Aug30
The firm is pleased to announce that Don Wilson was recently appointed to serve on the State Bar Ethics Advisory Group. The appointment is for a three year term, during which he will provide assistance to the State Bar and its members in the resolution of questions of professional ethics, including non-binding ethical guidance to and for the benefit of Arizona lawyers.…
Read MoreMar25
Michelle Donovan and Kate Corcoran secured a unanimous defense verdict in a birth trauma case in which Plaintiffs claimed the obstetrician failed to diagnose shoulder dystocia and caused a permanent brachial plexus palsy in the newborn.…
Read MoreFeb18
Jathan McLaughlin prevailed in a United States District Court lawsuit seeking over $20 million in damages against his attorney-client. After litigating the case for over two years, Mr. McLaughlin obtained summary judgment in favor of his client as well as a favorable Daubert ruling which eliminated roughly $13.7 million dollars in alleged economic damages.…
Read MoreFeb10
Tyler Abrahams prevailed on summary judgment on behalf of a business client in U.S. District Court. The lawsuit alleged that the the business client aided and abetted a breach of fiduciary duty of its employees when those employees terminated their prior company to join the business client. Tyler successfully argued the business client was unaware of the fiduciary duties owed by and among the employees to their former business, resulting in the client’s dismissal from the lawsuit.…
Read MoreOct15
On October 15, 2021, Jessica Kokal presented an hour-long course on Unconscious Bias at the State Bar of Arizona’s 2021 Annual Workers’ Compensation Program. The presentation helped introduce the idea of unconscious bias, the many ways in which it can present, and its application in the legal field and specific to workers’ compensation, including as implicated by the examination of witnesses and experts, communication to the trier of fact, and even in the earliest stages of claims handling when the facts germane to the litigation are developed. One attendee wrote in the evaluation form: My greatest praise and acclaim go …
Read MoreJul1
On May 21, 2021, Alicyn Freeman presented a CLE on the topic of automobile insurance coverage for transportation network company services (i.e. Uber/Lyft), delivery services (i.e. Deliv/Amazon Flex) and peer to peer car sharing (i.e. Turo). The presentation reviewed the enforceability of exclusions for these activities for liability coverage, underinsured motorist coverage and uninsured motorist coverage. The presentation also reviewed the newly passed Arizona legislation, SB 1720, regarding insurance coverage for peer to peer car sharing.…
Read MoreJun29
On June 29, 2021, Kelley Jancaitis presented an in-house continuing legal education seminar, According to the Rule, emphasizing the importance of knowing and following the Arizona Rules of Civil Procedure in the course of providing competent and ethical legal representation. The presentation reviewed common misconceptions regarding the content and application of certain civil rules, provided an update on recent appellate opinions interpreting rules, and provided guidance to our attorneys on how the civil rules can be used to effectively advocate for efficient and just resolution of legal issues, particularly in the absence of controlling legal authority on an issue.…
Read MoreJun15
Following a two-day hearing before the Presiding Disciplinary Judge and panel members, Don Wilson and Jessica Kokal achieved a significant reduction in the proposed sanctions against their client, far exceeding the best settlement offer made in litigation. The best prior offer was a long-term suspension and ultimately Mr. Wilson and Ms. Kokal were able to obtain a reprimand only on their client’s behalf.…
Read MoreMay4
Congratulations to Dani Chronister for prevailing at trial on behalf of her defendant client regarding a motor vehicle accident. Due to Dani’s defense, the Judge dismissed the case on directed verdict. …
Read MoreMar25
Congratulations to Sarah Barnes for securing a defense verdict and final judgment of dismissal in Arizona District Court recently. Sarah’s client, the Director of the Arizona Department of Corrections, was one of three groups of defendants in a Section 1983 deliberate indifference case wherein the plaintiff was seeking $2 million in damages and injunctive relief.…
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