George Ogilvie serves as the Firm Managing Partner of McDonald Carano LLP, a preeminent statewide Nevada law firm founded in 1949 with offices in Las Vegas, Reno, and Carson City. Ogilvie joined McDonald Carano in 1992. In 1994, he was elected to the Partnership of the Firm and became the Managing Partner of the Las Vegas office and a member of the Executive Committee. In 2019, he was elected to serve as Firm Managing Partner. When Ogilvie joined McDonald Carano in 1992, the Firm was comprised of 23 attorneys and has grown to more than 60 attorneys and government affairs professionals serving clients throughout Nevada.
Ogilvie’s litigation practice focuses on complex high-exposure construction and commercial disputes. He has successfully first-chaired dozens of jury trials, bench trials, and private arbitrations, and numerous prevailing oral arguments before the Nevada Supreme Court. Ogilvie also appears on behalf of clients before municipal boards and governmental agencies.
Lawdragon Honors
| Honor | Year | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| The 2026 Lawdragon 100 Managing Partners You Need to Know | 2026 | Managing Partner |
| The 2025 Lawdragon 100 Managing Partners You Need to Know | 2025 | Managing Partner |
Ogilvie’s construction law and litigation practice encompasses major public works projects and critical energy infrastructure, as well as large-scale private commercial projects including mixed-use development and redevelopment projects, state-of-the-art industrial and manufacturing facilities, the most advanced professional sports stadiums, and high-end casinos, hotels, resorts and entertainment complexes that continually reinvent the Las Vegas Skyline.
Clients describe Ogilvie as “outstanding and fearless which is important to being a great litigator.” “[Ogilvie] is a consummate professional and a very experienced attorney with a very good reputation among both lawyers and judges.” “What impresses us most is his hands on approach – he is personally involved on a day-to-day basis.”
As a native Las Vegan and fifth generation Nevadan, Ogilvie is committed to public service and advocacy for the people of Nevada by serving in leadership positions at civic organizations. For example, for nearly 10 years, Ogilvie served as a gubernatorial appointee to the Colorado River Commission, which acts as the steward of Nevada’s allocation of Colorado River water and electrical resources. Ogilvie served as Chairman of the Commission under two Governors.
Nevada Business Magazine selected Ogilvie as one of only twelve “Most Respected Leaders.” Published in the December 2024 issue, the magazine explains “the Most Respected Leaders earned the designation through hard work, servant leadership and perseverance.” Ogilvie’s leadership advice and insights as a Firm Managing Partner are featured in recent publications, including (1) “Five Principles of Law Firm Management: A Managing Partner’s Perspective,” Nevada Lawyer, September 2025, (2) “How I Made Managing Partner: ‘Be the Uniting Voice of the Firm,’” Law.com, January 31, 2025, (3) “Managing Partner Offers Leadership Insights on Nevada Firm’s 75th Anniversary,” Of Counsel: The Legal Practice and Management Report, September 2024, (4) “Q&A with George Ogilvie: Managing Partner of Nevada’s Oldest Full-Service Law Firm,” Communiqué, June/July, 2024, and (5) McDonald Carano Celebrates 75th Anniversary: George Ogilvie Interview, Nevada Newsmakers, April 30, 2024.