

In 1982, President Ronald Reagan nominated Galane for a federal judgeship, but in March 1983 he withdrew his name from consideration, writing to the President that while he 'prized the honor,' his 'main efforts should be directed toward advocacy in court litigation.' Remembered as a legendary and tireless advocate, Galane mentored younger attorneys who interned with him and learned from him the workings of the courts and the value of a strong work ethic. He died on August 21, 2001.