Buchalter announces Cartwright as office managing shareholder
Buchalter announced that J. Craig Cartwright has officially begun his position as the new office Managing Shareholder in Arizona. He spent the last several months working with Paul M. Weiser, the Arizona office Managing Shareholder since 2005, to ensure a smooth transition.
“It’s been a privilege to serve as office managing shareholder for the past 16 years,” said Weiser. “While I will miss leading the firm’s talented and dedicated attorneys and professionals in Arizona, I look forward to continuing to work alongside them as I turn my full attention to my law practice. Craig is a terrific choice to continue the strategic growth and direction of the office. He is a highly effective lawyer, businessperson, and leader,” continued Weiser.
Co-Chair of the Firm’s REIT Transactions and Compliance Industry Group, Cartwright represents lenders, developers, real estate investment trusts, investors, and national corporations in a broad range of real estate transaction matters including sales and acquisitions, secured lending, property development, commercial leasing, bankruptcy workouts, and construction-related matters. He has significant experience drafting and negotiating purchase and sale documents, easements, leases, and deeds for his clients. In addition, Cartwright has experience managing the formation of corporate entities including bankruptcy-remote entities and commercial and corporate law matters. Prior to joining Buchalter, Cartwright was with DLA Piper.
“It’s a great honor to have been chosen to lead the firm’s Arizona office,” said Cartwright. “I am grateful to collaborate with the many accomplished lawyers and professionals both in the office and across the firm. I look forward to investing in our continued success and contributing to the firm’s strategic growth,” Cartwright added.
“We are incredibly grateful to Paul for his years of service and dedication to the firm,” said Adam Bass, President and Chief Executive Officer of Buchalter. Bass continued, “Arizona is a key market for the firm. We are very confident in Craig’s abilities to lead the office going forward. We are excited for the future and to see the growth taking place in Arizona.”
Buchalter welcomes new shareholders in Arizona
Buchalter announced that it has added two Shareholders in its Arizona office – Robert Miller joins the Insolvency and Financial Law practice group and Quinn C. Wheeler joins the Commercial Finance practice group. Both attorneys join from Bryan Cave.
“I am thrilled to welcome Bob and Quinn, both exceptional additions, to the Firm. Arizona is an important market for us and expanding the Insolvency and Commercial Finance practices is a priority as our clients increasingly demand these types of legal services,” said Adam Bass, Buchalter President and Chief Executive Officer.
Miller’s practice focuses on distressed business situations of all kinds, including chapter 11 restructurings, non-bankruptcy workouts, turnarounds, and distressed company mergers and acquisitions. His clients range from institutional lenders, companies in distress, and private equity firms to fiduciaries and other key constituencies in chapter 11 cases, as well as buyers and sellers of distressed debt.
With extensive experience as lead counsel in high profile cases, Miller regularly serves as counsel for senior lenders across the country on debt secured by a wide range of commercial assets. He often lends his counsel to corporate boards, advising on their fiduciary obligations in the zone of insolvency and in restructurings. Miller has also served as lead counsel for various chapter 11 debtors, including a number of public reporting companies. Prior to his legal career, Miller was a practicing Certified Public Accountant and former global head of an Am Law 100 restructuring group.
Wheeler has extensive experience representing clients in secured and unsecured commercial loan and credit transactions, as well as forbearances and other workout transactions. His practice focuses on asset-based financing, receivables-based financing, acquisition financing, time-share financing, real estate secured financing, structured finance, and syndications. Wheeler’s experience also involves the representation of clients in loan restructurings, forbearances, and other workout transactions, and buyers and sellers of distressed debt and other assets including real estate assets.
In addition, Wheeler has experience representing lenders providing asset-based, syndicated, real estate, and project specific facilities. These transactions were secured by real and personal property located in jurisdictions throughout the United States, Europe, Canada, and Mexico.
“I am delighted to welcome Bob and Quinn to Buchalter. I look forward to investing in their continued success and additional growth of the Arizona office,” said new Office Managing Shareholder, Craig Cartwright.
Gust Rosenfeld welcomes 3 new attorneys
Gust Rosenfeld, P.L.C. announced that Joshua C. Offenhartz, Shannon M. Scola, and Rachel L. Werner have the joined the firm’s Litigation Group. Josh and Shannon are also part of the Insurance Group. Rachel is also part of the Health Care and the Insurance Groups.
Joshua C. Offenhartz
Josh’s practice includes a broad range of insurance defense, civil litigation, and complex commercial litigation matters. He has experience litigating construction defects, transportation, employment, corporate, real property, and various insurance matters. Josh also works with non-profit organizations and candidate committees to ensure strict compliance with relevant campaign finance requirements.
Josh received his J.D. from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. He also earned a Master of Public Administration degree from Arizona State University. Josh has a B.S. degree in Public Management & Policy and a B.A. in Judaic Studies from the University of Arizona.
Shannon M. Scola
Shannon has experience with commercial litigation and civil litigation matters. She focuses her practice on complex insurance coverage analysis and insurance defense.
Shannon received a B.A. degree from Gonzaga University in 2014. In 2018, Shannon earned her J.D. from the University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law, where she served as a Note and Comment Editor and a writer for the Arizona Journal of International and Comparative Law. While in law school, Shannon was a summer extern at the General Counsel’s Office for the Governor in Phoenix.
Rachel L. Werner
Rachel’s practice focuses on the defense of nurses, physicians and other health care professionals and civil litigation, including personal injury, medical malpractice, business and real estate litigation. Prior to joining Gust Rosenfeld, Rachel maintained a diverse litigation practice, with areas of expertise in representing businesses and individuals in a variety of tort claims ranging from medical malpractice to defamation. She also was involved in matters relating to contract claims, representing major manufacturers in matters involving product liability, toxic and environmental litigation (asbestos, CERCLA), and general commercial litigation in both Arizona state and federal courts.
Rachel graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in Public Health from California State University Northridge where she was a four-year member of the Dean’s List, a member of Eta Sigma Gamma, the professional Health Sciences Honor Society, and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. She obtained her J.D. from DePaul University College of Law in Chicago, Illinois, with a Certificate in Health Law.
First Place AZ promotes executive director to COO
First Place® AZ recently promoted Nancy Ottmann from executive director of First Place–Phoenix to chief operations officer of First Place AZ.
With more than 25 years of leadership experience in health and wellness and resort operations, Ottmann has served as executive director of First Place–Phoenix for two years, advancing its innovative, supportive housing model for adults with autism and other neurodiversities.
“Having completed 75 marathons and the IRONMAN Triathlon, Nancy’s athleticism is a testament to her leadership, strength, stamina and can-do spirit,” says Denise D. Resnik, First Place AZ founder, president and CEO. “She builds and empowers teams through mentoring and collaboration, impacting the delivery of our promise and resiliency of staff with her heartfelt commitment to those we serve on a daily basis. Thanks to her leadership, we are delivering on First Place’s long-standing vision: ensuring that housing and community options are as bountiful for people with autism and other neurodiversities as they are for everyone else.”
First Place–Phoenix is an innovative 81,000-square-foot, $15.4 million residential property opened in 2018 in the heart of the city at 3001 N. Third Street. Ushering in a new era of housing options for special populations, First Place combines apartments, the Transition Academy residential life skills program and the Global Leadership Institute to advance more independent and community-integrated living options. In addition to 55 apartments, First Place–Phoenix offers a suite of supports for residents, sports pool, culinary teaching kitchen, community center, health and wellness center and more.
As chief operations officer, Ottmann is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day administrative and operational functions of First Place–Phoenix, providing leadership that aligns purpose, performance and people to create and sustain a healthy team environment and culture in service to residents.
“To build a supportive housing model for adults with autism and other neurodiversities is an achievement,” says Ottmann, “but true success is to build a community filled with pride, purpose and endless possibilities —a place that residents call home.”
Ottmann has a bachelor’s degree in special education from Ball State University in Indiana. She has been a licensed emergency medical technician and advanced exercise specialist through the American College of Sports Medicine Association. She is also a certified respiratory therapist.
For more information or to get involved, email info@firstplaceaz.org or visit firstplaceaz.org.
