Meet Our Personal Injury, Criminal Defense, and Bankruptcy Attorneys
| CRIMINAL LAW | BANKRUPTCY | PERSONAL INJURY |
 David R. Wroblewski Supervising Attorney Mesa Office Criminal Law Division |
 Robert R. Teague Supervising Attorney Bankruptcy Division |
 Robert F. Clarke Supervising Attorney Personal Injury Division |
 Julio Laboy Assistant Supervising Attorney Criminal Law Division |
 Robert Beucler Assistant Supervising Attorney Chapter 7 Bankruptcy |
 Lowell W. Finson Assistant Supervising Attorney Defective Drugs & Product Liability Division |
At Phillips and Associates, our experienced and highly talented team of attorneys represent those in need of legal representation. Many of our bankruptcy, personal injury and criminal defense attorneys are Board Certified Specialists. Whether your case is a personal injury or bankruptcy, or if you are in need of criminal defense, our attorneys serving Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, Scottsdale, and communities throughout Arizona can help you.
Click on any of our attorneys to learn more about them. To schedule a free consultation with our personal injury, criminal defense, or bankruptcy attorneys in Phoenix or at one of our many other Arizona locations, please contact us. We can help you.
- Robert Arentz
- Mark Benson
- Robert Beucler
- Cindy Castillo
- Robert F. Clarke
- Martin A. Creaven
- William Cronin
- "Trey" A.R. Dayes III
- Basil Diamos
- Lowell W. Finson
- Alan R. Hock
- Thomas J. Howard
- Allen F. Jacobs
- Douglas LaSota
- Julio Laboy
- Melanie Laboy
- Laura A. Lehan
- Larry Magid
- David R. Mika
- Jose A. Montaño
Robert Arentz
In addition to his role as supervising attorney for Phillips and Associates in Phoenix, Arizona, Robert Arentz acts as lead criminal and DUI defense attorney for the firm. Mr. Arentz is a Board Certified Specialist in Criminal Law, certified by the Arizona Board of Legal Specialization. His practice focuses on high profile and complex criminal cases, as well as felony criminal cases throughout Arizona and California. In a practice that has spanned more than 25 years, Robert Arentz has served as criminal defense attorney for numerous trials and appeals, including death penalty litigation.
In 1973, Robert Arentz graduated, with honors, from Michigan State University. From there, he attended Pepperdine University School of Law, graduating in 1978. He immediately moved into practice in the area of criminal law, serving as both a prosecutor and a criminal defense attorney. In addition to being admitted to practice law in the state of Arizona, he has also earned admittance to practice in California, various federal courts, and before the United States Supreme Court.
In 1984, Robert Arentz helped to create a public defender's office for Cochise County, Arizona. He served as that office's director for over five years. Mr. Arentz has also chaired for a State Bar Disciplinary Hearing Committee.
As the supervising attorney for Phillips and Associates in Phoenix, Arizona, and as an accomplished DUI and criminal defense attorney, Robert Arentz leads a team of compassionate, dedicated individuals who are committed to protecting the rights of individuals who have found themselves in difficult circumstances. Experienced legal representation is critical in many types of cases, including DUI and criminal defense. The laws are complex, and the consequences severe. Contacting Robert Arentz and Phillips and Associates is the best way to ensure fair treatment under the rule of law.
Mark Benson
Mark D. Benson is an attorney assigned to the Firm’s Criminal Division. Mr. Benson has more than 15 years of criminal defense experience handling cases from major felony charges in Superior Court to misdemeanor DUI matters. A graduate of the University of Oregon School of Law and Arizona State University, Mr. Benson is an aggressive attorney who has represented clients throughout Arizona. A veteran of the Pinal and Maricopa County Public Defender Offices, Mr. Benson possesses excellent legal research and litigation skills.
Robert Beucler
Robert Beucler leads our Phoenix team of bankruptcy attorneys. Mr. Beucler is a Board Certified Specialist in Bankruptcy Law by the Arizona Board of Legal Specialization. He is the supervising attorney for the bankruptcy division of the firm. He has more than twenty years of legal experience and has limited his practice to bankruptcy law. Mr. Beucler grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona and graduated from Colorado College with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Mr. Beucler received his Juris Doctorate from Arizona State University College of Law and has served on the Board of Directors of the A.S.U. College of Law Alumni Association. Mr. Beucler is a supporter of Sun Devil Athletics.
Since 1978, Mr. Beucler has practiced extensively in the areas of bankruptcy, civil litigation and domestic relations. His experience as a bankruptcy attorney includes not only the representation of consumers but also representation of several United States Trustees.
Cindy Castillo
Cindy Castillo is a trial attorney and a bilingual member of our criminal defense team in the Phoenix office. Ms. Castillo is originally from New Mexico and now makes her home in Arizona. She received her undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Spanish for the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She earned her law degree at the Arizona State University College of Law, where she graduated with Pro Bono Distinction. Ms. Castillo also served as the Executive Moot Court Board Chairperson.
Ms. Castillo is a member of the State Bar of Arizona and she is admitted to practice in the United States District Court, District of Arizona. Prior to joining Phillips & Associates, her background in criminal law included managing a criminal defense law firm in North Carolina, service in the Maricopa County Public Defender’s Clinic, and a position at the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. Ms. Castillo is active in the Los Abogados Hispanic Bar Association, the American Inn of Court, and the Chandler-Ahwatukee Chapter of the Sertoma Club. Prior to practicing criminal defense law, Ms. Castillo practiced in the areas of social security disability and workers’ compensation.
Robert F. Clarke
Mr. Clarke received his Juris Doctorate from Pepperdine University, School of Law in 1977 and his Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Arizona State University in 1973. He has practiced law in Arizona since 1978 and is a member of the State Bar of Arizona and the Arizona Trial Lawyer’s Association, where he serves on the board of directors and the seminar committee. Mr. Clarke is also licensed to practice law in the State of California and is presently working on dozens of Vioxx cases in the Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Mr. Clarke had tried numerous cases in the superior courts throughout the state of Arizona, as well as The United States District Court for the District of Arizona. Bob has also briefed and argued cases before the Arizona Courts of Appeals, the Arizona Supreme Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Mr. Clarke has recently expanded his practice, previously limited to catastrophic injury, wrongful death, and professional negligence, to include prescriptions drug litigation, including Vioxx, Bextra, Celebrex and Zyprexa.
He has lectured frequently on medical malpractice, legal teamwork (involving lawyer, legal nurse consultants and support staff), and on traumatic brain injury. Mr. Clarke has authored numerous articles on traumatic brain injury for various legal publications.
In1997, Mr. Clarke was awarded the distinction of Board Certified Specialist in Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Litigation and he held that Specialization until 2002.
In his free time, Bob enjoys spending time with his four grandchildren, and his friends and family.
Martin A. Creaven
Martin A. Creaven is one of the Supervising Attorneys in the Bankruptcy division of the firm. Prior to this Mr. Creaven also represent numerous clients on criminal cases. Mr Creaven is originally from New York City, New York and he graduated from Fordham University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. Mr. Creaven received his Juris Doctorate from Fordham University School of Law. He has worked in the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the New York Supreme Court. Since joining Phillips & Associates, Attorney Creaven has limited his practice to bankruptcy, criminal law, DUI, and debt negotiation law.
William Cronin
Mr. William Cronin is an attorney in the firm's Criminal division. Mr. Cronin earned his law degree from California Western School of Law in San Diego in 2000. Before joining Phillips & Associates, Mr. Cronin handled cases in law firms and private practice and worked at the Mohave County Public Defender's Office where he litigated numerous cases in Superior Court. Mr. Cronin is admitted to practice in all Arizona courts, including the United States District Court of Arizona, and is a member of the State Bar of Arizona.
Mr. Cronin is originally from Pasadena, California and relocated to Arizona in 1977. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Arizona in 1987. He then worked in California for real estate and trust companies. During that time, he received his Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University in 1994.
“Trey” A.R. Dayes III
“Trey” A.R. Dayes is a trial attorney in the Personal Injury and Wrongful Death division of the Firm. Mr. Dayes has litigated cases involving catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, and various commercial issues. He has represented the City of Phoenix, 21st Century, Western Agricultural Insurance, and AIG Insurance Companies, National Propane Company, and CRST Trucking, as well as many individual clients.
Mr. Dayes received his Juris Doctor from the Brigham Young University J. Rueben Clark Law School in 1996, where he was chosen to be an Editor and Note and Comment Editor for the BYU Journal of Public Law. He also authored "Drafting a Limited Liability Clause that will Pass the Scrutiny of Utah Courts." He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah. Mr. Dayes is licensed to practice law in Arizona and Utah.
While in Utah he represented several municipalities including the cities of Lindon, Pleasant Glove, and American Fork. He also represented several corporate clients including Utah Community Credit Union and the Bank of American Fork.
In his spare time, Trey values his time as a boy-scout leader, and playing sports, such as soccer and baseball. He enjoys spending time with friends and family.
Basil Diamos
Basil Diamos is a 1979 honors graduate of the University of Arizona. After admittance to the State Bar of Arizona in 1979, Mr. Diamos began private practice in Tucson. In 1982, Mr. Diamos moved to Phoenix where he practiced general law. He returned to private practice in 1985 as an independent contractor for the City of Phoenix.
Mr. Diamos has extensive experience in the Phoenix Municipal Court system, primarily dealing with DUI and other various misdemeanors. He has practiced law for over 26 years and is a member of the United States District Court of Arizona, as well as the Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice.
Lowell W. Finson
Lowell W. Finson is a trial attorney who handles serious personal injury and medical malpractice cases. Mr. Finson a cum laude graduate of Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, in Cleveland, Ohio in 1974. Prior to attending law school, Mr. Finson graduated with honors from Miami University in 1971 from Oxford, Ohio, with a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration. His primary area of practice is civil litigation, focusing on serious injuries in medical malpractice and products liability. Mr. Finson has been licensed to practice in Arizona since 1986 and in Ohio since 1974, and is admitted in all State and Federal Courts in Arizona and Ohio. He has tried over 60 jury trials in both State and Federal Courts. Additionally, Mr. Finson has argued in the Courts Of Appeals in Ohio, Arizona and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Finson is also a Board Certified Specialist in Workers Compensation, certified by the Arizona Board of Legal Specialization having handled several cases before the Industrial Commission of Arizona.
Mr. Finson is on the Board of Directors of the Arizona Trial Lawyers Association and a member of the Constitutional Law and Public Relations Committees. Mr. Finson is a Red Cross Volunteer, and on a panel of attorneys who will render legal advice to victims of Hurricane Katrina that have evacuated and relocated to Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona. Mr. Finson is also a member of the ACLU Arizona Attorneys Panel, which screens legal cases for consideration for litigation regarding victims of civil rights violations.
Alan R. Hock
Alan R. Hock is one of our criminal defense attorneys in Phoenix. A trial attorney, he is originally from Tucson, Arizona and his family has lived in Arizona since the 1880's. Mr. Hock graduated from the University of Arizona in 1976 with a Degree in Political Science. After graduation, Mr. Hock made his home in Roanoke, Virginia where he was employed for several years as a stockbroker.
Upon returning to Arizona, Mr. Hock graduated from Arizona State University College of Law. Following admission to the State Bar of Arizona, Mr. Hock served as Assistant City Prosecutor for the City of Phoenix, where he handled only criminal and D.U.I. cases. As an assistant city attorney, Mr. Hock obtained considerable trial experience. Mr. Hock has now limited his practice to D.U.I. and criminal defense cases.
Mr. Hock has recently been certified as a Criminal Law Specialist in the State of Arizona by the Arizona Board of Legal Specialization.
Mr. Hock was a Flight Commander, Squadron Administration Officer and Pilot in the United States Air Force (Reserve). He is currently involved with the Aircraft Owner and Pilot Association.
Thomas J. Howard
Thomas J. Howard is an attorney in the Personal Injury Department. A 1983 graduate of the University of Illinois College of Law, Mr. Howard has been a trial attorney for over 25 years in the fields of Personal Injury and Insurance Coverage. Mr. Howard has settled more than a million dollars worth of accident and injury cases. He has also handled medical malpractice and products liability claims.
Mr. Howard has tried over 60 personal injury cases in the Courts of Arizona. He has also handled personal injury cases in various Tribal Courts. He brings a diverse perspective to the firm having spent his first 20 years representing insurance interests, which provides a unique insight into handling Personal Injury cases.
Mr. Howard has been a member of the State Bar of Arizona and U.S. District Court, District of AZ since 1983. He is a member of the Arizona Trial Lawyers Assoc., an organization devoted solely to representing victims of another’s negligent conduct. In 2002 Mr. Howard was honored with the distinction of election to The American Board of Trial Advocates and awarded the second highest rank of Advocate.
Allen F. Jacobs
Allen F. Jacobs is a criminal defense attorney in Phoenix. He is originally from Chicago, Illinois. Mr. Jacobs graduated from Drake University in 1965 with a Bachelor of Science. He then continued his studies at the University of Illinois, College of Law, where he graduated in 1968 with his Juris Doctorate in law.
Prior to moving to Phoenix with his family, Mr. Jacobs was a sole practitioner in the Chicago area from 1973 to 1997. He practiced both civil and criminal law. Shortly after his admittance to the State Bar of Arizona and U.S. District Court, District of Arizona in 1997, Mr. Jacobs joined Phillips & Associates. Mr. Jacobs has now limited his practice to D.U.I. and criminal defense cases.
Douglas LaSota
Mr. LaSota has resided in Arizona most of his life. He holds a Bachelors degree in Business Administration from Our Lady of the Lake University of San Antonio, where he graduated Summa Cum laude at the top of his class. He then obtained his Juris Doctorate from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. He is also a graduate of the Institute of Comparative Political and Economic Systems at Georgetown University, in Washington, D.C., where he was Goldwater Scholar and a legislative intern at the U.S. House of Representatives. Mr. LaSota was a prosecution intern at the Maricopa County Attorney’s office and then served as an Assistant City prosecutor for the City of Phoenix. Mr. LaSota previously served as a Judge Pro Tem in Scottsdale City Court, the Maricopa County Justice Courts, Mesa Municipal Court and Chandler Municipal Court.
Mr. LaSota has been involved in many criminal and DUI cases of statewide concern. He fought to preserve the right to a Jury Trial in DUI cases, and won on that issue in Mesa Municipal Court, Maricopa County Superior Court, the Arizona Court of Appeals – Div. 1 and before the Arizona Supreme Court (in 2006). Mr. LaSota is licensed by the State Bar of Arizona and is also certified to practice before the U.S. District Court of Arizona and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Julio Laboy
Julio Laboy graduated from the College of Law at Arizona State University, earning his Juris Doctor as well as a certificate in Indian Law. He was selected the graduation student speaker and finished law school a full semester early. Mr. Laboy also has a Master of Arts in Mass Communications from California State University, Fullerton where he was also selected the student graduation speaker. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Journalism from Brooklyn College in New York City.
Mr. Laboy accepted a position as a prosecutor with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office after completing law school and conducted numerous felony trials. Immediately following his tenure at the County Attorney's Office, Mr. Laboy began his own private criminal defense practice before joining Phillips & Associates in the Criminal Department, where is the assistant supervising attorney. He has extensive experience in both misdemeanor and serious felony matters.
Prior to entering law school, Mr. Laboy spent approximately seven years working as a staff writer for various newspapers including The Orange County Register; New York Newsday, where he was part of the Pulitzer Prize-winning team covering a bombing attack on the NYC subway; and The Wall Street Journal, where he won several awards for his coverage of minorities in business.
Mr. Laboy is also a former City of Phoenix Commissioner, having represented Mayor Phil Gordon on the Estrella Village Planning Committee. He also created, coordinates, and moderates "Inside/Out" an ongoing volunteer series of weekly workshops at the Lower Buckeye Jail for juvenile inmates charged as adults. Mr. Laboy is licensed to practice in the Superior Courts of Arizona and in the U.S. District Courts of Arizona.
Melanie Laboy
Ms. Melanie Laboy is attorney in the Criminal division. Ms. Laboy graduated from Marquette University Law School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She is a former prosecutor with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office where she prosecuted numerous felony and misdemeanor cases. Prior to joining Phillips & Associates, Ms. Laboy defended various criminal cases throughout the state for smaller firms in Maricopa County. Ms. Laboy also has previous courtroom experience in family and civil law, including complex construction defect litigation and civil mediation. Ms. Laboy is also a Phoenix Commissioner having been appointed by Mayor Phil Gordon to the city's Development Advisory Board. She is admitted to practice in both Arizona and Wisconsin and is a member in good standing of both State Bar Associations. Ms. Laboy is also admitted to the Federal District Court - Eastern District of Wisconsin and the Federal District Court in Arizona.
Laura Lehan
Laura Lehan is a 1980 graduate of Arizona State University where she received a Bachelor of Science degree. Ms. Lehan later graduated from Law School at Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco, California. After an intensive civil litigation internship in the State of California, Ms. Lehan relocated to Maricopa County, Arizona and she was admitted to the State Bar of Arizona in 1988.
Ms. Lehan is a trial attorney in the D.U.I. and criminal defense division of our Phoenix firm. Ms. Lehan also has experience handling accident and injury cases and has trial experience on negligence cases. She has also represented clients in legal proceedings from dissolution of marriage, paternity, and grandparent rights, including extensive trial and appellate litigation. Ms. Lehan is a member of the State Bar of Arizona, admitted to practice in the United States Federal Court for the District of Arizona, and is a member of the Arizona Women Lawyers Association.
Attorney Lehan now limits her practice to criminal defense law and D.U.I. defense.
Larry Magid
Larry Magid is a trial attorney and a member of our team of criminal defense attorneys in our Phoenix office. Mr. Magid was recognized as a Certified Criminal Trial Attorney by the New Jersey Supreme Court in 1982 and has practiced criminal law both as a prosecutor and defense attorney. Mr. Magid has more than thirty years experience in criminal law. He is a graduate of West Virginia University and Seton Hall School of Law. He was admitted to practice law in the State of New Jersey in 1969. He is also admitted to practice in various Federal Courts.
Mr. Magid is a member of the Arizona State Bar and has limited his practice exclusively to criminal defense and D.U.I. cases. Mr. Magid has given specialized courses in various areas of criminal law and investigations for may agencies including the F.B.I. and D.E.A. He has taught criminal law and procedure for several years.
David R. Mika
David R. Mika is a trial attorney and a member of our team of criminal defense attorneys in our Phoenix firm. He has handled numerous felony and misdemeanor criminal defense and D.U.I. cases in his twenty years of practice. He is originally from Chicago, Illinois and graduated from Roosevelt University in 1977 with a degree in Business Administration. He then attended John Marshall Law School in Chicago and received his degree to practice law in 1980. Mr. Mika was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1980 and to the Arizona bar in 1983.
After relocating to Arizona in 1981, his main practice area was originally civil litigation including personal injury and insurance coverage matters. Since 1992, Attorney Mika has limited his practice to the area of criminal defense and D.U.I. defense and has represented numerous Arizona clients in criminal and D.U.I. jury trials.
Jose A. Montaño
Jose A. Montaño is a trial attorney in the criminal law division of the firm. Mr. Montaño is originally from our sister city, Hermosillo, Sonora, México. Mr. Montaño is a graduate of Arizona State University with honors and Arizona State University College of Law. He is a member of the State Bar of Arizona, admitted to practice in the United States Federal Court of Arizona and also in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Mr. Montaño has tried numerous felony and misdemeanor cases as both prosecutor and criminal defense attorney. Mr. Montaño has a broad background in Business, Real Estate, Immigration and Criminal law. After joining our firm, Mr. Montaño has limited his practice exclusively to criminal defense and D.U.I. cases.
Mr. Montaño is currently a member of Los Abogados Hispanic Bar Association and numerous other community service organizations.
Lewis B. Moore, III
Lewis Moore is an attorney in the firm’s Personal Injury Division. A veteran trial attorney, Mr. Moore is a graduate of University of Arkansas School of Law and the University of Arizona where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science and Economics. Mr. Moore has handled plaintiff and defense claims arising from personal injury, casualty, products liability, and professional liability matters to name a few. He has tried more than a dozen civil jury cases and hundreds of arbitrations in his 18-year career. Mr. Moore is admitted to practice law in Arizona and Arkansas.
Andrew S. Nemeth
Mr. Andrew Nemeth is a bankruptcy attorney in our firm. He began working with bankruptcy attorneys as a legal extern in the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of California. He has practiced mainly consumer bankruptcy law since 1992. Attorney Nemeth has practiced in New Jersey and Pennsylvania (1992-1994), and Arizona (1994 to present). Mr. Nemeth's main area of focus within consumer bankruptcy law is Chapter 13 personal and small business reorganization.
Mr. Nemeth is originally from Rockland County, New York. He graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. Following his undergraduate education, Mr. Nemeth became certified as a (computer) Systems Engineer and spent four years in the computer services industry. Mr. Nemeth returned to law school where he received his Juris Doctorate from California Western School of Law.
Attorney Nemeth is a member of the State Bar of Arizona, as well as the Maricopa County Bar Association and is a past Chairman of the State Bar of Arizona Bankruptcy Section's Consumer Bankruptcy Law Committee.
Jack C. Pemberton
Jack C. Pemberton is a member of the Firm's Criminal Division. Mr. Pemberton graduated magna cum laude from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston where he also earned the distinction of Mock Trial Champion. Mr. Pemberton has significant experience in criminal law having litigated numerous cases while previously working as a Mohave County Assistant Public Defender. He also worked as an extern for the Honorable G. Murray Snow of the Arizona Court of Appeals. A fluent Spanish-speaker, Mr. Pemberton is also well versed in Western Caribbean Creole, and Garifuna, the language spoken by those of Carib and African ancestry living along the Caribbean coast of Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, and Nicaragua.
Jeffrey L. Phillips
Jeffrey Phillips graduated from Arizona State University in 1990 where he earned a Juris Doctorate in Law and started along the road to a successful legal career. Before law school, Mr. Phillips received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration in 1986 from Arizona State University. Additionally, Mr. Phillips has developed a wide background of experience in business, real estate and finance. At our Phoenix, Arizona firm, he focuses on criminal law and DUI defense, as well as providing attorney representation for plaintiff's serious personal injury cases.
Jeffrey Phillips is licensed to practice law in Arizona. As a part of our Phoenix, Arizona firm, he has served as criminal and DUI defense attorney for a number of clients in both felony and misdemeanor cases, and has presented more than 40 criminal and DUI cases to juries. He has represented clients in felony charges throughout Arizona in Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, Gila, Mojave, Navajo and Yavapai Counties.
Jeffrey Phillips has received considerable recognition for his volunteer work. In April 1994, he received the Volunteer Attorney of the Month Award from Community Legal Service. In 1996, he was presented with the William T. Burmingham Award in recognition for the volunteer work he performed throughout the year. In 2002, his work in assisting low income bankruptcy clients contributed to Phillips and Associates being honored with the Volunteer Lawyer Program Bankruptcy Service award.
In addition to his role at our Phoenix, Arizona firm as an experienced criminal and DUI defense attorney, Mr. Phillips works with attorneys throughout the United States, helping seriously injured clients.
Rick Poster
Rick Poster is a Board Certified as a Specialist in Criminal Law by the Arizona Board of Legal Specialization. Mr. Poster graduated from California State University with a B.A. in Political Science and was certified as a paralegal from the same school. Mr. Poster then graduated from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Michigan. Rick spent three years prosecuting at the Ingham County Prosecutors Office in Lansing, Michigan, and five years prosecuting at the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in Phoenix, Arizona. Since leaving the County Attorney’s Office, Rick has practiced several areas of law, but now serves as one of our criminal defense attorneys at our Phoenix firm exclusively.
Rick is a former U.S. Army Officer where he served in the U.S. Army Reserve on active duty and with the National Guard. Rick’s leadership was recognized several times having been awarded an Army Achievement Medal, an Army Commendation Medal, and Best Infantry Leader on active duty.
Rick taught Criminal Law and related courses at Arizona State University West for seven years, authored the Arizona D.U.I. Trial Book and other publications, and has presented at D.U.I. 14 and D.U.I. 15 Seminars on D.U.I. topics.
Rick’s hobbies include computers, golf, and karate.
Jose Antonio Saldivar
Jose Antonio Saldivar is an attorney in the criminal division of Phillips & Associates. Mr. Saldivar graduated from Arizona State University with honors and from Arizona State University College of Law with Pro Bono distinction. He is a three-time Valdemar Cordova Scholarship recipient. Mr. Saldivar is a member of the Hispanic National Bar Association, Los Abogados, and was Vice-President of Los Licenciados.
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Saldivar worked for Community Legal Services and represented migrant farm workers before the Internal Revenue Service and the United States District Court, District of Arizona under the Agricultural Worker Protection Act and Fair Labor Standards Act. Mr. Saldivar also worked for the Yuma County Legal Defender where he limited his practice to criminal defense.
Mr. Saldivar resides in Maricopa, Arizona and Ensenada Baja California, Mexico.
John A. Schill
John A. Schill is an attorney experienced in handling accident, injury and negligence cases. He received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Creighton University in 1989 and received his Juris Doctor Degree from Creighton University School of Law. He is originally from Des Moines, Iowa.
Mr. Schill began his legal career as an attorney for the United States Army assigned to the XVIII Airborne Corps. He was then deployed to Somalia to render legal assistance to United States forces deployed there. After his military commitment was through, Mr. Schill entered in the private practice of law in Columbia, South Carolina where he represented clients in a variety of legal situations including accident and injury victims. Mr. Schill has now limited his practice to accident injury, medical malpractice, wrongful death, and other negligence cases.
Mark Siegel - (1949 - 2003) Former Supervising Attorney - Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Litigation.
Mark Siegel was head of the personal injury litigation team for Phillips & Associates at the time of his unexpected death in 2003. Mr. Siegel was 54 years old when he passed away on November 12, 2003. Mr. Seigel was born in Buffalo, New York, March 14, 1949, and had worked in Laramie, Los Angeles and Japan. He first came to Tucson, Arizona in 1972, and moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1986.
Mr. Siegel obtained a Bachelors of Arts Degree from Williams College, with a Major in Political Science and a Minor in Political Economics, a Master of Arts in Humanities from SUNY Buffalo, a Masters and a Ph.D. from the University of Arizona, and a J.D. from the Arizona State College of Law. Mr. Siegel was admitted to practice in Arizona and Federal courts in 1991, and was a Board Certified Specialist in Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Litigation, certified by the Arizona Board of Legal Specialization.
Mr. Siegel was an accomplished trial lawyer who ran the Peoples Law School for the Arizona Trial Lawyers Association and was a founding board member and Chairman of the Modest Means Project, which provided free legal assistant to the working poor. Additionally, he has published a dozen books, over a hundred articles, and more than a dozen short stories. Mr. Siegel was a loving husband, devoted father to his son and daughter, and a loyal friend who touched the lives of everyone he met.
Teresa Starrs
Teresa Starrs is a trial attorney in the criminal law division of the firm. Ms. Starrs has a diverse background having lived in California and the Navajo Nation in Northern Arizona. She also attended school and lived in Mexico for many years. Ms. Starrs graduated with honors from Arizona State University with a degree in Spanish and a minor in translation. She is a graduate of Arizona State University College of law. In addition to law, she has a background in business, and legal interpretation and translation. Ms. Starrs has practiced exclusively criminal law defending her clients with dedication and success.
Robert R. Teague
Robert R. Teague supervises the Firm’s Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Divisions. Mr. Teague has personally represented many thousands of bankruptcy clients since 2000 when he joined the Firm. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, with honors, from the University of Arizona in 1992. Mr. Teague then spent three years teaching high school to the natives on Yap Island, Federated States of Micronesia.
Mr. Teague received his Juris Doctorate from Case Western Reserve School of Law and was later admitted to practice law in Arizona and in the United States District Court, District of Arizona in 1998.
Prior to joining our firm, Attorney Teague worked in bankruptcy law with Ugly Duckling Corporation where he performed the duties of Bankruptcy Counsel. Attorney Teague now limits his practice to Bankruptcy Law.
Eric R. Thieroff
Eric R. Thieroff is a graduate of the Chapman University School of Law in Orange, California. Attorney Thieroff’s background is in Bankruptcy, Environmental, Land Use and Real Estate Law. Mr. Thieroff has an undergraduate degree in Physical Geography from Arizona State University in Tempe Arizona.
Mr. Thieroff now works primarily in Phoenix as a bankruptcy attorney, but also has previous experience in Trusts and Estates, as well as civil litigation, business and family law.
Mr. Thieroff was also a Captain in the United States Army 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Mr. Thieroff is licensed to practice law in Arizona and is also a Notary.
Gordon Thompson
Gordon Thompson is a trial attorney in the criminal defense division of our Phoenix firm. He has more than twenty years of legal experience and limits his practice to D.U.I. and criminal cases. He is originally from New York, where he graduated from Harper College with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Syracuse University College of Law. He was admitted to the New York Bar in 1979. From 1979 through 1981 he was an associate to a sole practitioner with a criminal defense and civil trial practice in upstate New York.
In 1982, Mr. Thompson was admitted to the Arizona Bar. From 1982 through 1989 he engaged primarily in the practice of criminal defense law, working successively in La Paz County, the Phoenix Municipal Court, and Maricopa County. He also handled civil and criminal defense matters for individual members of the Colorado River Indian Tribes.
From 1989 through 1993, Mr. Thompson lived in New York City where he was employed as an Associate General Counsel with the New York City Department of Probation. His duties there included supervision of the prosecution of probation violation proceedings in Queens, as well as representing the Department on civil and criminal motions and appeals in various courts located throughout the city.
Upon returning to Arizona in 1994, Mr. Thompson has joined the law firm of Phillips & Associates and since that time has focused his practice on D.U.I. and criminal defense law. Attorney Thompson has presented numerous criminal cases to juries in Arizona over the years.
Joel Erik Thompson - Of Counsel
Joel Erik Thompson is the chief trial attorney for the criminal defense division of our Phoenix firm. Mr. Thompson has been a Board Certified Specialist in Criminal Law since 1980. He often handles high profile criminal defense cases and is a highly respected trial attorney in Phoenix and Arizona in general. He has been practicing criminal law for more than thirty five years and has handled hundreds of major felony jury trials in many different states, including complex high publicity cases, such as the “Phoenix Suns drug case” in 1987, the 29-count indictment of the former Director of the Arizona Liquor License and Control Board in 1999, and numerous homicide and death penalty cases. He has also written and argued many criminal appeals and other appellate matters at all levels of the courts, including the Supreme Court of the United States. Mr. Thompson was also a judge pro tem in the Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County from 1987 to 1995. Since that time, he has limited his role to the area of criminal defense. He is now a major felony trial specialist, and is available on a limited basis for our firm's most serious cases.
Mr. Thompson graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree, cum laude, in Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology in 1966. In 1970, he received his Law degree from Seton Hall University School of Law. He was initially admitted to practice law in the State of New Jersey, and has been admitted to practice law in the State of Arizona since 1975.
He has been recognized nationally for his expertise, and he has written for national publications and has taught legal seminars for various bar associations, public defender offices, law enforcement agencies including the Phoenix Regional Police Academy and Arizona State University School of Law. He is a member of a number of bar associations and professional associations, including the prestigious National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and he is a charter member of the Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice.
Timothy Tonkin
Timothy Tonkin fell in love with Arizona when he followed his parents here from New Jersey and attended Northern Arizona University. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from N.A.U. in 1994. After a brief stint working in New York City, he returned to Arizona to attend the Arizona State University College of Law.
Soon after beginning law school, Timothy began working in the area of personal injury and began advocating for the rights of individuals against insurance companies. In his over six years in the legal field, he has concentrated exclusively on helping injured people and has represented numerous clients in all aspects of personal injury claims including trials, arbitrations and mediation.
In his spare time, Tim values his time as a big brother for the Valley Big Brother/Big Sisters and has worked as a Volunteer Attorney. He enjoys traveling, playing golf and spending time with friends and family.
Kevin Westlake
Mr. Kevin Westlake is an attorney in the Personal Injury division of Phillips and Associates. He earned his law Degree from Arizona State College of Law in 1989. Mr. Westlake also holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree (B.A.) in Russian from Brigham Young University.
Since 1989, Mr. Westlake has exclusively represented plaintiffs in personal injury claims. He has extensive pre-litigation and litigation experience having been involved in numerous arbitrations and settlements. Mr. Westlake is admitted to practice in all the state courts of Arizona.
David R. Wroblewski
David R. Wroblewski is a trial attorney and a member of our team of criminal defense attorneys at our Phoenix law firm. Mr. Wroblewski attended the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, where he earned a B.A. in Economics in 1994 and graduated Magna Cum Laude with Commencement Honors. Mr. Wroblewski is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, and Golden Key National Honor Societies.
Mr. Wroblewski earned his law degree from DePaul University College of Law in Chicago, Illinois in 1998, where he was a member of the Latino Law Student Association and was inducted into the Phi Alpha Delta International Law Fraternity. While in law school, Mr. Wroblewski worked for and held a litigation internship with two prominent Chicago law firms.
Before joining the firm, Mr. Wroblewski had practiced law in Chicago, Illinois and had maintained his own law practice in the East Valley of Maricopa County, Arizona. Mr. Wroblewski is licensed to practice in the States of Arizona and Illinois and is licensed to practice in the United States District Court for the District of the State of Arizona.
Mr. Wroblewski has lived, worked, and studied in Mexico City, Mexico and is fluent in Spanish. During one of his numerous stays in Mexico City, Mr. Wroblewski held an international trade internship with the Department of Commerce for the State of Wisconsin International Trade Office of Mexico City, Mexico. Mr. Wroblewski has also lived and studied in Tres Coracoes, Brazil as an international exchange student.
Mr. Wroblewski currently limits his practice to the area of criminal defense and only represents clients facing serious felony and misdemeanor charges.
Michael S. Yucevicius
Michael Yucevicius is a trial attorney in the Firm’s Criminal Division. Mr. Yucevicius is originally from Chicago, Illinois. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in management from Purdue University in 1977 and subsequently worked as an auditor for the accounting firm of Coopers & Lybrand, prior to enrolling in law school. Mr. Yucevicius graduated with honors from Chicago Kent College of Law in 1984.
After graduating from law school, Mr. Yucevicius practiced as a criminal defense attorney in the state and federal trial and appellate courts of New York City until relocating to Arizona in 2002. As an attorney in New York, Mr. Yucevicius tried more than seventy-five criminal matters, ranging from misdemeanors to murder cases. Among the trials in which Mr. Yucevicius was involved were several high profile cases. In one such trial, Mr. Yucevicius achieved an acquittal in a murder case in which his client made a videotaped confession to the crime. In addition to numerous accomplishments as a criminal defense attorney in New York, Mr. Yucevicius also successfully represented several clients there in civil lawsuits involving claims of police misconduct and civil rights violations.
Mr. Yucevicius joined the Firm in 2004. His initial primary duties were to represent clients who were under investigation by law enforcement authorities, but not yet charged with crimes. Mr. Yucevicius has helped many clients avoid criminal charges altogether through aggressive representation. He now represents clients in serious felony trial matters in the state and federal courts of Arizona and has continued to achieve good results.
Mr. Yucevicius is a Board Certified Specialist in Criminal Law, certified by the Arizona Board of Legal Specialization. He is admitted to the State Bars of Arizona and New York, the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second and Ninth Circuits and the United Stated District Courts for the Districts of Arizona, the Southern District of New York, and the Eastern District of New York.
