Steve Morris was a force to be reckoned with.
Morris, who died Monday, was described as one of the best trial attorneys in Nevada, representing many Strip resorts in high-profile lawsuits for decades. He was 88.
In the fallout of the 1980 fatal MGM Grand fire, Morris became head counsel for the hotel, which had been sued by relatives of those who perished in the blaze.
In the late 2000s, he represented the CityCenter’s now-defunct Harmon Hotel, which had to be torn down midway through construction after the building was deemed structurally unsound.
The late attorney also previously handled arbitration in the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s long-running dispute with the Las Vegas Sun over the two newspapers’ joint operating agreement.
He was a fellow with the American College of Trial Lawyers, an invite-only program, and a lifetime member of the American Law Institute, an exclusive research and advocacy group of judges, attorneys, and legal scholars.
Before his retirement two years ago, he had been a member of the Nevada bar since 1969. The Clark County Coroner’s office said he died from complications of thermal injuries. Morris’ relatives declined to comment regarding the circumstances of his death.
‘A magnificent lawyer and man’
Morris, who attended the University of Reno and the University of Texas School of Law, started his career at the law firm Lionel Sawyer & Collins. The then-powerhouse firm is where he met his wife, now Supreme Court Justice Kristina Pickering. The couple, with another attorney, Andrew Brignone, started their own firm in 1993. When Pickering took the bench, that firm dissolved, and Morris founded a firm under his own name.
Brignone said he was shocked when a magistrate judge texted him the news of Morris’ death.
“I have such good memories of practicing with him,” Brignone said. “He is one of those rare lawyers: greater than excellent — exceptional.”
Brignone also said that Morris was a mentor to many up-and-coming attorneys.
Attorney J. Randall Jones, who joined the bar about a decade after Morris, said that he always loved watching Morris litigate.
“I had both the pleasure and the pain of being on both sides of cases with Steve,” Jones said. “One of the most painful was during a jury trial, and he just eviscerated my witness.”
Jones added: “He was just doing his job. And it was a great job. He was a brilliant strategist, unbelievably tenacious and meticulously prepared.”
Over time, Jones said, he and Morris more frequently found themselves on the same legal team. Jones got to know Morris, including his love for animals, especially his pack of border collies who often roamed his law office and the stray cat he rescued from the pound.
Former federal judge Philip Pro described Morris as ethical, intelligent, and athletic. Pro and Morris sometimes attended UNLV basketball games together.
“I’m so sad that Steve is gone,” Pro said. “He was a magnificent lawyer and a magnificent man.”
Pickering said her husband was a voracious reader who also loved the outdoors. Morris was passionate about preserving wilderness areas and loved hiking and backpacking.
He was also deeply passionate about National Public Radio and served on its board.
“His life was just remarkable,” Pickering said, getting choked up. “He was a wonderful human being and my best friend.”
Morris has two sons: Gregory Morris, who works as an estate attorney, and Steve Morris Jr. Pickering said that the family will hold a funeral service at the beginning of April, which she hoped would be a celebration of all Morris had accomplished.
“I was so blessed to have him in my life,” Pickering added.
The Review-Journal is owned by the Adelson family, including Dr. Miriam Adelson, majority shareholder of Las Vegas Sands Corp., and Las Vegas Sands Chairman and CEO Patrick Dumont.
Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com.
