Wendi A. Sorensen of Burch & Cracchiolo elected to board
Burch & Cracchiolo today announced that Firm partner Wendi A. Sorensen has been elected to the board of directors of Arizona Foundation for Women. She will serve a three-year term that commenced October 1, 2022.
“We are delighted to welcome Wendi A. Sorensen to the AFW board of directors. Her background and experience in championing issues relevant to women will be invaluable to our organization,” commented Mesha Davis, CEO of Arizona Foundation for Women.”
Sorensen has more than 35 years of experience and focuses her practice on mediation, arbitration and personal injury/wrongful death cases. She is a State Bar of Arizona Certified Legal Specialist, and currently serves as the chair of the Board of Legal Specialization for a two-year term that commenced on April 1, 2022.
Arizona Foundation for Women’s mission is to advance the status of Arizona’s women through research, advocacy and philanthropy to ensure their safety, health and economic independence. Domestic violence, sexual abuse and human trafficking are a few areas of focus for the foundation. The organization was founded in 1995 by Marilyn R. Seymann, PhD to bring attention to the low rate of philanthropic giving to women’s issues. The Foundation joined other women’s funds and foundations from across the nation and world to create a “women’s funding movement.” As part of that movement, the Foundation has contributed more than $3.1 million to the community since its inception.
Sorensen joined Burch & Cracchiolo in 2011 and has extensive litigation experience in both state and federal court. Her practice focuses on providing mediation services and defending aggravated liability and damages matters, including Federal Motor Carrier (trucking accident) cases, vehicular products liability matters, construction site injury and death matters, and premises liability cases. Sorensen is licensed to practice in California and Arizona.
Jones, Skelton & Hochuli earns AWLA’s 2022 ‘All In For Women’ honor
Jones, Skelton & Hochuli, PLC announced that the Maricopa Chapter of the Arizona Women Lawyers Association (AWLA) recently honored JSH as the 2022 recipient of the “All In For Women” award. The honor recognizes a legal organization that furthers the AWLA mission of promoting and encouraging the success of women lawyers in Arizona. Arizona Supreme Court Justice Kathryn King presented the award at a recent AWLA event.
In 2022, JSH has promoted six women attorneys to the position of partner and hired four female associate attorneys. Additionally, many JSH women attorneys are trial group leaders, management committee members, recruiting committee chairs, and hold other prominent positions on internal teams which influence various aspects of the business, operations, and culture. The firm meets or exceeds many of the national and local averages for women partners and associate attorneys.
Of note, JSH partner Cory Tyszka is the current AWLA president and many of the firm’s women attorneys are members of the organization, which exists to educate and support women lawyers with informational and networking opportunities.
Brown, Cella join JSH as associate attorneys
Jones, Skelton & Hochuli, PLC announced that Christopher Brown and Arcangelo Cella have joined the firm as associate attorneys in the Phoenix office.
Christopher is a part of JSH’s growing Construction Trial Group. While his practice will focus on construction defect, he’ll also work in the areas of product liability, professional liability, securities, employment, catastrophic injury, toxic tort, commercial litigation, and business transaction matters.
While attending law school at Arizona State University, Christopher clerked for both the Arizona Legislature House Rules Attorney Office and the City of Tempe Attorney’s Office. Christopher also clerked for a firm, where he handled a variety of general liability and employment matters. During law school Christopher received the highest Pro Bono Distinction award, the Dean’s Award in Recognition of Outstanding Performance at the College of Law and was selected for membership in The Order of Barristers, which is given to students who demonstrate exceptional skill in trial advocacy, oral advocacy, and brief writing.
Christopher earned his Juris Doctor from Arizona State’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and his undergrad from James Madison University, where he majored in Health Sciences.
Arcangelo Cella
A part of the firm’s appellate group, Arcangelo possesses a wealth of knowledge and experience in handling a wide range of civil cases involving fraud, zoning, regulatory enforcement, and civil rights. At JSH, he will focus his practice on insurance defense and bad faith, medical and legal malpractice, civil rights, governmental liability, product liability, school law, and wrongful death and personal injury.
Arcangelo previously spent more than four years as an associate at a large law firm in Boston, where he focused his attention on corporate and securities litigation. Arcangelo also spent time as a law clerk for the Honorable Elspeth B. Cypher of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and the Honorable Ariane D. Vuono of the Massachusetts Appeals Court.
Mesa’s Elyce Gobat named Young Economic Developer of the Year
The City of Mesa’s Office of Economic Development (OED) announced Elyce Gobat, OED economic development specialist, was chosen by the International Economic Development Council’s (IEDC) Excellence in Economic Development Awards selection committee as the 2022 Young Economic Developer of the Year. The award was presented at a ceremony during the IEDC Annual Conference held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
IEDC’s Excellence in Economic Development Awards recognize the world’s best economic development programs and partnerships, marketing materials, and the year’s most influential leaders. Twenty-five award categories honor organizations and individuals for their efforts in creating positive change in urban, suburban, and rural communities. Awards are judged by a diverse panel of economic and community developers from around the world, following a nomination process held earlier this year.
“I could not be more pleased with the well-deserved commendation given to Elyce Gobat as the 2022 Young Economic Developer of the year. Her outstanding work has made a tremendous impact in our efforts to make Mesa a premier location to live and do business,” City of Mesa Economic Development Director Bill Jabjiniak said.” Elyce’s accolade makes the second year in a row that the IEDC Young Economic Developer of the Year has come from Mesa.”
Quarles & Brady names 2022 partner class
The national law firm of Quarles & Brady LLP announced today that it has elected 10 new partners, effective October 3.
“This year’s new partners not only have consistently proven to be outstanding attorneys in terms of their legal skills, but they regularly demonstrated their commitment to the growth and success of Quarles,” said Mike Aldana, the firm’s managing partner. “We pride ourselves on fostering a collegial, collaborative culture in which everyone is equally focused on the success of our clients and the growth and well-being of their colleagues. Our new partners will help strengthen that foundation in the years ahead.”
The new Phoenix partner is:
Ashley Strait is a Phoenix-based member of the Health & Life Sciences Practice Group. She advises entities in the health care industry such as pharmacies, pharmacy wholesalers, veterinary pharmacies, pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, and third-party logistics providers. She focuses on licensure and federal and state regulatory compliance, including licensing issues associated with health care transactions and regulatory compliance matters related to new business and service delivery models. Strait received her B.A. from the University of Arizona and J.D. from Loyola University in Chicago.
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