Though they did not receive enough votes in their respective specialties to qualify for the general Top Lawyers list, the following attorneys were among the top vote-getters for special “legacy” and “rising star” categories reflecting lifetime service and professional potential, respectively.
LEGACY: 30 YEARS IN PRACTICE
Richard B Burnham
Gammage Burnham
40 N Central Ave, 20th Fl
Phoenix, 602-256-0566
gblaw.com
Roger Cohen
Jaburg Wilk
1850 N Central Ave, Ste 1200
Phoenix, 602-248-1000
jaburgwilk.com
Samuel Coppersmith
Coppersmith Brockelman
2800 N Central Ave, Ste 1900
Phoenix, 602-224-0999
cblawyers.com
Grady Gammage Jr
Gammage & Burnham
40 N Central Ave, 20th Fl
Phoenix, 602-256-0566
gblaw.com
Philip Gerard
The Cavanagh Law Firm
1850 N Central Ave, Ste 1900
Phoenix, 602-281-9949
cavanaghlaw.com
Michael King
Gammage & Burnham
40 N Central Ave, 20th Fl
Phoenix, 602-256-0566
gblaw.com
Jeffrey Leonard
Sacks Tierney
4250 N Drinkwater Blvd, 4th Fl
Scottsdale, 480-425-2600
sackstierney.com
Philip May
May Potenza Baran & Gillespie
1850 N Central Ave, Ste 1600
Phoenix, 602-252-1900
maypotenza.com
Mark Schmitt
Schmitt Schneck Even & Williams
1221 E Osborn Rd, Ste 105
Phoenix, 602-277-7000
schmittschneck.com
Leon Silver
Silver Cain
3101 N Central Ave, Ste 1410
Phoenix, 602-726-1244
silvercain.com
RISING STARS: 5 YEARS IN PRACTICE
Robert Bartels
Keller Rohrback
3101 N Central Ave, Ste 1400
Phoenix, 602-248-0088
kellerrohrback.com
Maci Burke
Galbut Beabeau
6720 N Scottsdale Rd, Ste 305
Scottsdale, 602-955-1455
gb.law
James Golden
Sacks Tierney
4250 N Drinkwater Blvd, 4th Fl
Scottsdale, 480-425-2600
sackstierney.com
William Haynes
The Cavanagh Law Firm
1850 N Central Ave, Ste 1900
Phoenix, 602-281-9949
cavanaghlaw.com
Nicholas Johnson
Davis Miles
999 E Playa Del Norte Dr, Ste 510
Tempe, 480-733-6800
davismiles.com
Phillip Lapointe
The Cavanagh Law Firm
1850 N Central Ave, Ste 1900
Phoenix, 602-281-9949
cavanaghlaw.com
Juliana Lauria
Dorsey & Whitney
2325 E Camelback Rd., Ste 300
Phoenix, 602-735-2700
dorsey.com
Madison Leake
Burch & Cracchiolo
1850 N Central Ave, Ste 1700
Phoenix, 602-274-7611
bcattorneys.com
Jacqueline Marzocca
Gammage & Burnham
40 N Central Ave, 20th Fl
Phoenix, 602-256-0566
gblaw.com
Chloe Plaisance
Gammage & Burnham
40 N Central Ave, 20th Fl
Phoenix, 602-256-0566
gblaw.com
Michael Ruppert
Galbut Beabeau
6720 N Scottsdale Rd, Ste 305
Scottsdale, 602-955-1455
gb.law
Eleanor Shaffer
Gallagher & Kennedy
2575 E Camelback Rd, Ste 1100
Phoenix, 602-530-8000
gknet.com
Esther Sivak
Schmitt Schneck Even & Williams
1221 E Osborn Rd, Ste 105
Phoenix, 602-277-7000
schmittschneck.com
In Absentia
These respected longtime attorneys left the community of practicing Valley lawyers since our last issue.
Michael Kimerer
Known for his work on behalf of Arizona land fraud czar Ned Warren and convicted child killer Debra Milke, the renowned criminal defense attorney passed away peacefully last summer at age 82. A graduate of Univeristy of California, Davis law school, Kimerer practiced in the Valley for 53 years.
Dean Short II
A Harvard Law School graduate, Short was a trailblazer in Valley sports law, representing clients in matters involving Major League Baseball and the National Football League while rising to the role of general partner at Gallagher & Kennedy. He retired in 2024.
Darcy Renfro
The Tucson native launched her legal career as an associate at Fennemore Craig before joining Janet Napolitano’s administration as the governor’s senior adviser for education and business development. She later served as a vice chancellor at the Maricopa Community College District. Renfro died in 2023 at age 56 after a long health struggle.
David Rogers
A former manufacturing manager at Procter & Gamble, the engineering undergrad obtained his J.D. at Case Western Reserve University and pivoted into law, joining Snell & Wilmer in 2011 as an intellectual property and technology litigation specialist, where he ultimately rose to partner. He passed away unexpectedly in August.
