Gallagher & Kennedy is pleased to announce that six highly-experienced attorneys have joined the firm’s Phoenix office as shareholders. Welcome Thomas Arendt, Haley A. Harrigan, Lindsay G. Leavitt, John C. Norling, Otto S. Shill, III, and Wayne A. Smith.
Tom Arendt joins G&K with 40 years of real estate law experience, particularly in acquisition and development, and leasing. His representation includes various ground-up developments, retail centers, and banks and other lenders in loans and mezzanine projects. Tom currently serves as a member of the State Bar’s Real Estate Advisory Commission.
A Certified Real Estate Specialist by the State Bar of Arizona Board of Legal Specialization, Tom has also been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America since 2003 and Southwest Super Lawyers, earned an AV-Preeminent Rating by Martindale-Hubbell, and named to Arizona’s Finest Lawyers, Phoenix Magazine’s Top Lawyers list, and AzBusiness Magazine’s list of Arizona Business Leaders. He earned his law degree cum laude from Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and his undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona.
Haley Harrigan dedicates her legal career to advising businesses and individuals and litigating matters in the areas of labor and employment, commercial litigation, personal/catastrophic injury and wrongful death, product liability, and general liability. Joining G&K with over eight years of regional and national law firm experience handling insurance defense work, Hayley is a passionate advocate for her clients’ business interests. Her first-hand insight into how insurers evaluate claims enables her to counsel individuals and self-insured businesses on risk mitigation, risk transfer, and claims management and resolution.
Before pursuing law school and graduating cum laude from Phoenix School of Law, Haley worked for a Fortune 100 company, where she analyzed complex transactional and customer data and drafted Suspicious Activity Reports for the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). An Arizona native, Haley earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona.
Lindsay Leavitt represents and advises businesses of all sizes in employment and business litigation matters. His clients, which range from local startups to publicly-traded corporations, value his aggressive, yet pragmatic, approach to their legal disputes. Lindsay’s clients rely on him to resolve some of their most complex and sensitive legal matters and he has achieved favorable outcomes in employment, commercial, and real estate disputes.
Lindsay has earned media attention and acclaim for his ADA defense work, becoming a subject matter expert early in his career and carving a niche practice representing commercial landlords and hotel owners across the U.S. He has been recognized by Southwest Super Lawyers and named to Phoenix Business Journal’s 40 Under 40. He earned his law degree from Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and his undergraduate degree from the University of Alberta.
John Norling joins G&K with over three decades of experience advising clients on all aspects of their business operations, from day-to-day operations to strategic planning. His practice includes commercial transactions, real estate, business organization, mergers and acquisitions, federal and administrative compliance, contract negotiations, and advertising. A recognized leader in the retail automotive industry, John advises dealer clients on the legal and practical aspects of their operations, including dealership acquisitions and sales, manufacturer and lending relationships, consumer issues, ownership succession, licensing, federal and state compliance, and advertising law. His non-automotive clients span various industries and seek his advice on transactions, corporate, real estate, operational compliance and litigation avoidance matters. He also has experience advising commercial lenders with regard to real estate and asset backed financing.
John has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America for nine consecutive years, earned an AV-Preeminent Rating by Martindale-Hubbell, and named to Phoenix Business Journal’s list of the Most Admired Leaders, AzBusiness Magazine’s list of Arizona Business Leaders, and Arizona’s Finest Lawyers. He earned his law degree from The Ohio State University and his undergraduate degree from Wichita State University.
Otto Shill has dedicated his 40-year career to helping individuals, business owners, and employers comply with and plan for laws and regulations related to federal and state taxation, employee benefits and executive compensation. He assists clients with audits, investigations, and regulatory disputes related to these areas, and advises businesses and their owners regarding business transactions and long-term business succession and estate planning. Otto also has significant experience in federal procurement regulations and disputes, safety regulations, and regulations governing operations in the federal airspace system. Otto regularly represents clients before the Internal Revenue Service, Arizona Department of Revenue, U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Federal Aviation Administration, General Services Administration, Arizona Attorney General’s Office, and Arizona Industrial Commission.
Otto is recognized as a Certified Tax Specialist by the State Bar of Arizona Board of Legal Specialization and has earned recognition for his work by Chambers USA, The Best Lawyers in America, and Martindale-Hubbell. He earned his LL.M. in taxation from Boston University, and both his law degree and undergraduate degree in accounting from Brigham Young University. He is admitted to practice before all state and federal Courts located in Arizona, the U.S. Tax Court, U.S. Court of Federal Claims, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Wayne Smith joins G&K with over 54 years of legal acumen in the areas of tax, estate planning, real estate, and corporate transactions. His range of services includes advising individuals and business owners on federal and state income and estate taxation, real estate development and issues such as 1031 exchanges and reverse exchanges, business formation and governance, corporate acquisitions and investments, agricultural compliance with federal and state programs, and water law. He has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America for 13 consecutive years and earned an AV-Preeminent Rating by Martindale-Hubbell.
Earning his LL.M. in taxation from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law immediately following law school, Wayne began his legal career as associate counsel for the U.S. Department of Treasury where he tried civil tax cases. A New Mexico native, Wayne is admitted in Arizona and New Mexico, and earned his law degree from the University of New Mexico and his undergraduate degree from New Mexico State University.