News and Events

Four of Sanders & Parks' shareholders -- Robert Bruno, Garrick Gallagher, Winn Sammons and Mark Worischeck -- were recently honored and recognized as Southwest Super Lawyers for 2010. Super Lawyers selects candidates using a rigorous, multiphase process in which peer nominations and evaluations are combined with third party research to recognize top attorneys across the country. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement and are selected on an annual, state-by-state or regional basis. You can read more about these distinguished attorneys here.

Rick Bryson was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the J. Reuben Clark Law Society, Phoenix, Arizona Chapter for Rick's and the firm's contributions to Bringing Hope to Single Moms Arizona Foundation. Bringing Hope to Single Moms Arizona Foundation provides education and access to resources to single mothers and their children. Rick co-founded and served as President and Chairman of Bringing Hope to Single Moms Arizona, and the firm provided on-going support for the organization for several years.

Rick Bryson was a presenter at Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School's 2010 Annual Conference. Rick spoke on "Doing Service for Good through Law" and shared experiences in which the law and legal training have led to positive societal outcomes. Over 600 lawyers and law students attended the Conference.

In December 2009 Sanders & Parks was honored by the Arizona Business Journal as one of the "Best Place To Work" in Arizona. This prestigious honor is a reflection of our dedication to our employees, our clients, and our community. Winning entries in the competition were based solely on anonymous employee satisfaction survey results which were evaluated and ranked by Quantum Workplace of Wichita, Kansas. Sanders & Parks was acknowledged for creating an enjoyable corporate culture and work environment that fosters personal and professional growth for our employees. For complete details http://www.bestcompaniesaz.com/.

Firm President, Mark Worischeck, commented that This honor pairs nicely with the other distinctions we received this year, including a number four ranking for specialty firms in Aviation and Construction Law, as well as our number ten ranking in Arizona Business Magazines Ranking Arizona: The Best of Arizona Business. These distinctions recognize our law firms hard work, integrity, and dedication to providing our community the best legal services in the most efficient way possible.

Sanders & Parks welcomes two new Shareholders, Jeffrey Smith and Mandi Karvis, who have risen through the ranks as Associates at Sanders & Parks to become Shareholders effective January 1, 2010. Ms. Karvis will continue to focus her practice on medical malpractice defense, while Mr. Smith will continue practicing in a broad range of tort litigation matters, including insurance coverage, municipal/public entity liability litigation, commercial warranty litigation, products liability, insurance liability law, personal/catastrophic injury, and appeals.

Sanders & Parks is pleased to announce the addition of two new associates, Nicholas Bender and Benjamin Erlick. Nick practices in the areas of commercial litigation, insurance coverage, products liability, construction litigation, and appeals. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Oklahoma College of Law, where he graduated with distinction in 2009. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Brigham Young University, graduating cum laude in 2006. Ben practices in the areas of civil litigation and intellectual property law. Prior to joining Sanders & Parks, he practiced in front of the United States Patent and Trademark office beginning in 2002 as a patent agent at the law firm of man Law Offices, Ltd. He earned his Juris Doctor from the Phoenix School of Law where he was Chief Justice of the Honor Court, President of the Student Bar Association, Managing Editor of the Phoenix Law Review, and Chair of the Moot Court Honor Board. Ben is also a registered Professional Engineer (P.E.) in Arizona, with proficiency in civil engineering.

Firm founder Frank A. Parks was recently inducted into the Maricopa County Bar Association Hall of Fame. To read more about Mr. Parks's extraordinary career, this significant achievement, and the support for this induction from such notables as former United States Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, click here.

Anoop Bhatheja has joined the firm's Website committee.

Jay Jacobson recently prevailed in an important tax decision that resulted in a published decision.

Mark Worischeck and Brett Hager, both owners and directors of the Firm, recently negotiated significant settlements on behalf of the surviving family members of two men killed in separate aviation accidents. In the first, a passenger in a single-engine kitplane was killed when the aircraft struck high tension power lines. The passenger left a surviving wife and two young children. Among other things, the settlement allows the surviving spouse to return to college, and establishes trust funds for the surviving children.

In the second case, a pilot on a training flight was killed in Oregon when the port wing separated from the aircraft in flight. The highly-favorable settlement also will provide much-needed stability for the decedent's survivors, including his wife and two daughters.

Associate Jeff Smith has earned Martindale-Hubbell's highest A-V rating possible for an attorney. For more, see Mr. Smith's profile.

On August 7, 2009 Sanders & Parks was ranked fourth in the Phoenix Business Journal's list of top Specialty Law Firms in the Valley. While we are a full-service civil law firm, Phoenix Business Journal particularly noted our work in aviation, professional malpractice, product liability, insurance coverage, civil litigation, and intellectual property. 

Debora Verdier was consulted and quoted by the Arizona Republic relating to a lawsuit filed by a karaoke disc producer against several Phoenix karaoke bars for trademark infringement and unfair competition. Ms. Verdier focuses her practice on copyright, trademark and other intellectual property law and shared her thoughts on the potential exposure faced by local karaoke bars using pirated materials and potential "contributory" infringement. Read the article here.

Mark Worischeck and J. Steven Sparks obtained a favorable decision in a 9th Circuit appeal. In Biltmore Associates, LLC v. Twin City Fire Insurance Company, et al., the Court affirmed the dismissal of Plaintiff's case against our insurer client because the insured-versus-insured exclusion barred coverage for claims by the Plaintiff. The application of the insured-versus-insured exclusion in this context was a matter of first impression in the 9th Circuit and was resolved favorably to our insurer. Read the decision here.

Mark Worischeck and Debora Verdier obtained a judgment in favor of the State Compensation Fund, the leading provider of workers' compensation insurer in the state. In a ruling that is the first of its kind in Arizona, and possibly nationwide, the Court found that the State Compensation Fund does not have to pay full-bill charges for services provided at ambulatory-care centers for insured employees who are injured. The Arizona Business Gazette reported on the decision. You can read the article here.

Robert Bruno wrote a comprehensive article for the Professional Liability Underwriting Society Journal relating to Damron agreements in Arizona. Mr. Bruno, a trial lawyer with more than 35 years of experience in civil practice, comments on the dangers of an insurer denying coverage to an Arizona insured exposed to a third party liability claim and advocates that Arizona should recognize a reasonableness requirement on any stipulated judgment between an insured and a third party. Read the article here.

Arthur Eaves has accepted an invitation to join the Litigation Counsel of America. Litigation Counsel of America is a trial lawyer honorary society composed of less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers. Fellowship in the LCA is highly selective and by invitation only. Fellows are selected based upon effectiveness and accomplishment in litigation, both at the trial and appellate levels, and superior ethical reputation. Mr. Eaves has earned this distinction based upon his track-record of effectiveness in representing clients at the trial and appellate levels. Mr. Eaves is an owner and director of the Firm. He has a diverse practice with clients including physicians, hospitals, municipalities and government officials.

Rick Bryson was given the Distinguished Service Award by the AZ Chapter of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society (affiliated with BYU Law School) based in significant part on the firm's support of Rick in co-founding and serving as Chair of the AZ Single Moms Foundation.