Justia Legal Services & Lawyers Directory

Legal Background

Donald W. Hudspeth was admitted to practice law in the State of Arizona in 1988. He practiced corporate law representing financial institutions such as the Bank of Hawaii and founded The Law Offices of Donald W. Hudspeth, P.C. in January 1993. Mr. Hudspeth served as a Professor of Business Law at Arizona State University, West Campus and has conducted classes and seminars for Phoenix College, Maricopa Community Colleges Small Business Development Center, and the Arizona Small Business Association.

Former Business Background

Donald Hudspeth held a stock brokers license by the age of twenty-one and became a business owner by the time he was twenty-three. Mr. Hudspeth is a former owner of multiple businesses and investment real estate both in Kansas and Arizona. Before attending law school, Mr. Hudspeth served as Chief Financial Officer for a furniture manufacturing company in Phoenix. Combining that background with his current experience as a business law attorney, and as a businessman himself, Mr. Hudspeth is dedicated to serving the interests of small business owners and operators and can relate to the challenges and legal issues that face businesses.

Nicole Farnum is a criminal appellate attorney. She handles criminal appeals, special actions, and post-conviction relief cases, including capital/death penalty cases.

Daryl Manhart is a partner (shareholder) with Burch & Cracchiolo, P.A.. His principal areas of practice are in commercial transactions and real estate, commercial litigation, and civil appeals throughout Arizona. He is the firm's principal appellate attorney. Mr. Manhart also was an adjunct professor of business law, teaching undergraduate and graduate level courses, at Grand Canyon University from 1995 - 2004, in Phoenix, Arizona.

Mr. Manhart's professional engagements and experience include:

* representation of buyers and sellers of both unimproved and developed Arizona real estate

* representation of buyers and sellers of businesses, or with respect to sales of substantial assets of a business

* representation of landlords and tenants with respect to Arizona commercial leases, negotiation, preparation, and litigation

* preparation of documents and advising clients with respect to non-competition covenants and non-disclosure agreements

* representation of title insurance companies in various litigation matters with respect to Arizona properties

* establishing and litigating real property easements

* preparation of documents and advising clients regarding employment, independent contractor, and distributorship agreements

* representation of appliance/consumer product rental companies

* preparation of documents and advising clients regarding contractor, sub-contractor, and other construction contracts and representation in litigation

* advising clients with respect to corporate director, officer, and shareholder matters

* representation of Arizona state and Maricopa County agencies in various litigation and appeals, including opposition to class action claims

* numerous appeals, including special actions, in state and federal appellate courts in diverse civil practice areas for over 30 years. Mr. Manhart is the firm's lead appellate attorney and has extensive experience handling civil appeals of all kinds in both Arizona state and federal (Ninth Circuit and Supreme Court) courts, including personal injury claim and defense cases, professional malpractice, contractor cases, creditor/debtor cases, eminent domain, water rights, bankruptcy, products liability, insurance coverage, domestic relations, and many other areas. The firm's trial attorneys regularly consult with him on significant motions and other matters to help position cases for a successful outcome on appeal. Mr. Manhart is also called upon by attorneys in other firms for consultation on their appeals or for referral as appellate counsel.

Olivier A. Beabeau is a Phoenix native and received his B.A. from Vanderbilt University in 1998, and J.D. in 2001 from The George Washington University National Law Center. Mr. Beabeau has also studied European Union law at the Tulane Center for European Union Law in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and history and political theory at Birkbeck College, University of London.

While in law school, Mr. Beabeau served as a law clerk to a large multinational law firm in Washington, D.C., where he assisted the antitrust group with issues involving international competition law. Upon graduation, Mr. Beabeau served as a legislative analyst to the Central European and Eurasian Law Initiative (CEELI) in Washington, D.C., where he developed analyses of pending legislation in the region. In particular, his published contributions addressed various aspects of money laundering, public corruption, and administrative procedure, and were developed for presentation to legislators in Serbia and Montenegro and the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. In 2003, Mr. Beabeau returned to Arizona and assisted the offices of United States Senator John McCain with legislative and policy issues.

Mr. Beabeau is a dual citizen of Belgium and the United States. In his free time Mr. Beabeau enjoys tennis, skiing, and traveling with his family.