Attorneys

The firm's partners are James L. Porter, Jr., James E. Simon, Peter H. Cuttitta, Kelley R. Carroll, Steven C. Gross, Stephen C. Lieberman,Brian C. Hanley, and Louis A. Basile. Their outstanding leadership works endlessly to continue our firm's tradition of providing only the very best in legal services for our clients and community. The firm's associate attorney Catherine E. Blaber, has extensive experience outside the Truckee-Tahoe area, which enables her to bring a sophisticated understanding of legal issues to each assignment, but her active involvement in the Truckee community provides a local perspective that is critical to effectively represent our clients. The firm has the highest rating, A-V from Martindale- Hubbell.*

Jim Porter joined a small, "country casual" firm in 1973 fresh from San Francisco's Hastings College of Law. Following a year vagabonding in Europe, Jim was living in Truckee and one day while cutting firewood he saw a LAW OFFICE sign in downtown. After many unannounced visits, his persistence paid off with a job. A few years later, Jim met current partner, Jim Simon, while skiing at one of the local Tahoe resorts. Simon, also Hastings alum, was working in the litigation department of a large, Oakland firm and grabbed the opportunity to join a more community focused firm. They shared a 'work hard, play hard' mentality focused on providing the very best in legal services. Within three years the two Jims were partners of the newly structured law firm housed on Commercial Row in charming downtown Truckee.

Pete Cuttitta, who joined the firm in 1985, after having spent 8 years in a Los Angeles litigation practice, jumped at the opportunity to return to Northern California, where he grew up. He was intimately familiar with the Truckee-Tahoe area, as his father had been employed as a naturalist in the California State Park system at Lake Tahoe, and Pete had spent many summers living in a small house adjacent to the Vikingsholm at Emerald Bay. His stint in Los Angeles was largely marked by efforts to figure out a means to return to the Truckee-Tahoe area, which Porter Simon ultimately provided.

Steve Lieberman arrived in Truckee in 1975, and after six years practicing general and international business with a large firm in Washington D.C., the push of urban stress and the pull of the mountains brought Steve Lieberman to Truckee, where he established a solo practice. Twenty years later he joined Porter Simon and has played an important role in the growth and development of the firm's real estate and business practice.

After Steve Gross spent two years in North Lake Tahoe between college and law school, it was an easy decision to relocate to Truckee after reading a Porter Simon ad for an attorney.

Kelley Carroll initially practiced in San Francisco, but yearned to return to the Tahoe area that he and his wife Paige had loved since dealing cards at Harrah's Casino during college. Shortly after a year of travel throughout the western United States and getting his L.L.M. in taxation, Kelley joined Porter Simon.

Brian Hanley joined Porter Simon in 2005 and is currently practicing business and real estate law. Prior to joining Porter Simon, Brian clerked for Senior Judge Edward C. Reed, United States District Judge for the District of Nevada, in Reno, Nevada.

Lou Basile, a long-time Tahoe City attorney who has practiced law for over 38 years, joined Porter Simon as a partner on May 1, 2012. He brings extensive experience in the litigation and real estate/general business practices. His years of experience as a litigation attorney, representing both plaintiffs and defendants, coupled with extensive experience in the dispute resolution process both as a litigator and mediator gives him significant insight into issues that arise in litigation, as well as effective methods for analysis of issues and resolution of disputes by mediation.

* This national law firm rating company values attorneys throughout the United States based on solicited feedback from their colleagues. "AV" is the highest rating available, with "A" signifying that an attorney is ranked from "Very High to Preeminent" in his or her field(s), and "V" indicating high ethical standards.