Summary
Amy is a trusted advocate to whom clients turn when the stakes are high and the path forward is anything but simple.
Widely recognized as a highly accomplished litigator, Amy represents clients in high-stakes, complex disputes. With extensive experience in the courtroom, she brings a results-driven, strategic approach to every matter. Pragmatic, organized, and efficient, Amy is known for her tenacity and resilience, earning a reputation as a formidable adversary in sophisticated litigation.
Amy’s practice focuses on defending leading law firms and attorneys against legal malpractice and other claims. She regularly represents businesses in complex commercial disputes, handling business torts, litigation involving noncompete agreements and other restrictive covenant issues, including matters requiring expedited evidentiary proceedings. In the employment arena, Amy counsels and defends employers against claims involving discrimination, harassment, breach of contract, wrongful discharge, and other employment-related tort and contract matters. She also conducts workplace investigations and provides guidance to employers on a wide range of workplace issues.
Whether advocating in the courtroom or at the negotiating table, Amy achieves efficient, favorable outcomes for her clients.
Licensed to practice in Arizona, Nevada, and California, Amy is experienced in numerous states and has represented clients in all phases of litigation, including bench and jury trials, arbitration, mediation, administrative proceedings, and investigations.
In addition to her client work, Amy is a natural leader. She has stepped into leadership roles in numerous professional organizations, including former chair of the Arizona Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Section and fuels her passion for adoption and foster care by serving on the Christian Family Care Agency Board of Directors. At her previous firm, Amy served on the management committee, compensation committee, and as the litigation section chair.
Amy’s commitment to client service, teamwork, and leadership has made her a respected advocate both inside and outside the courtroom.
Awards
Honoree, Best Lawyers in America®, Lawyer of the Year, Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants (2023, 2026)
Honoree, Best Lawyers in America®, Commercial Litigation, Employment Law Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment, Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants (2014 – 2026)
Honoree, Benchmark Litigation, Benchmark Litigation Star (2016 – 2019, 2025)
Honoree, AZ Big Media, Top 100 Lawyers in Arizona (2022, 2025 – 2026)
Honoree, Southwest Super Lawyers®, Top 25 Women in Arizona (2020 – 2026)
Honoree, Southwest Super Lawyers®, Business Litigation (2017 – 2026)
Honoree, Chambers USA, Litigation: General Commercial, Band 3 (2020 – 2026)
Honoree, AZ Big Media, AZ Business Leaders (2022)
Honoree, AZ Business Magazine, Top 100 Lawyers (2020)
Honoree, AZ Business Magazine, “Most Influential Women in Arizona Business,” (2015)
Honoree, bizAZ, “Up-And-Coming-Attorneys,” (2005)
Honoree, AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated (the highest rating available), by Martindale-Hubbell
All Service Areas
Education
- University of San Diego School of Law
- J.D.
- San Diego State University
- B.S.
- Judicial Extern, Court of Appeals, Fourth Appellate District, State of California
Admissions
- State - Arizona
- State - California
- State - Nevada
- Federal - Arizona District Court
- Federal - Nevada District Court
- Federal - California Central District Court
- Federal - California Eastern District Court
- Federal - California Northern District Court
- Federal - California Southern District Court
- Federal - U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
Notable Matters
- Published Opinions: McAlister v. Loeb & Loeb, L.L.P., 571 P.3d 891 (Ariz. 2025) (lost profits in legal malpractice case); Malcolm v. Farmers New World Life Insurance Company (1992) 4 Cal. App. 4th 296 (life insurance case); and Smith v. Superior Court (1993) 10 Cal. App. 4th 1033 (legal malpractice).
- Secured dismissal of more than a dozen claims, including fraud, interference, abuse of process, breach of fiduciary duty, filed by a third party against a law firm, seeking over a billion dollars in damages (District Court – Clark County, Nevada).
- Secured defense verdict on legal malpractice claims, and a seven-figure award of attorneys’ fees on a counterclaim, following a 12-day jury trial (Maricopa County Superior Court).
- Secured judgment in favor of private entity prohibiting production of records under Arizona’s public records laws.
- Bench trial to enforce restrictive covenants, settled mid-trial, for over $2.5 million in favor of client (U.S. District Court – Nevada).
- Two-week jury trial on claims for sexual harassment, discrimination, wrongful termination, retaliation and interference with contract (U.S. District Court – Tucson) – defense verdict.
- One-week jury trial on harassment and discrimination claims (U.S. District Court – Nevada) – defense verdict.
- One-week jury trial on pregnancy discrimination and wrongful termination claims (U.S. District Court – Phoenix) – defense verdict.
- Non-suit of harassment, discrimination and retaliation claims (U.S. District Court – Nevada).
- Secured temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against departing employee and competitor (U.S. District Court – Central District of California, Southern Division).
- Secured preliminary and permanent injunction against departing employee and competitor (U.S. District Court – Nevada).
- Dissolved temporary restraining order and defeated motion for preliminary injunction sought against departing employee (Maricopa County Superior Court).
- Various summary judgments on employment-related and other claims.
- Numerous restraining orders and injunctions secured to enforce restrictive covenants.
- Numerous no-cause findings on charges filed with EEOC, ACRD, NERC and NMHRD.
- Bench trial for plaintiff to enforce commercial contract (U.S. District Court – Central District of California, Southern Division) – judgment for plaintiff in excess of $1,000,000.
- One-week jury trial for plaintiff in equine litigation against an insurance company and insurance broker (U.S. District Court – Central District of California) – plaintiff’s verdict.
- Secured dismissal of defamation action against dentists and professional organization (District Court – Nevada).
- Secured summary judgments for national life insurance companies on disability/ERISA claims (U.S. District Court – Nevada).
- Trial-styled arbitration – defense on defamation and slander claims (Ventura County Superior Court).
- Summary Judgment on abuse of process and malicious prosecution claims (Pima County Superior Court).
Speeches and Publications
Publications
- Practical Challenges to Enforcing Confidentiality Agreements, 67 Rocky Mtn. Min. L. Inst. 18-1, 2021
- e-Discovery Process Impacted by Covid-19 Crisis, Legal Reader, June 15, 2020
- If I Knew Then, Crain’s Phoenix, March 2017
Community Involvement
- Christian Family Care Agency
- Board of Directors