Tucson, Arizona
| Managing Partner | |
| phone | (520) 545-1670 |
| fax | (520) 790-1163 |
| Email Me | |
- Areas of Practice:
- Products Liability
- Medical Malpractice
- Premises Liability
- Federal Tort Claims
- Bad Faith
- Insurance
- Governmental Liability
- Certification/Specialties:
- Injury and Wrongful Death Litigation, Arizona Board of Legal Specialization
- Bar Admissions:
- Arizona, 1977
- U.S. District Court District of Arizona, 1977
- U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1982
- U.S. Supreme Court, 1982
- Education:
- University of Arizona College of Law, Tucson, Arizona,
1977
J.D.
Honors: High Distinction
Law Review: University of Arizona, Managing Editor, 1976 - 1977 - University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona,
1977
B.A.
Honors: With High Distinction
Major: Government
- Published Works:
- Merit Selection of Judges, Under Attack Without Merit. Arizona Attorney, February, 2006
- Insurance Bad Faith; First-Party and Third-Party Claims and Available Damages. Bar Bites, A Division of Arizona Institute of Continuing Legal Education, 1990
- Refusals to Settle. Refusals to Defend. Reservations of Rights and Damron Agreements, Bar Bites, A Division of Arizona Institute of Continuing Legal Education, 1990
- Punitive Damages in Arizona: The Reports of Their Death are Greatly Exaggerated, 29 Ariz.L.Rev. 599, 1987
- State of the Art - A New Frontier in the Products liability Area, Arizona State Bar Journal, February, 1984
- Turning the Plaintiffs Assertion of the Physician-Patient Privilege to the Advantage of the Defense, 25 For the Defense, (March 1983). Use of Request for Admissions in the No Liability Case. 24 For the Defense.10, June, 1982
- Architects. Engineers and the Statute of Limitations. 1 DRI Monogram, 24, 1982
- Common Law Concepts of Life Insurance in Community Property Jurisdictions: Recommendations for a Practical Approach, 18 Ariz.L.Rev, 182, 1976
- Double Jeopardy. Multiple Punishment and the Criminality of Crime While on Bail, 17 Ariz.L.Rev. 757, 1975
- Representative Cases:
- Sparks v. Republic Nat. Life Ins. Co., 647 P.2d 1127 (Ariz. 1982)
- Classes/Seminars Taught:
- Effective Demand Letters: View from Both Sides, Arizona Trial Lawyers Association - Tucson, Arizona, May 5, 2008
- Chairman, Bench and Bar, April 28, 2008
- "Insurance Bad Faith Claims", (Tucson, Arizona), Lorman Business Center, January 22, 2008
- Chairman, Bench and Bar, December 4, 2007
- Chairman, Bench and Bar, May 14, 2007
- State Chair Trial Seminar, Arizona Trial Lawyers Association, March 16, 2007
- Chairman, Bench and Bar, December 13, 2006
- Chairman, Bench and Bar, May 8, 2005
- Chairman, Bench and Bar Roundtable With the Robes, December 8, 2005
- Insurance & Tort Law Update, Tucson, Arizona, May 2, 2005
- Insurance Law from A to Z, State Bar Presentation, 2004
- Bad Faith, Damron, Morris, and Peaton Agreements and Himes, Arizona Trial Lawyers Association, 2003
- "Trial Skills", (Pinetop/Lakeside, Arizona), State Bar of Arizona White Mountains, 2003
- "Bad Faith and Punitive Damages", San Francisco, California, American Conference Institute, 2003
- "Trial Skills", (Pinetop/Lakeside, Arizona), State Bar of Arizona - White Mountains, 2002
- Arizona Evidence Law, CLE West, 2002
- Encyclopedia of Experts, State Bar of Arizona, 2002
- "Trial Skills", (Pinetop/Lakeside, Arizona), State Bar of Arizona - White Mountains, 2001 - 2004
- Expert Testimony in Federal and State Court Tucson, Arizona, Arizona Trial Lawyers Association, 2000
- Admissibility of Expert Opinion Evidence in Federal and Arizona Courts, Pima County Bar Association, 2000
- College of Trial Advocacy Program Tucson, Arizona, State Bar of Arizona, 2000
- "Use of Medical Experts" (Grcer, Arizona), State Bar of Arizona - White Mountains, 2000
- "Ethics" (Greer, Arizona), State Bar of Arizona - White Mountains, 1999
- CLE by the Sea Program, (San Diego, California), State Bar of Arizona, 1999
- "Insurance Bad Faith Law", (Tucson, Arizona), Lorman Business Center, 1999
- Professionalism, State Bar of Arizona, 1999
- College of Trial Advocacy Program, (Tucson, Arizona), State Bar of Arizona, 1998
- "Professionalism & Ethics" (Greer, Arizona), State Bar of Arizona - White Mountains, 1998
- CLB by the Sea Program, (San Diego, California), State Bar of Arizona, 1998
- College of Trial Advocacy Program, (Tucson, Arizona), State Bar of Arizona, 1997
- CLB by the Sea Program, (San Diego, California), State Bar of Arizona, 1997
- College of Trial Advocacy Program, (Tucson, Arizona), State Bar of Arizona, 1996
- CLB by the Sea Program, (San Diego, California), State Bar of Arizona, 1996
- "Insurance Bad Faith Claims", (Tucson, Arizona), Lorman Business Center, 1995
- College of Trial Advocacy Program, (Tucson, Arizona), State Bar of Arizona, 1995
- "Disclosure vs. Discovery - Strategic, Practical and Ethical Problems caused by New Federal Rules", (New York City, New York), ATLA Annual Convention, 1995
- CLB by the Sea Program, (San Diego, California), State Bar of Arizona, 1995
- Legal Malpractice "A Case Study", (Tucson, Arizona), Lorman Business Services, 1995
- "Proposed Rule Changes Juries", (Tucson, Arizona), Arizona Association of Defense Counsel, 1995
- "Insurance Law", (Tucson, Arizona), Lorman Business Center, 1994
- College of Trial Advocacy Program, (Tucson, Arizona), State Bar of Arizona, 1994
- CLE by the Sea Program, (San Diego, California), State Bar of Arizona, 1994
- "Making It Work Trial Practice in the 90's", (Kapalua, Maui), Western Trial Lawyers Association, 1994
- Educational Lecturing Since, Western Trial Lawyers Association, 1982
- Honors and Awards:
- Top 50 Southwest Super Lawyers, Southern Arizona Specializing in Injury and Wrongful Death, 2007
- James E. College of Law Distinguished Alumnus Award, 2007
- Walter E. Craig Award, 2006
- NALS of Tucson Boss of the Year Award, 2005
- Sidney S. Woods Alumni Service, University of Arizona, 2005
- Southern Arizona Association of High School Athletic Directors Ruy McNally, 2003 - 2006
- State Bar of Arizona Member, 2002
- Silver Beaver, 2002
- Spanish Trails District Award of Merit, Catalina Council Boy Scouts of America, 1998
- Adjunct Professor of Law, 1992 - 1993
- State Bar of Arizona Outstanding Leadership in Contribution to Continuing Legal Education, 1987 - 1990
- State Bar of Arizona Outstanding Leadership in Contribution to Continuing Legal Education, 1997
- William Spade Memorial Award for Outstanding Contributions Made to the College of Law, University of Arizona, 1977
- Fellow, American Bar Foundation, 1987 - Present
- Fellow, International Society of Barristers, 1995 - Present
- Professional Associations and Memberships:
- Tara Nicole Schmidt Have a Dream Memorial, 1994 - Present
- Founder and Director
- National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Southern Chapter, 2006 - Present
- President
- National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, 2003 - Present
- Member, Board of Directors
- Boy Scouts of America Spanish Trials, 1998 - 2001
- District Chairman
- Catalina Council Legal Counsel, 2001 - 2003
- Council Commissioner
- Advisory Commission for Certification in Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Litigation before State Bar, 1989 - 2004
- Chairman
- Catalina Foothills High School Football Rooster Club: Touchdown Club, 2000 - 2003
- President
- Canyon View Little, 1990 - 1997
- League Coach
- Canyon View Little League, 1996
- Hoard of Directors, Chair
- American College of Trail Lawyers, 1998 - 2000
- Civil Justice Committee
- Arizona College of Trial Advocacy, 1985 - 1999
- Founding Chairman
- Arizona College of Trial Advocacy, 1985 - 1999
- Faculty Member
- Hastings College of Trial Advocacy, 1979 - 1981
- Graduate and Faculty member
- University of Arizona College of Law, 1981 - 1984
- Member Board of Visitors
- University of Arizona College of Law, 1984 - 2003
- Chairman of the Board of Visitors
- State Bar of Arizona, Trial Practice Section, 1986
- Chairman
- State Bar Convention, 1988
- Chairman
- Arizona State Bar Civil Practice, 1982
- Procedures Committee
- Law College Association, University of Arizona, 1994 - Present
- Board Member
- Arizona Federal District Court of Arizona, Ninth Circuit
- American Bar Association
- American Association for Justice
- Arizona Trial Lawyers Association
- Arizona Trial Lawyers Association, 1989 - 1991
- Board of Directors
- Pima County Superior Court
- Judge Pro Tem
- University of Arizona, College of Law
- Adjunct Professor
- Arizona Law School, 2000 - Present
- Board of Visitors
- Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers, 1997 - Present
- State Chair American College of Trial Lawyers, 1998 - 2001
- Best Lawyers in America, 2002 - Present
- Arizona State Bar Certified Specialist in Injury and Wrongful Death Litigation
- Advisory Commission for Certification in Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Litigation Before State Bar, 1989 - 2004
- Chairman
- American Board of Trial Advocates, 1981 - Present
- American Board of Trial Advocates, Tucson Chapter, 1999
- President
- International Society of Barristers, 2004 - Present
- State Chair
- State Bar Professional Liability Insurance Task Force, 2002
- Serve on State Bar Task Force to Investigate a Captive Insurance Company, 2002 - 2003
- Past Employment Positions:
- O'Connor Cavangh, Partner/Managing, 1985 - 1995
- Jennings Strouss & Salmon, Partner, 1977 - 1985
- Tucson and Nogales Office of O'Connor Cavanagh, Managing Partner, 1992 - 1995
- Kinerk, Beal, Schmidt, Dyer & Sethi, Partner, 1995 - 2005
- O'Connor, Cavanagh, Anderson, Westover, Killingsworth & Beshears, Partner, 1984 - 1995
- Jennings, Strouss & Salmon, Partner, 1980 - 1984
- Jennings, Strouss & Salmon, Associate, 1977 - 1980
- Pro Bono Activities:
- Cub Master, Pack 220, Catalina Council BSA, 1990 - 1995
- Scoutmaster Troop, Catalina Council BSA, 1995 - 2000
- Venture Crew Advisor, Venture 100 BSA, 1999 - 2002
- Canyon View Little League Coach, 1990 - 1997
