Rusing Lopez & Lizardi, one of Southern Arizona’s most prominent law firms, recently expanded to Phoenix. After being in business for a quarter of a century, the growing firm has decided it’s time to open its doors in the Valley. On June 1st, the firm officially opened at 2375 E. Camelback Road, offering trusted legal counsel to businesses and individuals throughout Arizona.
Rusing Lopez & Lizardi has more than 25 years of experience in a diverse set of competencies, including commercial and civil litigation; real estate transactions and development; lending and finance; labor and employment law; business and corporate transactions; and intellectual property transactions. The firm is a proud member of The National Association of Minority & Woman Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF).
“We are a sophisticated full-service law firm,” said senior partner Mick Rusing. “Because we have been in business for so many years, and have earned a winning reputation, the firm attracts a sizable number of important clients and interesting cases. As we have become more seasoned, the tentacles keep getting longer.”
Senior partner Pat Lopez believes that one thing that sets this firm apart is the commitment, dedication, and drive Rusing Lopez & Lizardi attorneys and staff have toward bettering our community. “We encourage and applaud all community involvement by our lawyers and staff,” said Lopez. “We are proud that major charities and local non-profits alike have had members of our firm serving as officers, directors and in other capacities. This kind of commitment motivates us to serve our clients and community with continued passion and excellence.”
“We are an Arizona law firm with deep roots in our community and an understanding of our state’s legal landscape,” said senior partner Oscar Lizardi. “Collectively, our attorneys have more than 300 years of experience offering counsel and successful representation to our clients. Opening our Phoenix office will allow us to grow in new and different ways and have a hand in serving and shaping an expanded community.”
Attorneys opening the Phoenix office include:
Partner Kate Frenzinger – Ms. Frenzinger joins the firm as a partner in the Phoenix office. Ms. Frenzinger has extensive experience in employment law and complex commercial dispute resolution. Her areas of practice include state and federal regulatory compliance, federal agency proceedings, whistle-blower and qui tam actions, restrictive covenants and unfair business practices, discrimination and wrongful termination claims, and commercial contract disputes, among many others. Ms. Frenzinger is also highly experienced in e-discovery, and regularly presents in e-discovery-related programs.
Ms. Frenzinger ‘s experience spans state and federal courts throughout the United States, as well as a background in international arbitration. She also has experience in appellate proceedings before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, state courts of appeal, and multiple petitions for certiorari to the Supreme Court of the United States. She attended Loyola Law School, Los Angeles where she served as Copy Editor of the Loyola of Los Angeles International and Comparative Law Review, and graduated cum laude and Order of the Coif. She has repeatedly been named a Southwest Super Lawyers Rising Star, was named to America’s Finest Lawyers, and was most recently named to America’s Top 100 Attorneys.
“I am thrilled to join a firm with such high quality lawyers and a sophisticated legal practice, but with such a strong grounding in the local community,” said Ms. Frenzinger. “I am looking forward to helping the firm expand its practice into our rapidly expanding market here In the Valley–It is an exciting time to begin a new venture.”
Isaac S. Crum – Mr. Crum has over a decade of experience representing major corporations in intellectual property (trademark, patent, and copyright) litigation throughout the United States and before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the International Trade Commission. This experience allows him to provide large firm sophistication to Rusing Lopez & Lizardi’s national and Arizona-based clients. Isaac’s legal experience and technical background in computer engineering has been leveraged by many of the country’s largest companies. Mr. Crum has repeatedly been recognized as a “rising star” by the peer-reviewed Southwest Super Lawyers®.
Shayna Fernandez Watts, Of Counsel – Ms. Watts focuses her practice on labor and employment, banking, and commercial litigation. Her practice includes both Arizona state and federal litigation, as well as representing clients in arbitrations, mediations, and with federal agencies. Ms. Watts also advises clients on social media laws, drone law, and employment policies. She has represented pro bono clients in landlord and tenant disputes, and in obtaining SIJS and T Visas. Ms. Watts is a recent graduate of the Arizona State Bar Leadership Institute and has been named a Southwest Super Lawyers Rising Star for seven consecutive years.