Snell & Wilmer: Certified Specialists and Chambers-Ranked Practices in Five Fields, One Phoenix Office

Snell & Wilmer’s Phoenix office traces its origins to 1938, when Mark Wilmer and Frank Snell established the firm. The firm has since grown into one of the largest law firms headquartered in the United States, with offices across the Southwest, but the Phoenix office remains its anchor, home to more than 200 attorneys.

About the Firm

Snell & Wilmer’s Phoenix office is a full-service firm with five distinct practice groups: Estate & Trust Law, Real Estate Law, Intellectual Property, Business & Commercial Litigation, and Labor & Employment (employer-side). The firm is recognized for its depth of expertise, including State Bar of Arizona Board-certified specialists and Chambers USA-ranked practices.

Practice Areas

• Estate & Trust Law: Three attorneys hold active State Bar of Arizona Board of Legal Specialization certification in estate and trust law: John C. Vryhof (39 years licensed), Robin L. Miskell (36 years licensed), and Matthew K. Donovan (32 years licensed).
• Real Estate Law: Joyce Kline Wright has held the state’s real estate law certification since 1991—one of the longest continuously-held certifications in Phoenix.
• Intellectual Property: Chambers USA ranks Snell & Wilmer’s Arizona IP group for counseling, prosecution, transactions, and litigation. Named partners include R. Lee Fraley and Robert A. Clarke.
• Business & Commercial Litigation: Chambers USA ranks the firm’s litigation practice for general commercial matters. Named litigator Barbara J. Dawson serves as Chair Emeritus of the American Bar Association’s Section of Litigation.
• Labor & Employment: Chambers USA ranks the firm’s employer-side practice, covering discrimination, harassment, wage-and-hour matters, restrictive covenants, class action defense, collective bargaining, and wrongful termination. Named attorney Chuck Keller is the only Arizona lawyer practicing exclusively for management on workplace safety and health (OSHA/MSHA) issues.

Recognition

• Peer-reviewed state certification: Four Board of Legal Specialization certifications (Estate & Trust and Real Estate) through the State Bar of Arizona.
• Independent legal-market research: Chambers USA rankings for Arizona IP, general commercial litigation, and labor & employment practices, based on client and peer interviews.

Arizona Legal Framework

The firm’s practice areas operate under the following legal frameworks:

• Estate & Trust: Governed by Arizona’s probate code (A.R.S. Title 14).
• Real Estate: Valid conveyances follow A.R.S. 33-401.
• Intellectual Property: Federal law for patents, trademarks, and copyrights; Arizona trade secret protection under A.R.S. 44-401 et seq.
• Business & Commercial Litigation: Arizona or Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
• Labor & Employment: Arizona is an at-will employment state (A.R.S. 23-1501), with federal/state anti-discrimination and wage laws. Workplace safety governed by federal OSHA and Arizona’s state-plan OSHA program.

Assessment

The firm’s key differentiator is its documentable expertise: four Board of Legal Specialization certifications and three Chambers USA-ranked practices within one Phoenix office. The firm specializes in complex, institutional matters and represents employers exclusively in labor and employment matters.