The attorneys at Brent Harsh Law are all certified by the State Bar of Nevada as Personal Injury Specialists, and have fought over 150 jury trials in Northern Nevada. Their collective 50+ years of working for insurance companies, 100+ years of experience handling insurance claims, and vast wealth of knowledge about the ins and outs of insurance and personal injury allows them to aggressively fight for you to get you the largest settlement possible.
Meet The Team
Founder & Managing Partner
The founder and managing partner at the firm, Brent Harsh received his Juris Doctor from the University of Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in 2001. He also graduated from the University of Nevada in 1996 with his Bachelor of Science in Finance, with a minor in Economics. Brent is certified by the Nevada State Bar as a Personal Injury Specialist, as well as the State Bars of Oregon and Washington. He began his career as a Deputy District Attorney, but soon started representing insurance companies. In his 20 years of insurance defense work, a decade of which was spent with Farmers Insurance as a Senior Trial Attorney where he tried cases valued over $10,000,000. Brent has tried over 100 cases. His vast experience, coupled with an aggressive yet approachable style, has both insurance companies and large corporations that have injured his clients settling cases early, and has won cases time and time again.
Outside of the courtroom, Brent is an in-demand educator who has been invited to lecture other attorneys due to his expertise in the areas of litigation, civil practice, personal injury, insurance law, and insurance bad-faith litigation. A true Reno local who graduated from Reno High School, Brent spends as much time as possible outdoors, as a triathlete, marathon runner, bicyclist, and motorcyclist. This intimate relationship with the local community combined with his deep understanding of insurance law makes Brent a fantastic ally for his clients.
- Founder & Managing Partner of Brent Harsh Law
- 2001: received Juris Doctor from University of the Pacific: McGeorge School of Law
- Former Deputy District Attorney
- 20 years of insurance defense work
- 10 years as Senior Trial Attorney with Farmers Insurance
Unique Insight
Karl H. Smith, received his Juris Doctor from the University of Idaho College of Law in 1996, and is an active member of the Nevada State Bar, Federal District Court of Nevada, and formerly of the Idaho State Bar (inactive). He has extensive experience in civil litigation, and has been lead counsel in hundreds of arbitrations and mediations, as well as countless bench trials and dozens of jury trials. Karl’s favorite part of being a lawyer is being in the courtroom presenting a case to a jury – nothing makes him feel more alive as an attorney.
Prior to being a member of the Brent Harsh Law team, Karl devoted 22 years as an attorney for a major insurance company, with his last position there as Managing Attorney, supervising all in-house litigation for the State of Nevada. Because of this, Karl is intimately familiar with claims handling procedures from the insurance perspective, as well as how insurance counsel prepares and defends personal injury cases. This gives him unique insight on what to expect when representing personal injury clients both in, and out of, the courtroom. It allows him to anticipate the other parties’ choices and actions, and build the best possible case to benefit his clients. It helps them receive the largest settlement and return to their lives as seamlessly as possible.
Karl’s free time is dedicated to his family and to the great outdoors. He is devoted to his wife and two adult children, volunteers his time to his church, and multiple youth organizations. Karl loves all that Northern Nevada has to offer, summertime hiking in the Sierras, and has a personal goal to catch the biggest Lahontan cutthroat trout that he can from Pyramid Lake.
- 1996: received Juris Doctor from University of Idaho College of Law
- Member of Nevada State Bar and formerly of Idaho State Bar
- Former Managing Attorney for major insurance company
- Lead counsel in hundreds of arbitrations and mediations
Helping Clients & Their Families
Paige Taylor graduated from Santa Clara University with a Bachelor of Science in1989, where she attended on scholarship, before receiving her Juris Doctor from Willamette University College of Law in 1992. While studying at Willamette, she received the American Jurisprudence Award for Contracts, which honors the highest grade in the class. She is a member of the Nevada State Bar, Washoe County Bar Association, and Nevada Justice Association. For nearly 30 years, Paige has focused on helping injured clients and their families win their personal injury cases, and has handled every category of claim, from simple accident cases resulting in minor soft-tissue injuries or whiplash, to catastrophic injuries dealing with paraplegia and death.
In addition to her legal successes, Paige is a 3rd generation Nevadan, and was born and raised in Reno. Her family’s ranch in now part of the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, and like her father and grandfather before, Paige is a Huskie and attended Reno High School. Paige and her husband of 25 years have two children. Her strong community bond and lifelong commitment to the Reno area makes her a unique asset in evaluating Northern Nevada cases.
- 1992: Received Juris Doctor from Willamette University College of Law
- Member of Nevada State Bar, Washoe County Bar Association, and Nevada Justice Association
- 25+ years of personal injury specialization
Trial Attorney
Stacey Upson is a 30-year practicing trial attorney at Brent Harsh Law. She is a fifth generation Nevadan who has a passion for helping people in need. She brings vast experience in the personal injury field having represented people in all aspect of civil litigation on both sides of litigation. She is certified by the Nevada State Bar as a Personal Injury Specialist. Following graduation from law school in 1992, Stacey worked as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Michael E. Fondi in Carson City Nevada where she gained invaluable insight in all aspects of trials. She then worked at one of the largest and oldest litigation firms in the State of Nevada before becoming in-house counsel with two large insurance companies for twenty years, one of which she was both Managing Attorney in Nevada and California.
Her prior work experience includes handling all types of personal injury matters including catastrophic cases. She has extensive trial experience in the areas of personal injury and general civil litigation.
Her goal is to provide the best legal representation possible to assist every client with getting their life back on track including appropriate compensation for their injuries. Stacey works with an amazing team at Brent Harsh Law to always ensure accessibility for any need or
issue. Relationships with our clients are paramount.
In addition to being licensed in the State of Nevada, she is also admitted to the Federal Courts of Nevada and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. She is also a member of several professional organizations.
Stacey also regularly gives back in her community by volunteer work and being available to less experienced attorneys for mentoring.
Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, staying physically active and reading.
- 30-year practicing trial attorney at Brent Harsh Law
- Fifth generation Nevadan who has a passion for helping people in need
- Certified by the Nevada State Bar as a Personal Injury Specialist
More experience means more damages recovered
As a result of our experience in both commercial and private litigation, our firm routinely recovers significant damages of all types for clients suffering from the most severe of injuries, including: traumatic brain and head injuries, spinal cord injuries, vertigo, amputations, wrongful death, and other types of personal injury.
Our specialized knowledge is
your key to success
Contact Us for Help.
We know exactly what insurance companies need to resolve a claim swiftly, how to provide the right documentation, and how to establish liability. We are also northern Nevada locals who grew up here, raised our families here, and live here. This combination of knowledge and community understanding gives us the unique advantage to help you win your case, and receive a large settlement.
Pursu Agency
