D. Kim Lough
Construction law partner
Kim Lough enjoys the excitement of the litigation battle and prevailing when the jury reads a favorable verdict. He was drawn to the battle at a young age, growing up in Tucson and realizing in seventh grade he wanted to become a lawyer. His friends’ parents were lawyers and he spent time with them to learn as much as he could.
Lough graduated with a Juris Doctor degree, which was awarded with distinction, from the University of Arizona in 1979.
In 1982, Lough’s career shifted from being a field attorney for the National Labor Relations board to a career in construction litigation for Jennings, Haug & Cunningham. He met William F. Haug at the state bar convention, where Haug told him there was no one at the firm at the time who could deal with the strike involving the major construction trades. Lough sent his resume shortly after and got the job. He quickly realized he “enjoyed it and had a knack for” representing owners, construction managers, contractors, subcontractors and vendors in disputes in commercial and industrial construction projects. He continues to work at the firm and became a partner in 1989.
Lough said Haug isn’t only a co-worker, but also his mentor. “Bill is a very kind and wise man. He was able to shepherd me through the earlier years and teach me how to practice law. For that I will always be thankful for him,” Lough says.
Lough was recently named to the Southwest Super Lawyers for Construction Law and Litigation (2015-2016) and has also been listed in The Best Lawyers in America in construction for nine years in a row (2008-2016). Even though Lough acknowledges his hard work, he continues to remain humble despite all the honors and awards received throughout his career.
“I am proud of what I have done, but I don’t see what I have done as being any more noteworthy than many of the other lawyers I practice with or against,” Lough said.
What Lough is most proud of professionally are the relationships he has formed with his clients. “I have represented a variety of clients and some instances crossing generations,” Lough said. “Many of them have become close personal friends, not only business associates.”
In the future, he looks forward to a more senior position where he can hand off the bulk of the cases to younger lawyers. “I’d like to orchestrate their handling of cases more than handling them myself, and all the hand-to-hand combat can be handled by people who are younger and more agile than I am,” says Lough.
For anyone wondering what the letter “D” in D. Kim Lough stands for, it stands for Dean after his father. Dean Kim Lough was supposed to be named Kim Dean Lough, but there was some confusion when his birth certificate was being prepared. Lough has been called Kim his entire life.
Other attorneys to know:
Ed Bull
President and managing partner
702 E. Osborn Rd. #200, Phoenix, AZ 85014
602-234-9913
James Patterson
Member
Dickinson Wright
1850 N. Central Ave. #1400, Phoenix AZ 85004
602-285-5035
dickinson-wright.com
Jordan Rose
President and founder
Rose Law Group PC
7144 E. Stetson Dr. #300, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
480-505-3939
roselawgroup.com
Kenneth Van Winkle Jr.
Managing partner
Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie
201 E. Washington St. #1200, Phoenix, AZ 85004
602-262-5311
lrrc.com
