Joseph Benson

Why did you become an attorney?

The underlying education was the primary reason for the desire to first become an attorney. Obviously, to make a good living and enjoy what you do is the ultimate career. I have found that becoming an attorney was half the battle, becoming a great attorney involves mastering the art of legal persuasion, which is best acquired by experience, and years of training. The reward of client satisfaction truly makes me happy. I had a very strong influence with my Father, Joseph L. Benson, Sr. who also is a personal injury lawyer (and recently received the 2011 Nevada Lifetime Achievement Award). He was instrumental in my decisions throughout my young adulthood and early law practice.

What experiences (work and personal) help you to be a better attorney?
Certainly, every case has different legal issues, which mold a better legal mind. Handling thousands of different cases helps me understand and narrow the legal issues that emerge in a new case. Trial and litigation experience has helped me formulate what is important in the litigation process so that unnecessary expenses are cut, and that crucial evidence is presented by the legal requirements under Nevada law. With over 24 jury trials under my belt, you start to understand strategy and evidence presentation and the real importance of jury selection. The more trials a lawyer is involved in helps shape and hone his craft.

What made you choose your primary specialty focus of law?

A drunk driver critically injured my brother in high school, and that experience helped me want to help others. The law is unique and often not clear cut--many times the facts fall in the gray area so it takes a creative mind to find solutions and a liability hook to make a case valuable. Taking a case that seems like a loser and making your client a winner is the best.

What makes your law firm unique?

I still consider us a boutique law firm, even though we have grown to have 4 offices and 23 employees in Southern and Northern Nevada; our lawyers have the same client driven philosophy. We have always maintained the motto that what distinguishes us from others is our concern for our clients and that we will go over the top to make them happy. Where we really shine are the complicated cases, where our experience makes all the difference. Our Internet reviews tell the story... anything but 5 stars is unacceptable. Client service is what we do best.

Describe your ideal client.

There is no such thing as an ideal client, but perhaps an ideal set of facts for a particular case. Given the business of personal injury, our clients are victims of other peoples' carelessness and bad choices. It is very rewarding to help those who need it most. We handle clients from every background and every economic group. Clients who can communicate effectively usually make better clients given they need to express their issues to a jury... this ultimately is the reason we are all here. When you do personal injury as I have now for nearly 18 years, you see the gambit of personalities and you really learn about the medical profession and its treatment. That medicine, while considered a science, is more of an art, and many in that profession are better at directing the healing process than others.

Ben Bingham, Esq.

Why did you become an attorney?

From a young age the thought of becoming an advocate always appealed to me. The mere idea of having a profession, the education, and the ability to appear in court to present an argument lured me in. Upon turning 16 and obtaining a drivers license, I obtained employment as a runner at a law office. I maintained the same employment until the end of my college days at UNLV. Gaining experience from the attorneys and familiarizing myself with the court house. The influences I received throughout that opportunity sealed the deal. After college it was straight to law school. The practice of law presents challenges on a daily bases far from the mundane 9-5. Frankly, my personality is incapable of a day to day desk job without lashing out. The constant argument with insurance adjusters and defense attorneys over liability issues and medical records, fighting for what's right, suits me well.

What experiences (work and personal) help you be a better attorney?

Having broken numerous bones in my body on several occasions (right arm twice, left arm once, seventh cervical vertebra, torn off bottom lip, right ankle twice, left ankle, bruised and broken ribs to name a few) and having plenty of surgeries to correct the same, I can relate to most of the pain and suffering issues clients present. When a client is in pain or doesn't have their health, it changes their eating habits, sleeping habits, creates depression and makes them sharp tempered. Having personally experienced the challenges associated with pain and suffering and rehabilitation helps me understand the healing process an injured client endures.

What made you chose your primary specialty focus of law?

In my early career as an attorney I primarily practiced in the areas of criminal defense and personal injury. While criminal defense provided me with great exposure to the court system, making 5-20 appearances a day, personal injury was my desire. Personally, I feel that an attorney must make the decision to focus on one area of law. It is impractical to be a jack-of-all-tades attorney with the intricacies presented in each area of practice. In 2006, I was able to make the transition and dedicate my practice exclusively to helping personal injury victims.

What makes your law firm unique?

Benson & Bingham is a small firm dedicated to our clients. We have made the decision to maintain our intimate size so clients receive the attention they deserve. From the time a personal injury client walks into our office they recognize "the difference." As attorneys we personally meet with each and every client to address their needs. In many cases we have staff member sit in on the initial consultation so our staff is properly informed of potential issues. We do not simply allow clients to meet with case managers. While we typically sign up between 400 to 600 cases each year, we are not a volume firm. We have taken the oath to seek justice for each client individually. No law firm treats their clients better than Benson & Bingham.

Describe your ideal client.

While it may sound cliche, we truly gain satisfaction in helping the "little guy". In the past twelve years of practicing law we have seen such a shift in insurance companies going from the business of helping people into the business of denying people. The "little guy" doesn't stand a chance alone. Our ideal client is the average individual who simply becomes the victim of negligence and cannot get the wrongdoer or Insurance company to do the right thing. Perhaps it's easier to describe the ideal Defendant in a civil action...someone who refuses to accept responsibility.

Dana Oswalt

Dana graduated from the William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV in 2010. Dana passed the Nevada Bar Exam in July of 2010 on her first attempt. Dana graduated Magna Cum Laude from Arizona State University in 2007 with a Bachelors of Science degree in Justice Studies and Social Inquiry and a Minor in Political Science. Dana grew up in the Bay Area, she is a season ticket holder for the Oakland Raiders, and she enjoys watching sports, exercising, and relaxing by the pool when the weather permits.

Lina Sadovnikaite

Lina graduated from Law University of Lithuania and continued her education at William S. Boyd Shool of Law. Currently, Lina is admitted to practice law in Nevada and Oregon.

Lina is fluent in Lithuanian and Russian. When she is not working, she spends time volunteering and exploring the world.

Ida Ybarra

Ida is originally from the small farming town of Corcoran, California. She attended the University of California, Berkeley where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in social welfare with an emphasis in psychology and a minor in Chicana/o Studies. She went on to earn her Juris Doctor degree from Thomas Jefferson School of Law. During law school, Ida studied abroad in Nice, France where she was taught international constitutional law by the late Justice Scalia of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Ida previously worked at a personal injury firm where she created and managed the workers' compensation department. She also worked as a workers' compensation insurance adjuster for several insurance companies. Her prior experience has allowed her to advocate for the rights of her clients.

When Ida is not practicing law, she enjoys traveling the world, watching college basketball and football and reading.

Ida is admitted to practice law in Nevada and is a member of the Nevada State Bar, Nevada Federal District Court and 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Danielle Richardson

Ms. Richardson is a recent graduate from Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon. She has a passion for the law and is excited to be a part of the Benson & Bingham legal team. She was born and raised a Las Vegas native, so loves the city and the people in it.

While in law school, Danielle worked for the Washington County District Attorney’s office, as well as a private defense firm located in Oregon. Most recently, she worked with Professor Aliza Kaplan of Lewis & Clark Law School, where she co-authored a juvenile clemency petition that was submitted to Governor Kate Brown for review.

Before Ms. Richardson went to law school, she was a college athlete who suffered 6 major reconstructive operations. These injuries served as crucial learning points in her life because they taught her how to cope with adversity and overcome the many setbacks of life. Rehabilitation after each one of these injuries was significant and difficult. Over the years, however, she acquired an unrelenting sense of determination to accomplish her goals. A determination that carries over into everything she sets her mind to.

When Danielle is not working, she enjoys exercising and camping. Specifically, she likes to mountain bike, trail run and kayak. Ms. Richardson loves the feeling of being outside, so spends most of her free time exploring the great outdoors.