Rusing Lopez & Lizardi, one of Southern Arizona’s most prominent law firms, has expanded to Phoenix. Now in its 25th year, the firm officially opened its Phoenix office at 2375 E. Camelback Road on June 1, offering trusted legal counsel to businesses and individuals throughout Arizona.

“We are a sophisticated full-service law firm,” said Senior Partner Mick Rusing. “Because we have been in business for so many years and have earned a winning reputation, the firm attracts a sizable number of important clients and interesting cases. As we become more seasoned, our reach continues to grow.”

Rusing Lopez & Lizardi offers a diverse set of practice areas, including commercial and civil litigation, real estate transactions and development, lending and finance, labor and employment law, business and corporate transactions, and intellectual property transactions. The firm is a member of The National Association of Minority & Woman Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF).

Senior Partner Pat Lopez said a characteristic that sets RL&L apart is the commitment, dedication and drive the firm’s attorneys and staff have toward improving the community around it.

“We encourage and applaud all community involvement by our lawyers and staff,” said Lopez. “We are proud that major charities and local nonprofits alike have had members of our firm serving as officers, directors and in other capacities. This kind of commitment motivates us to serve our clients and community with continued passion and excellence.”

“We are an Arizona law firm with deep roots in our community and an understanding of our state’s legal landscape,” added Senior Partner Oscar Lizardi. “Collectively, our attorneys have more than 300 years of experience offering counsel and successful representation to our clients. Opening our Phoenix office will allow us to grow in new and different ways and have a hand in serving and shaping an expanded community.”

Attorneys who will be located at the Phoenix office include:

Kate Frenzinger. Joins the firm as a partner and has extensive experience in employment law and complex commercial dispute resolution. Her practice areas include state and federal regulatory compliance, federal agency proceedings, whistle-blower and qui tam actions, restrictive covenants and unfair business practices, discrimination and wrongful termination claims, and commercial contract disputes, among many others. She also is highly experienced in e-discovery, and regularly presents in related programs.

Frenzinger ‘s experience spans state and federal courts throughout the United States, as well as a background in international arbitration. She also has experience in appellate proceedings before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, state courts of appeal, and multiple petitions for certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court. She attended Loyola Law School in Los Angeles where she served as copy editor of the Loyola of Los Angeles International and Comparative Law Review. She graduated cum laude and Order of the Coif. She has been named a Southwest Super Lawyers® Rising Star on multiple occasions, was named to America’s Finest Lawyers, and was most recently named to America’s Top 100 Attorneys.

“I am thrilled to join a firm with such high-quality lawyers and a sophisticated legal practice, and with such a strong grounding in the local community,” Frenzinger said. “I am looking forward to helping the firm expand its practice into our rapidly expanding market in the Valley. It is an exciting time to begin a new venture.”

Isaac S. Crum. Has over a decade of experience representing major corporations in intellectual property (trademark, patent, and copyright) litigation throughout the United States and before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the International Trade Commission. His experience allows him to provide large firm sophistication to Rusing Lopez & Lizardi’s national and Arizona-based clients. Crum’s legal experience and technical background in computer engineering has been leveraged by many of the country’s largest companies. He has repeatedly been recognized as a “rising star” by the peer-reviewed Southwest Super Lawyers®.

Shayna Fernandez Watts, Of Counsel. Focuses her practice on labor and employment, banking and commercial litigation. Her practice includes state and federal litigation, as well as representing clients in arbitrations, mediations and with federal agencies. Watts also advises clients on social media laws, drone law and employment policies. She has represented pro bono clients in landlord and tenant disputes, and in obtaining SIJS and T Visas.  She is a recent graduate of the Arizona State Bar Leadership Institute and has been named a Southwest Super Lawyers® Rising Star in seven consecutive years.