Meet Chelsea! A fifth-generation Northern Nevadan, Chelsea loves living in Northern Nevada and serving her community both as defense counsel for her clients at BWB&O and through community service.
Chelsea graduated from Carson High School in Carson City, Nevada, where she served as class president. Chelsea went on to study journalism at the Reynolds School of Journalism (RSJ) at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) just as her mother, father, grandfather, and grandmother did. Little did Chelsea know back then that the love of her life was attending the very same classes at RSJ.
Chelsea earned her B.A. in journalism with distinction. While attending UNR, Chelsea placed 1st runner-up to Miss Nevada, and she was a founding member of Delta Gamma.
Chelsea earned her J.D. from the Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada.
In 2019, Chelsea moved back to Reno from Las Vegas, where she was quickly introduced to her now husband, Brendan. In their first conversation, the two learned that, 24 years ago, they were in the same classes together in college.
Chelsea began her legal career as in-house counsel for several publicly traded companies. Chelsea has since changed her focus to general liability defense litigation. “It is a great joy to do right for my clients and right for my community.”
In her free time, Chelsea enjoys traveling with her husband and their dog, and she volunteers her time as legal counsel for the Miss Nevada Scholarship Organization, an official preliminary to Miss America.
Q&A
Q: Were you planning to make a career in journalism when you graduated? Did someone or something inspire you to pursue law school instead?
A: I initially planned to pursue a career in broadcast journalism but ultimately decided to stay closer to home in the Reno/Tahoe area. My first job out of college was at the Nevada State Legislature, which is where I first became interested in pursuing law. My parents also ran political campaigns. My dad was a lobbyist, so journalism and politics were always big interests to me.
Q: You’ve had experience as in-house counsel and now in defense litigation. What inspired that career transition, and what do you enjoy most about your current practice?
A: I did not intentionally pursue a career as in-house counsel; rather, I was offered an opportunity to work as a contracts manager for a gaming/payment company by a friend who is also an attorney while waiting for bar results. After I was admitted, I was offered an in-house counsel position, which I gladly accepted. Many years later, when I relocated back from Las Vegas to Reno, I was approached about an opportunity with BWB&O. I will admit I was a bit nervous about switching to litigation, but it was the right move. I enjoy making a difference for my clients along with the variety of cases and fact patterns.
Q: What did you like about competing for Miss Nevada?
A: Miss Nevada was an unexpected and fulfilling experience. Although I grew up on stage doing drama, dance, and musical theater, I would have never thought to compete. In college, I agreed to check out the program because they were offering scholarship money. That year, I won the title of Miss UNR 2003. I then went on to the state competition where I placed 1st runner-up and won the talent competition and the state academic award. I learned to both win and lose with grace. The volunteers and other young women I met when I competed are now lifelong friends, which is a big reason why I volunteer with Miss Nevada today.
Q: Where do you like to travel to? Since you live so close to Tahoe, do you ever spend time there?
A: My husband is from Lake Tahoe, and my father-in-law still lives in Lake Tahoe, so my husband and I split our time between there and Reno. I spent my summers in Lake Tahoe at a cabin my grandparents built in South Lake, and I worked at a grocery store in Tahoe when I was in high school. My husband and I like to take road trips with our chihuahua Theodore, aka “Ted”. In fact, in 2025, we honeymooned in Carmel, and yes, Ted came with us! Since Ted is a small dog, he is perfect for plane rides and has traveled with us on flights to Texas, Arizona, Las Vegas, and Idaho, to name a few.
A special thank you to Chelsea for being part of this spotlight and sharing her experience with us!