Rusing Lopez & Lizardi has proudly been the home to attorneys recognized by Best Lawyers® for the past 20 years. RL&L attorneys have been recognized in all 3 recognized categories in the 2026 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® and the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America.
Mark D. Lammers was named the Best Lawyers® 2026 Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants “Lawyer of the Year” in Tucson. This award is particularly impressive as it is presented to only one individual in each geographical region and practice area each edition.
RL&L’s Michael Rusing, Oscar Lizardi, Timothy Reckart, Jonathan Saffer, Mark Lammers, Patricia Waterkotte, Brian Mueller, Theodore P. Witthoft, and Daniel Torrens were also recognized in the 32nd edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. RL&L is also very proud to have 4 attorneys; Daniel Bernardone, Ashley Naff, Robert S. McManimon, and Zoey Kotzambasis included in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America.
Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers recognitions are compiled based on an exhaustive Purely Peer Review® evaluation. More than 184,000 industry leading lawyers are eligible to vote (from around the world), and this year over 31 million evaluations were analyzed, including a record-breaking 4.8 million new responses. Because of their commitment to a purely peer-based process, Best Lawyers® believes that the top lawyers are best positioned to recognize excellence among their peers.
In the 2026 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America, RL&L lawyers were recognized in 20 separate practice areas including: Corporate Law, Real Estate Law, Banking and Finance Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Closely Held Companies and Family Business Law, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Corporate Governance and Compliance Law, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Banking and Finance, Litigation – Labor, Employment, Litigation – Real Estate, Litigation – Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy), Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Plaintiffs, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs, Litigation – Insurance, Litigation – Securities, Professional Malpractice Law, and Appellate Practice.
The Best Lawyers in America® (2026 Edition) “Lawyer of the Year” Tucson, Arizona
Mark D. Lammers – Personal Injury Litigation -Defendants
The Best Lawyers in America® (2026 Edition) Tucson and Scottsdale, Arizona
Michael J. Rusing (2007) Tucson
- Commercial Litigation
- Litigation – Banking and Finance
- Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Litigation – Real Estate
- Litigation – Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy)
- Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Plaintiffs
- Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
- Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs
Patricio P. Lopez III (2006) Tucson
- Banking and Finance Law
- Corporate Law
- Real Estate Law
Oscar S. Lizardi (2009) Tucson
- Banking and Finance Law
- Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
- Corporate Law
- Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law
Timothy J. Reckart (2018) Tucson
- Corporate Law
- Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Jonathan M. Saffer (2013) Tucson
- Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
- Commercial Litigation
- Litigation – Banking and Finance
Mark D. Lammers (2018) Tucson
- Commercial Litigation
- Litigation – Securities
- Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
- Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs
- Real Estate Law
Patricia Waterkotte (2023) Tucson
- Commercial Litigation
Brian Mueller (2024) Scottsdale
- Litigation -Real Estate
Theodore P. Witthoft (2025) Scottsdale
- Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Daniel Torrens (2026) Scottsdale
- Litigation – Insurance
Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America – Scottsdale and Tucson
Daniel B. Bernardone – (2024) Scottsdale
- Commercial Litigation
- Corporate Governance and Compliance Law
- Professional Malpractice Law
Robert S. McManimon (2025) Tucson
- Commercial Litigation
- Corporate Governance and Compliance Law
- Real Estate Law
Ashley Naff – (2026) Scottsdale
- Commercial Litigation
- Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Litigation – Real Estate
Zoey Kotzambasis – (2026) Tucson
- Appellate Practice
- Commercial Litigation
