Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie welcomes prominent litigation attorneys
Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie LLP announced the addition of three attorneys, Gary Bendinger, John Gray and John Thorpe who are members of the firm’s Litigation practice in Phoenix.
Gary Bendinger joined the firm as Partner with more than 40 years of complex commercial litigation in courts across the nation involving many different substantive areas of law and involving billions of dollars in damages claims. He has tried antitrust, securities, breach of contract, professional malpractice, breach of fiduciary duty and other complex commercial litigation matters. Bendinger has been brought in as lead trial counsel on matters in a variety of jurisdictions, including California, New York, Alaska, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C., and has been recognized for his extensive securities litigation practice, attracting particular praise for his handling of account liability disputes. In addition to his extensive trial experience, Bendinger also represents clients in regulatory matters and investigations by the SEC, the Department of Justice and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
Bendinger is a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and a member of the Litigation Counsel of America. He has been recognized for more than 20 years in The Best Lawyers in America in the areas of commercial litigation and professional malpractice law. He is also recognized by Chambers USA in the area of securities litigation and has been named a Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation. He received his J.D., cum laude, from the University of San Francisco and his B.A., cum laude, from Hastings College.
John Gray joined the firm as Of Counsel. As a Certified Information Privacy Professional, Gray’s practice focuses primarily on data privacy and cybersecurity, but his experience is wide ranging, having litigated more than 100 matters, including financial services, investment management, antitrust, securities, consumer fraud, construction, and healthcare disputes. In those matters, Gray has represented banks and lending firms, asset buyers, brokerages, mortgage servicers, trustees and clients in various industries, including government, retail, manufacturing/wholesale, energy, tourism and education. He most recently served in the Office of the Arizona Attorney General as Senior Litigation Counsel for the Consumer Protection & Advocacy Section. In that role, he managed the Attorney General’s Data-Privacy Team, handled numerous multistate and local consumer fraud and data privacy matters, and served as Fintech Sandbox Counsel. Gray also served as Co-Chair of the Technology Futures Subgroup for the Arizona Cybersecurity Team, working with industry, university and government leaders to assess cybersecurity threats and opportunities associated with new and emerging technologies.
Gray received his J.D. from the University of Southern California, Gould School of Law and his B.S., magna cum laude, from the W.P. Carey School of Business and Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University.
John Thorpe joined the firm as an associate and has experience drafting appellate briefs and memoranda, as well as research and editing of legal opinions. He recently served as a law clerk to the Honorable Carolyn McHugh of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. He also completed two clerkships with the Office of the Solicitor General of the Arizona Attorney General’s Office and an externship with the Honorable Clint Bolick of the Arizona Supreme Court. Thorpe received his J.D., magna cum laude, from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University and his B.S., from Arizona State University.
Jaburg Wilk partner Ter-Grigoryan named to board
Natalya Ter-Grigoryan has been named to the Board of Directors of Voices for CASA Children.
Ter-Grigoryan, a family law attorney and partner at Jaburg Wilk, said “VOICES for CASA Children is an impressive organization that works with the Courts to support Court Appointed Special Advocates. I wanted to work with a non-profit that made a difference in the lives of at-risk children, and I’m energized by how much VOICES has already accomplished, and what it will achieve in the upcoming years. The commitment and positive influence that CASA volunteers have on the lives of these children is astounding, and the resources and training that VOICES provides to support CASA volunteers significantly enhances their success.”
VOICES is 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to changing the stories of children in Arizona’s foster care system. The entity works with the superior court’s CASA program to provide a wide range of services to support CASA volunteers. Each volunteer is assigned to at least one child, and serves as that child’s voice on the journey to securing a safe and permanent home, offering valuable insight to judges regarding each child’s needs and best interests. VOICES is an Arizona qualifying foster care charitable organization.
Scottsdale-based Hypur announces new hire
Hypur Inc. (Hypur), a payments, banking, and compliance solution technology for cash-intensive industries like cannabis and CBD, is pleased to announce the hiring of a new Senior Marketing Director. Hypur now boasts over 40 employees working out of the corporate HQ in Scottsdale, with Adriana Lane rounding out the leadership team.
“We are thrilled to welcome Adriana to the Hypur team,” said Michael J. Sinnwell, Jr., Co-Founder, President, and Chief Operating Officer of Hypur. “Hypur is a dynamic company that experienced incredible growth in 2019. With her impressive experience, strategy, and leadership, I am confident that Adriana will help us continue to thrive in 2020.”
Adriana Lane joins Hypur as Senior Director of Marketing. Her strategic leadership will guide the marketing team towards continued success in saturating existing markets and expanding Hypur’s presence in new markets. Her remarkable experience includes 4 years at Uber, where she worked on regional and national marketing campaigns. With a collaborative mindset and focus on goal setting, Lane will use her vast skillset honed within successful startups to help Hypur achieve ambitious targets.
“We believe in hiring talented people and letting their skills shine,” said Sinnwell. “Adriana impressed the Hypur leadership team with her personality, experience, and unique skills. We are confident that she will spearhead our continued growth in the rapidly expanding cannabis industry.”
Superstition Mountain hires Executive Chef Michael O’Dowd
Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club has added culinary expert Michael O’Dowd to its staff as Executive Chef. Among other accomplishments, O’Dowd was the driving force behind the award-winning menu at KAI, the only AAA Five-Diamond and Forbes Five-Star rated restaurant in Arizona. The Michelin-trained chef brings an astounding background in culinary arts to the private golf course community.
“I am thrilled to join the Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club staff and deliver new ideas, unique dishes and fresh flavors to our members,” said O’Dowd. “Building upon the club’s diverse menu and planning special events for members will fuel my passion for innovative cooking and allow me to share my love of food with a new community.”
O’Dowd has held positions at several five-star, five-diamond resorts including The Jefferson Hotel in Washington D.C. and The Ritz-Carlton New York. Nationally recognized for his culinary expertise, O’Dowd has been named to Chefs of America’s “Top 2000 Best Chefs in USA” list and been asked to debut his skills on The Today Show and The David Letterman Show. Prior to joining Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club, O’Dowd served as the executive chef at L’Auberge de Sedona, where he created highly recognized dishes and unique plate presentations.
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