Rusing Lopez & Lizardi has proudly been the home to attorneys recognized by Best Lawyers® for the past 19 years. RL&L attorneys have been recognized in all 3 recognized categories in the 2025 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® and the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America. Patricio P. Lopez III was named the Best Lawyers® 2025 Banking and Finance Law “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, Janet Betts, Brian Mueller, Theodore P. Witthoft, and Patricia Waterkotte were also recognized in the 31st edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. RL&L is also very proud to have 3 attorneys; Daniel Bernardone, Alexander Valentine, and Robert S. McManimon recognized in the fifth 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 we have received more than 25.8 million evaluations on the legal abilities of other lawyers based on their specific practice areas around the world.
For the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, more than 23 million votes were analyzed, which resulted in more than 80,000 leading lawyers included in the milestone 31st edition.
For the 2025 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America, more than 4 million votes were analyzed, which resulted in more than 27,000 lawyers honored in the new edition.
In the 2025 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America, RL&L lawyers were recognized in 17 separate practice areas including: Corporate Law, Real Estate Law, Banking and Finance Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, 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.
The Best Lawyers in America® (2025 Edition) “Lawyer of the Year” Tucson, Arizona
- Patricio P. Lopez III – Banking and Finance Law
The Best Lawyers in America® (2025 Edition) Tucson, 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
- 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
Janet G. Betts (2011) Scottsdale
- Corporate Law
- Real Estate Law
Patricia Waterkotte (2023) Tucson
- Commercial Litigation
- Litigation – Insurance
Brian M. Mueller (2024) Scottsdale
- Litigation – Real Estate
Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America – Scottsdale and Tucson
Daniel B. Bernardone – (2024) Scottsdale
- Commercial Litigation
- Corporate Governance and Compliance Law
Alexander P. Valentine – (2024) Tucson
- Commercial Litigation
- Litigation – Real Estate
Robert S. McManimon (2025) Tucson
- Commercial Litigation
- Corporate Governance and Compliance Law