Zachary Mushkatel discovered his affinity for the law by chance. As a political science major at the University of Arizona, he first aspired to become a professor. But an unexpected invitation to participate on a mock trial team at the university encouraged him to turn his competitive spirit and drive to help others into a legal career. “The law is about representing the client’s best interest, being able to think on your feet, and being a master of language and persuasion,” he says. “It just felt like home to me.” Mushkatel graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School in 2004 and has gone on to build a thriving law firm representing clients in the Sun Cities, Northwest Valley and the Phoenix metro region. Mushkatel brings a diverse array of legal expertise to his practice at Mushkatel, Robbins & Becker, PLLC. He started as a public defender before joining the law office of Henry Florence and Sherry Bell to work as a criminal defense attorney. In 2008, he joined forces with Mathis Becker to form Mushkatel and Becker. Throughout that period, he gained experience working in various practice areas, including personal injury, estate litigation, estate planning, guardianship and conservatorship work, probate, corporate litigation, real estate, and various civil matters. Mushkatel’s cross-disciplinary background provides for comprehensive counsel to clients to explore all possible legal avenues. Today, Mushkatel assists individuals throughout the Valley in personal injury, estate and civil litigation matters. Providing exceptional client service and producing results are his top priorities. “My job is to provide a lifeline to clients who feel stuck or helpless and to go to bat for them,” he says. Several of Mushkatel’s personal injury cases have resolved in excess of one-million dollars. He is the recipient of the 2020 Top-Rated Lawyer Award from Avvo and has been named a “Top 40 Under 40” by The National Trial Lawyers and a Premier Attorney by The National Academy of Jurisprudence. For Mushkatel, delivering maximum results does not mean sacrificing personal relationships. Success comes from taking the time to get to know each client’s individual needs and tailoring the legal approach to match his or her goals. Building those relationships results from creating an unpretentious yet professional environment that puts people at ease. “Most law firms run like businesses,” says Mushkatel. “The problem is that a business’s interests may not always run in stride with a client’s best interests. Our clients are our Number One priority, and the way we show it is by sitting back and listening quite a bit.” Community service is important to Mushkatel and every attorney the firm. Each lawyer is required to worki on at least two pro bono cases at all times. Mushkatel believes those services should be provided not for the accolades or to meet State Bar requirements, but simply because helping others is fundamental to the legal profession. Mushkatel is licensed in the State of Arizona, the Federal District Court of Arizona and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He is on the board and a faculty member for the Arizona College of Trial Advocacy, a program of the State Bar of Arizona’s Trial Practice Section. He is a past president and a member of the West Maricopa County Bar Association and a former member of the Board of Directors of the Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Sun Valley Lodge. A former semi-professional baseball pitcher, Mushkatel has coached his son’s Little League team for several years. When he is not working, he enjoys golf and spending time with his family.Zachary Mushkatel discovered his affinity for the law by chance. As a political science major at the University of Arizona, he first aspired to become a professor. But an unexpected invitation to participate on a mock trial team at the university encouraged him to turn his competitive spirit and drive to help others into a legal career. “The law is about representing the client’s best interest, being able to think on your feet, and being a master of language and persuasion,” he says. “It just felt like home to me.” Mushkatel graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School in 2004 and has gone on to build a thriving law firm representing clients in the Sun Cities, Northwest Valley and the Phoenix metro region. Mushkatel brings a diverse array of legal expertise to his practice at Mushkatel, Robbins & Becker, PLLC. He started as a public defender before joining the law office of Henry Florence and Sherry Bell to work as a criminal defense attorney. In 2008, he joined forces with Mathis Becker to form Mushkatel and Becker. Throughout that period, he gained experience working in various practice areas, including personal injury, estate litigation, estate planning, guardianship and conservatorship work, probate, corporate litigation, real estate, and various civil matters. Mushkatel’s cross-disciplinary background provides for comprehensive counsel to clients to explore all possible legal avenues. Today, Mushkatel assists individuals throughout the Valley in personal injury, estate and civil litigation matters. Providing exceptional client service and producing results are his top priorities. “My job is to provide a lifeline to clients who feel stuck or helpless and to go to bat for them,” he says. Several of Mushkatel’s personal injury cases have resolved in excess of one-million dollars. He is the recipient of the 2020 Top-Rated Lawyer Award from Avvo and has been named a “Top 40 Under 40” by The National Trial Lawyers and a Premier Attorney by The National Academy of Jurisprudence. For Mushkatel, delivering maximum results does not mean sacrificing personal relationships. Success comes from taking the time to get to know each client’s individual needs and tailoring the legal approach to match his or her goals. Building those relationships results from creating an unpretentious yet professional environment that puts people at ease. “Most law firms run like businesses,” says Mushkatel. “The problem is that a business’s interests may not always run in stride with a client’s best interests. Our clients are our Number One priority, and the way we show it is by sitting back and listening quite a bit.” Community service is important to Mushkatel and every attorney the firm. Each lawyer is required to worki on at least two pro bono cases at all times. Mushkatel believes those services should be provided not for the accolades or to meet State Bar requirements, but simply because helping others is fundamental to the legal profession. Mushkatel is licensed in the State of Arizona, the Federal District Court of Arizona and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He is on the board and a faculty member for the Arizona College of Trial Advocacy, a program of the State Bar of Arizona’s Trial Practice Section. He is a past president and a member of the West Maricopa County Bar Association and a former member of the Board of Directors of the Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Sun Valley Lodge. A former semi-professional baseball pitcher, Mushkatel has coached his son’s Little League team for several years. When he is not working, he enjoys golf and spending time with his family.

Joshua A. Lopez, Esq. is an attorney serving Arizona, California, and Nevada. Joshua practices criminal defense and personal injury. Joshua is dedicated to fighting for his clients while providing personal service that exceeds expectations. Before starting his practice, Joshua worked with various private and public law firms where he was exposed to many different areas of law. Joshua is very familiar with the stress and anxiety the legal process puts on people fighting a case. That is why Joshua personally handles all his cases and provides his contact information to clients on day one. Joshua attended California Western School of Law. Joshua’s hard work earned him the Academic Excellence Award in Evidence, one of the hardest classes in law school, for having the highest grade in the class out of 118 students. Joshua graduated cum laude in 2016. Before law school, Joshua attended the University of Nevada Las Vegas and earned his Bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship. Joshua enjoys playing soccer, snowboarding, and hanging out with his wife and dog in his spare time.

After high school, John attended the University of Utah, graduating in 2001. John then attended his dream school, Notre Dame Law School, where he graduated, with honors, in 2004. John is licensed to fight in court for real people in the State of Arizona, the United States Federal District Court of Arizona, and the 9th Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. Before establishing what is now Torgenson Law, John practiced in the litigation group at Fennemore Craig, the oldest law firm in Arizona, and one of the largest firms in the Southwest. John will always be grateful to the excellent lawyers and great leaders who gave him a shot and taught him so much about being a personal injury lawyer at Fennemore Craig. Having practiced at Fennemore Craig in both the defense and plaintiff’s practice areas gives John a complete perspective of the litigation process, and valuable insight into how to efficiently and effectively advance his clients’ interests. His unique and balanced background enhances his credibility with defense lawyers, insurers, and defendants as well as with judges and arbitrators. John realizes that civic and community involvement is essential in order for him to keep a solid balance between his professional and personal life. He was named one of Phoenix’s top 35 entrepreneurs by the Arizona Republic. He has been a board member at Kids @ Core (offering fitness and healthy living classes for underprivileged children), has coached the 7th and 8th grade football teams at St. Francis Xavier, is an active member of the Los Abogados Hispanic Bar Association, and serves meals to the homeless at Andre House in downtown Phoenix. John is also a member of Grand Canyon River Guides, and has been a licensed Grand Canyon River Guide for the past 22 years. John devotes 100% of his career to fighting insurance companies and corporate interests on behalf of good people who are hurt. People call this “personal injury law.” John wears that term proudly. Although insurance companies, corporations, and their lobbyists want you to envision slick-backed hair, greedy, desperate lawyers running after an ambulance when you hear “personal injury lawyer.” John wants people to envision what it really is – taking vulnerable, broken, hurt people who are at the loneliest, darkest times in their life, and helping them rebuild – piece by piece. Having the backs of real human beings by fighting against greedy insurance companies and corporations who are looking to boost their ever-increasing profits on the broken backs of the people they hurt. That’s what a real “personal injury lawyer” is. And John is proud to be one. John devotes his practice to sticking up for those wronged by others. Then, holding the wrongdoer accountable. Whether his client is injured due to someone’s choice to disregard basic safety rules, or a corporation or insurance company’s attempt to take advantage of an individual, John relentlessly pursues justice for his clients through loyal advocacy, honest communication, and the committed pursuit of the truth. John works hard and creatively, drawing on his mind and his heart for his clients to ensure that they are treated fairly in every single step of the litigation process. John gets his tireless work ethic from watching his dad, Fernando, report to work like clockwork as a Journeyman Lineman in Southern Utah for the past 43 years, then coming home and showing John how a real man works by being an amazing dad, coach, and maintaining their house. John’s mom, Karen, who raised him and his siblings to always stick up for themselves and anyone else getting picked on, gives him his unbending will to continue to take the fight to well-financed opponents, and seek justice for his clients.

I am passionate about helping people formulate plans to reach their goals. Since 1999, I have been involved in that process with hundreds of clients as a professional in the financial services industry. In 2011, I enrolled at Arizona Summit Law School. It wasn’t always easy balancing family and school while maintaining a growing financial services company. But with the help of my wife and others, along with some divine intervention, I graduated with honors (summa cum laude) in 2014. The rest is history. Now I spend my time helping individuals and families create and maintain solid estate plans – truly an important work! On a more personal note: Before becoming an attorney, I grew up in Scottsdale, went to Horizon High School, and then joined the United States Marine Corps Reserves. Following my active duty training, I went on a 2 year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and later graduated from Arizona State University – go Sun Devils! Along the way I moved to Mesa where I met my sweetheart – Jennifer. We were married in 1999 and have since been blessed with 6 children (4 boys & 2 girls)! So when I’m not at work, I’m usually playing with my family, fixing up the house, or playing basketball. I look forward to meeting you! – Sincerely, Marcus Seiter

When I headed off to college in 1962, I had every intention of completing my four years and then becoming a teacher. But it seems life had a very different plan for me. My vision for the future started to change during my junior year at Arizona State. It was then that I married my high school sweetheart. To build up our savings, I began working full-time and attending school part-time, which put me behind schedule from my original plan. I was alright with the change, though, because working ensured that my lovely new bride could still graduate on time. After my wife graduated, I went back to school full-time. But just as everything seemed to be getting back on track, another wrench was thrown into the works — I was drafted into the Vietnam War. I had never envisioned myself joining the armed forces, but I chose to embrace the idea by applying to Officer Candidate School for the U.S. Air Force. Unfortunately, though, my military examiner deemed that I had “bad feet,” which led to my exclusion from the war. It was only after my military career was denied that I realized I hadn’t made any backup plans for the future. Fortunately, an opportunity presented itself in the form of Arizona State’s new law school. It was scheduled to open just as I was debating what to do next. With my father’s encouragement, I decided to apply. The rest, as they say, is history. The journey that brought me into the work world was nothing like what I had imagined for my future. Still, the experience taught me a lot about life and, later, law. My biggest takeaway from the whole endeavor, though, was that life is unpredictable. Luckily for me, the surprises dropped in my path led me to one that was even more fitting in the long run. In my role as an attorney — whether I’m practicing estate planning, probate law, or criminal defense — I get to put my skills and interests to use in a way that can change my clients’ lives for the better. Each day, I have the opportunity to educate, console, and guide real people facing real dilemmas. On the best of days, those same people who came to me with concerns leave feeling heard, understood, and in an overall better place. It would be unrealistic for me to say that every possibility in life can be planned for — that’s simply not true. But after more than 45 years in the legal profession, I can safely declare three truths: 1) thorough planning goes a long way, 2) with a strong support system, you can make it through even the toughest of times, and 3) getting the right kind of help can make all the difference in protecting what matters most to you. If you’d like to learn more about how I could help ease your legal burden, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Matt Maerowitz grew up in Arizona and went to high school at Brophy. He received his undergraduate degree in economics from Boston College and later graduated from law school at the University of Arizona. Matt Maerowitz is an experienced trial attorney with a practice focused on DUI, criminal defense, and personal injury cases. Matt has successfully represented clients in numerous bench and jury trials over the past eight years. Before co-founding The Maerowitz Law Firm, LLC, Matt worked for a Scottsdale law firm where he drafted pleadings and criminal defense motions, primarily in DUI cases. Matt also worked for the Pima County Attorney’s Office as a student-prosecutor during law school. Matt’s experience with both sides of criminal law cases has helped him anticipate arguments from the prosecution in order to prepare the best defense for his clients. During law school, Matt Maerowitz was recognized for several accomplishments. He was recognized for his excellent oral advocacy skills as a member of the University of Arizona’s ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition Team. Matt was also a Managing Editor for the Arizona Journal of International and Comparative Law.

Andre Pennington is an accomplished Arizona, federal and military attorney that concentrates his practice on estate planning, wills, trusts, probate and trust administration and litigation. What makes Andre unique is that he has specialized estate planning training and experience from his time as an attorney for the United States Air Force, but also has extensive trial experience with over 75 jury trials to his credit at the state, military and federal level. This blend makes him uniquely qualified and able to effectively navigate the waters of your estate plan and administration. Since 2011, Andre has lived in Surprise, Arizona. He is married to his stunning wife, Amanda, and has six young children, two sons and four daughters. As a father, he rarely misses a family obligation and believes that family is one of the greatest gifts a person can receive and that protecting their future is of paramount importance. With that sentiment, he uses his years of estate planning, trial experience and expertise to guide, navigate, and protect your family’s interests in their most difficult time. He grew up in Southern California, graduating from California State University, Fullerton, and Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. He then started his legal career in 2006, as a trial attorney within the Colorado state courts. In 2007, he joined the United States Air Force and for over four years engaged in estate planning and trial work. During that time, he was recognized by leadership as being within the top five percent of trial attorneys in the Air Force. With a desire to have a more stable home life, he left active duty and transferred to the Air Force Reserves, where he is the rank of Major, and has been a trial advocacy instructor, government appellate counsel and estate planning attorney. Until 2014, Andre practiced as a federal trial attorney for the District of Arizona, handling the highest level of federal cases; when he left to take his current position and to go into private practice as a full-time estate planning, wills, trusts, and probate attorney. Andre has been recognized with numerous honors and awards that include voted Best Attorney in Sun City West by the Daily Independent 2021, selected as Litigator of the Year 2021 by the American Institute of Trial Lawyers, Lawyers of Distinction 2021, Best Attorneys of America 2021, Elite Lawyers 2021, Best Probate Attorneys in Surprise, Peoria and Goodyear by Expertise.com. Andre founded residential homes dedicated to the well-being of foster children; he was appointed as a part-time Judge for the Maricopa County Justice Courts (2015-2017); and co-founded and is a Director for Arizona’s Children Coalition. Andre is a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu; and he is a Coach and lifetime member at De Boa Jiu Jitsu Academy in Surprise, Arizona.

Florence M. Bruemmer is a licensed attorney in the following jurisdictions: State of Arizona, United States District Court of Arizona, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and Supreme Court of the United States. Florence practices in the following areas: Real Estate and Business Transactions, Civil and Business Litigation, Estate Planning, Family Law, and Appellate Law. Florence’s Appellate work has brought her to Stanford Law School to argue a case before the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Florence is a current attorney on the ARAG roster in the State of Arizona. Florence’s office is located in Anthem, Arizona. She has an associate attorney, Tanya Hill, who has been with the firm for over 12 years. Florence’s office has been located in Anthem since 2001. Florence received her Juris Doctorate degree from Loyola University Chicago in 1999. Florence is a member of the State Bar of Arizona and AWLA. Florence has served the community by volunteering for The Courthouse Experience. AWLA Mentor Program, VLP, Lawyers in the Classroom, MCBA Law Fair, Maricopa County Superior Court, and We the People...Project Citizen. Florence was voted Lawyer of the Month December 2003 by the Maricopa County Bar Association.

Kevin Garrison is a personal injury attorney committed to fighting insurance companies and corporations to protect the rights of each client that he represents. Whether the injuries are caused by negligence or someone driving under the influence of alcohol or illegal substances, Kevin brings the same passion and intensity to every case. Mr. Garrison has been practicing law as a personal injury attorney for over 30 years and has won significant verdicts and settlements on behalf of his injured clients across Arizona. When deciding which personal injury lawyer you want representing your case, you should consider someone knowledgeable, compassionate, experienced, and who does not give up or take the easy way out. Kevin Garrison and his team have built a reputation and legacy of doing just that by providing expert legal representation with compassion to help our clients when they need us most.

Brad represents primarily small businesses, and so he practices primarily in the areas of law that small businesses need. As a practical matter, Brad helps companies form their businesses, deal with employees, draft and review contracts, and file or defend lawsuits when needed. Brad helps his clients on the “litigation” side of the law as well as on the “business” side. Brad has been rated as “AV” (preeminent) by his peers at Martindale-Hubbell. This is the highest possible rating. Before opening his practice in the East Valley in 1998, Brad practiced for several years at two large firms in downtown Phoenix: Jennings, Strouss & Salmon, PLC and Bryan Cave LLP. Brad graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in International Relations from Brigham Young University. He received his law degree with academic honors from the University of Chicago. Because his practice has a substantial litigation component, Brad has spent considerable time in court. Brad has represented clients in numerous jury trials in Superior Court, before the Arizona Court of Appeals, Arizona Supreme Court, and Federal District Court. Brad has also appeared with clients before various Justice Courts, administrative tribunals, and in many arbitrations and mediations. Brad also advises his clients on how to structure their businesses, how to maintain corporate and LLC records, how to negotiate and draft contracts, how to get their money if bills go unpaid, how to deal with employees, and how to manage their legal risk—all with an eye toward avoiding litigation if at all possible.