Justia Legal Services & Lawyers Directory

Douglas C. Gardner is a Native of Northeastern Arizona, and a fourth generation Arizonan.

Prior to law school, Douglas worked for several years for Bechtel Corporation, one of America’s largest privately held corporations, as an accounting manager. Douglas attended law school and earned his M.B.A. simultaneously. During Law School, Douglas clerked for the Honorable Randy Haines of the United States Bankruptcy Court in the District of Arizona. Douglas also participated in the Arizona State Law Journal as a Staff Writer and then an Articles Editor. At the same time, Douglas also participated in Jurimetrics: The Journal of Law, Science, and Technology as an Associate Editor and then as a Senior Editor, where he was recognized as the “Outstanding Associate Editor” and published his case note.

Douglas and his wife, Karleen, are the parents of three very active boys.

Education: Arizona State University, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, J.D. 2004 (Cum Laude); Arizona State University, W. P. Carey School of Business, M.B.A. 2003; University of Nevada Las Vegas, B.S. Finance/Business Administration 1999. Court Admissions: admitted to practice in all State and Federal courts in Arizona. Member: Arizona State Bar Association, Coconino County Bar Association.

Practice Areas: Family Law, Bankruptcy, Personal Injury and Civil Litigation.

Family Law Practice includes: Contested Divorce, Uncontested Divorce, Legal Separation, Annulment, Property Division and Distribution, Child Custody, Parenting Time, Child Support, Paternity, Step-Parent Adoption, Domestic Violence, Spousal Maintenance, Premarital Agreements, Post-marital Agreements, Post Decree Modifications, Enforcement of Decrees and Orders, Modification of Decrees and Orders, Relocation, Grandparent Rights, Family Law Appeals, Orders of Protection, and Mediation.

Bankruptcy Practice includes: Chapter 7 bankruptcy (debt liquidation); Chapter 13 bankruptcy (debt restructuring); Creditor Services.

Personal Injury: Auto Accidents, Mass Tort/Class Action Injuries, Semi-Truck Collisions, Slip and Fall, Head Injuries, Premises Liability, Amputation, Permanent Disability, Products Liability, and Manufacturing Defects.

Civil Litigation includes: Contract Disputes, Business Law, Construction Defect, Commercial Litigation, and Real Estate Litigation.

To speak with Douglas C. Gardner, call 928-779-1173.

I am proud to say that my office offers personalized service to my clients. Your case is important to me and I appreciate your business.

Many of my clients have used the services of an attorney before. Some have not. Both types of clients have commented that it is hard to know how to find a good attorney. That may be because so many attorneys market themselves as the cheapest alternative, guarantee results or make other impossible promises. In initial conversations with clients I often hear something like "I'm not sure how this works..."

My approach to practicing law is different than many other attorneys:

I am not the least expensive attorney. Rather, my hourly and flat rates reflect both my legal expertise and the high level of client service that I offer. My fees are fair, but they are not cheap. The important issues of my clients demand superior levels of expertise and service, and neither come without a price.

I strive to provide cost-effective representation. I explore all avenues to resolve legal issues, especially including those that are non-litigation in nature. I try to determine exactly what my clients want, and then proceed with whatever is necessary and in my experience will be effective in satisfying that want, or if necessary, to help my clients clearly identify what their desired outcome is if different that their initial want. I do not "churn" or "grind" for the purposes of increasing fees. Every minute of work that I bill my clients is both necessary and accounted for in detail.

I never guarantee results. I have won cases I thought I should lose, and I have lost cases I thought I should have won. Instead, I provide clients with what I think are the best and worst case scenarios for their legal problem, and then move forward accordingly. I take on the role of a risk manager and help clients make decisions based on principles of risk management.

I provide advice that is often unexpected. I convince as many potential clients that they do not have a case...or that they have no valid defense...as I convince clients in the alternative. The same is true with potential bankruptcy debtors; sometimes the best alternative is to not file for bankruptcy.

When you call my office you always talk directly with me, not an assistant, paralegal, associate or receptionist. I always answer my phone unless on a call with someone else, or in court, or in a meeting with someone else. I do my best to return phone calls and respond to emails the same day. Because some situations call for thinking, research or action before response, and because of daily demands, I am not always successful in a same-day response to client calls and e-mails. By the next day, however, you will have heard from me. Communication in the attorney-client relationship is of paramount importance. Nothing is more frustrating than lack of response to calls and e-mails. In fact, surveys have shown that failure to return calls by an attorney is the number one complaint of clients.

I will take cases to trial. Though many legal issues can be resolved to some level of satisfaction without a trial, some cannot. If your problem requires a trial, I will take your case to trial.

My name is Jane Schmaltz. My Mesa, Arizona practice is devoted to helping consumers protect their property, money, and rights. My focus is consumer protection law, shielding consumers like you from aggressive creditors, and helping people get a fresh financial start by filing bankruptcy

Joe Volin is an experienced Arizona bankruptcy attorney who has practiced law for 28 years. He graduated from Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois in 1978 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications. In 1982, Joe graduated from Southern Illinois University School of Law in Carbondale, Illinois. He is licensed to practice law in Arizona, Arizona Federal District Court, the Arizona District of the United States Bankruptcy Court, and in the United States Tax Court.

As an experienced Arizona bankruptcy attorney, Joe has helped hundreds of clients facing consumer debt and tax problems in the Arizona Bankruptcy Courts.

Joe is also the co-author of the book Advanced Estate Planning Techniques in Arizona,â published by the National Business Institute in 2004.

Joe served on the Board of Directors for the United Food Bank as its Vice-President and was a member of its Executive Committee.

Martin J. Berkley, founder of the Berkley Law Office, provides quality legal services to those in need of debt relief in Tempe, Phoenix, and valleywide. He earned his B.A. in Political Science and Juris Doctor from the University of Colorado, and is licensed to practice law in the States of Arizona, Colorado and in the Federal Courts.

With over 30 years experience, Mr. Berkley has practiced bankruptcy law exclusively since 1990, personally handling the filing of thousands of Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcies in Arizona alone. He is a member of the Bankruptcy Section of the Arizona State Bar, proud and honored to be named as an official "Debt Relief Agency" under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code to help people file bankruptcy, and a member of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA).