Guidant Law Firm hires JoAnn Falgout and Eric Faas

With bankruptcy filings rising steadily in recent months and commercial real estate booming as businesses flock to Phoenix, Tempe-based Guidant Law Firm hired JoAnn Falgout and Eric Faas as senior attorneys to support these burgeoning practice areas.

Eric Faas
JoAnn Falgout

Although Falgout’s deep experience in commercial and appellate law enables her to counsel clients on a variety of complex issues, including commercial and construction disputes, she focuses primarily on bankruptcy cases and appeals.

“Chapter 11 filings increased 500% year-over-year in September, and Chapter 13 filings nearly doubled year-over-year in October. At the same time, Guidant also handles more Subchapter V cases than any firm in Arizona, so JoAnn’s background in representing debtor and creditor clients in litigation is a tremendous asset,” said Lamar Hawkins, partner at Guidant. “Her negotiation skills help clients retain as many assets as possible, maximize recovery and find a clear path forward.”

Having led real estate brokerages and advisory firms in Arizona, California and Oregon, Faas helps businesses and individuals navigate complex land use, site selection, sales, permitting and leasing issues.

“Arizona’s business-friendly environment continues to attract companies looking for less regulation and lower taxes, and as a licensed broker, Eric has the comprehensive knowledge of all facets of real estate they need to secure and protect their largest — and often most valuable — assets,” said Gary Smith, partner at Guidant. “Likewise, his ability to negotiate hotly contested, previously denied or stalled zoning and development cases helps clients overcome difficult challenges.”

ORION adds real estate dynamic partners to roster

ORION Investment Real Estate (ORION) welcomed Garrett Hemeyer
and Colt Siler as Senior Associates to its growing roster. Garrett and Colt bring several years of combined experience in land and multifamily real estate. They have an established track record of transactions while providing clients with detailed financial projections and creative acquisition strategies.

Garrett Hemeyer

“Part of our mission at ORION is to nurture young talent. Garrett and Colt are rising stars in this industry, and we’re excited to support them with all the tools in our toolkit,” said Ari Spiro, ORION’s President.

Garrett and Colt met while working on land deals at City to City in Phoenix. There, Garrett started as an apprentice and quickly ascended through the ranks to become a licensed real estate agent with several listings to his name. Colt joined City to City in 2021, after graduating Magna Cum Laude from Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business with a B.A. in Finance. At City to City, he guided clients throughout entitlement and development processes before expanding to the existing asset side of investment sales.

Colt Siler

Drawn to the faster pace of multifamily real estate, Colt and Garrett left City to City to form a business partnership focused on that space. After hearing positive feedback about ORION and meeting its agents and founders, they joined the brokerage. “ORION gives us incredible marketing support to find deals and pitch them far and wide,” Garrett says. “We’ve already learned so much here, and have set our sights on picking up our first investment property,” adds Colt.

“Colt and Garrett bring financial acumen and unfailing optimism about Arizona’s real estate market. We’re excited to see what they accomplish as part of the ORION team,” said Sean Stutzman, Principal at ORION.

Martinez joins All of Us UArizona-Banner as executive director

The All of Us Research Program University of Arizona-Banner Health on Nov. 14 welcomed LeeAnn Martinez as its executive director to oversee operational management and serve as the program’s National Institutes of Health liaison in Arizona and Colorado.

LeeAnn Martinez

Martinez joins the program with more than 20 years of combined experience in clinical administration and program management from various roles at Banner Health and the University of New Mexico.

Since 2017, Martinez has served as senior practice manager for West Valley Orthopedics, Podiatry and Sports Medicine Primary Care at Banner Medical Group, providing oversight of the daily operations of multisite clinical practices. Prior to that, she worked in various research and program administration roles at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center’s Office of Research, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

“LeeAnn brings with her decades of experience in academic and research administration and an established track record of success in clinical service administration within Banner,” said Francisco Moreno, MD, associate vice president of equity, diversity and inclusion for the University of Arizona Health Sciences and contact principal investigator for All of Us UArizona-Banner.

Children’s Museum of Phoenix honors Delta Dental

The Children’s Museum of Phoenix has announced the Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation as its 2022 Kids at Heart Award recipient. The honor, presented to Delta Dental of Arizona director of community benefit Barb Kozuh during the Children’s Museum of Phoenix Night at the Museum Gala on Nov. 5, was awarded to the organization for its ongoing commitment to strengthening children’s learning through play; helping to make additional and better play possible for Arizona’s children; demonstrating a commitment to learning through play; making outstanding contributions of time and or/investment to enriching the lives of children; and making outstanding contributions to strengthen and advance the interests of children.

“The Children’s Museum of Phoenix is honored to present our 2022 Kids at Heart Award to Barb Kozuh and Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation,” said Georgie Hanlin, the Museum’s Director of Development. “Our 14-year partnership has provided over a half-million children and their families with proper oral hygiene education and dental supplies. We thank you, Barb and Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation, for helping us enhance the lives of children in and around the community.”

“We have been proud to partner with the Children’s Museum of Phoenix since 2008,” says Kozuh. “Over the past 14 years, we have worked to provide thousands of hours of interactive oral health education at the Museum while distributing nearly 460,000 Smile Bags containing toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss and fun facts about dental health. In total, we’ve collectively educated and impacted an estimated 550,000 children and their caregivers through this partnership.”

 

AZ Big Spotlight is sponsored by PNC Bank. Do you have an item about an Arizona business or business leader you’d like to see featured? Email it to michael.gossie@azbigmedia.com for consideration.