As an attorney, trained mediator, former judicial officer and partner at Sheldon & Stoutner, Nicole Siqueiros-Stoutner has dedicated more than two decades to serving Arizona families and advancing the practice of family law. A former Chair of both the State Bar of Arizona’s Family Law Executive Council and the Maricopa County Bar Association’s Family Law Section, she is a graduate of the State Bar of Arizona’s Bar Leadership Institute, a recipient of the Phoenix Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Award, and has been recognized by Thomson Reuters as a Rising Star and later a Super Lawyer since 2018.

A passionate educator and mentor, Nicole has devoted countless hours to training attorneys and promoting excellence in Arizona family law. She has developed, facilitated and taught numerous CLE programs on family law, parenting coordination, mental health issues, cultural competency and courtroom practice. Since 2010, Nicole has led, organized and taught the annual Family Law Trial College and its predecessor, the Family Law Trial Advocacy CLE, helping shape generations of Arizona family law attorneys through hands-on training, mentorship and advocacy instruction.

Nicole has authored numerous articles on family law and related topics. In 2024, she and Annette Burns co-authored Co-Parenting by Design, a book dedicated to improving co-parenting relationships. Through her leadership, education, writing and service, Nicole has made a lasting impact on Arizona’s family law community and the families it serves.

David J. Cantelme, a fourth-generation Arizonan, has worked in the law for nearly 47 years. He graduated from Harvard College, A.B. 1976, in economics, and from Stanford Law School, J.D., 1979. He was admitted to the California bar in 1979, though he has been inactive in California for many years. He was admitted to the Arizona bar in 1980. He served as a law clerk to Hon. Walter E. Craig, U.S. District Court, District of Arizona, from late 1979 to 1981. He joined Lewis and Roca as an associate in 1981, made partner in 1986, and practiced there until 1997, concentrating on construction and procurement law. In 1997, he left Lewis and Roca, keeping a small practice, while also going into business as a custom-home general contractor. He returned to full-time practice in 2001 with Jennings, Strouss & Salmon. He left Jennings in early 2006 and, together with Aaron Brown, founded Cantelme & Brown, PLC., where he still practices. He concentrates his practice on commercial litigation, with an emphasis on construction and procurement law, election law, and education law. He is the father of a son and a daughter. His second language is Spanish.

James L. Williams is a director and shareholder of the law firm of Schmitt Schneck Even & Williams, P.C. He focuses his practice in the areas of business litigation, products liability litigation and trial practice. James earned his J.D. from Baylor University in 2008. While at Baylor, among other awards, he was a member of the National Championship 2007 AAJ Mock Trial Team. Upon graduating, James and his wife, Julia, moved to Phoenix to join the firm he has loved and helped to grow ever since.

James coached ASU Law’s competition mock trial teams for a number of years and, in the process, helped to mentor a number of law students to become exceptional lawyers. He has also served for many years as President of a board member of the Phoenix Chapter of the Christian Legal Society. James is also an accomplished musician. For more than thirty years, he has served as a worship leader and musician for churches and ministries. He has also produced and performed on numerous albums and in countless live shows, events and services. James was also a professional photographer before law school, and his images have been featured in widespread publications and in galleries.

Ben J. Himmelstein is a founding partner of Himmelstein & Adkins, LLC in Scottsdale, where he represents clients in commercial litigation and business disputes throughout Arizona’s state and federal courts. His practice emphasizes complex civil litigation — contract, business tort, partnership, fiduciary-duty and postjudgment matters — along with arbitration and appellate work. For the last 20-plus years, clients have turned to Ben for the kind of close-to-the-record, evidence-driven advocacy that requires detailed attention from intake through trial.

Beyond the firm, Ben serves on the faculty of Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, where he teaches Torts and Business Organizations in the online Master of Legal Studies program.

Ben is an active member of the State Bar of Arizona and the Maricopa County Bar Association, and he serves on the Board of Feeding Matters. Ben and his wife own dental practices, so when he is not practicing law, he is helping manage those practices. He lives in the Phoenix area with his wife and three kids. He is honored to be named a 2026 President’s Award recipient.

Patrick Keery is the managing partner at Keery & McCue, PLLC. He specializes in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, bankruptcy litigation and debt workouts. He also handles mergers, acquisitions, business deals and business torts. Patrick has 20 years of business and legal experience. He provides strategic solutions that maximize client outcomes. As a former litigant, Patrick has a unique view. He knows the risks and costs of litigation. His first-hand knowledge and legal skills help him guide clients. He helps them find effective, negotiated settlements to their conflicts. When litigation is unavoidable, Patrick’s skill as a litigator ensures his clients are well-represented.

Patrick takes a practical, results-focused approach to law and business that stands out in today’s market. He leverages cost-effective, real-world strategies to resolve issues efficiently, making him a trusted advisor for complex financial and business disputes. Patrick graduated magna cum laude from the Phoenix School of Law in 2013. He earned a Juris Doctor. This shows his academic excellence. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Arizona State University, which he earned in 1992. It gives him a strong foundation in business and finance. He has legal and financial expertise. It helps him solve complex legal issues for businesses.

Melissa Ho is Associate General Counsel at Cavco Industries, Inc., one of the nation’s largest manufactured housing companies, where she provides strategic legal guidance on regulatory, compliance and operational matters in support of expanding access to affordable homeownership across North America.

Prior to joining Cavco, Melissa served as head of regulatory matters for a global semiconductor company, advising on complex compliance frameworks and government-facing issues. Earlier in her career in private practice, she represented public and private companies and their executives through high-stakes government investigations, enforcement actions and crisis situations, developing a reputation for clear judgment and practical, business-oriented solutions.

A lifelong Arizonan, Melissa is deeply passionate about mentoring and community service and is invested in seeing the Arizona legal community continue to thrive.

Geoffrey M. Trachtenberg is recognized for his work in civil litigation, personal injury and wrongful death litigation, third-party interests and legal ethics. He holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America, and has been recognized by various publications as being among Arizona’s leading personal injury attorneys.

Geoff served as President of the State Bar of Arizona and the Arizona Association for Justice, and for ten years served as a Judge Pro Tempore for the Maricopa County Superior Court. He was also a certified specialist in Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Litigation. He has written and presented extensively on litigation and professional responsibility, including as the original author of the Third Party Interests Handbook: Liens and Subrogation Rights.

He now lives on Bainbridge Island, Washington, with his wife, Krista, and tries to sail more than practice law—but old habits are hard to break. He is honored to be of counsel with Zwillinger Wulkan, PLC and Friedl Richardson, PC.

Evan S. Goldstein is a highly experienced mediator, arbitrator, special master and discovery master in civil litigation. With over three decades of legal practice, he brings a balanced perspective to dispute resolution, having represented both plaintiffs and defendants. He is also frequently appointed as an insurance appraisal umpire and serves as an arbitrator in uninsured and underinsured motorist claims. He is “AV” rated as a lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell and has acted as a speaker teaching voir dire at Arizona State University College of Law. He has chaired and participated as an instructor in many continuing legal education training seminars and courses.

Mr. Goldstein has broad and varied litigation experience that includes handling professional liability, personal injury, product liability, construction, insurance coverage and commercial litigation matters. He has been certified as an Injury and Wrongful Death Litigation Specialist by the Arizona Board of Legal Specialization since 1999.

He first became involved in ADR by participating and later conducting mediation through the Maricopa County Superior Court in the early 1990s. Due to his litigation experience in representing both plaintiffs and defendants, he is frequently selected as a private mediator to assist parties in evaluation and settlement of their disputes.

Reese L. Anderson is an attorney with Pew & Lake, PLC where he practices in the area of real estate, zoning and land use planning. Mr. Anderson received his B.A. degree from Arizona State University (1996), summa cum laude, and his law degree from Brigham Young University (1999), magna cum laude. After graduation from law school, he was a Law Clerk to the Honorable Ruth V. McGregor, Arizona Supreme Court, from 1999-2000. Before joining Pew & Lake in October, 2005, Mr. Anderson worked as an associate in the Phoenix law office of Snell & Wilmer.

Mr. Anderson specializes in real estate transactions, zoning and land use entitlement matters and has represented numerous clients in complex real estate development projects throughout the state of Arizona and the Phoenix metropolitan area. He has participated in the creation of special improvement districts as alternative funding methods to finance infrastructure costs and has successfully guided clients through referendums filed by opposing neighborhood groups.

Mr. Anderson is admitted to practice in front of the Supreme Court of Arizona, the United States District Court for Arizona, and the United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.

Mr. Anderson is a native of Mesa, Arizona, and is married to Erin Miller. They are the parents of four children and five grandchildren.

Robert N. Sewell is a Partner at Davis Miles, PLLC and Chair of the firm’s Litigation Department. With more than 20 years of experience, he focuses his practice on probate, trust and real estate litigation, representing clients in complex disputes involving estates, fiduciary duties and contested inheritances.

Over the course of his two decades at Davis Miles, Mr. Sewell has helped thousands of clients navigate complex legal issues arising in probate and trust matters, guiding families and fiduciaries through challenging and often highly personal disputes. He has handled matters in federal, state and administrative forums, resolving cases through mediation, arbitration and trial.

Mr. Sewell is a past President of the East Valley Estate Planning Council and is recognized for his thoughtful and disciplined approach to litigation. He is also the host of the international podcast Is That Even Legal?, which explores real world legal issues in accessible terms and has been downloaded in 141 countries and is in its 6th season.

Ike Devji is the founder of Arizona Wealth Law, DBA Pro Asset Protection. He has 23 years of asset protection and wealth preservation legal practice experience for a national client base including business owners, entrepreneurs, physicians and real estate investors, for whom he helps protect billions of dollars in personal wealth.

In addition to being a frequent educational presenter (CLE, CE and CME) to other professionals, Devji is a frequent guest speaker and author on his practice area with 300 plus nationally published articles, and has contributed to four books on asset protection risk management.

He is a double alumnus of Arizona State University and in addition to serving on the Business Law Committee of the State Bar of Arizona, Devji is the co-founder and past President of the South Asian Bar Association of Arizona and former Board member of the national South Asian Bar association, SABA NA.

Ike Devji is of counsel with two other leading law firms: Davis Miles, a regional business and consumer law firm where he helped establish the firm’s Asset Protection and Wealth Preservation practice groups and Lodmell & Lodmell, a national asset protection law firm where he was formerly the managing attorney.

Marla R. Crown is the Founder and Principal of the Scottsdale-based boutique law firm, Crown Law Offices, PLLC and has practiced law in Arizona for over 32 years. Ms. Crown’s legal practice centers on transactional commercial real estate, including sales and acquisitions, development and construction, leasing, financing and property management matters for industrial, retail, office, multi-family and vacant properties throughout the state. She also handles corporate transactional matters, with a focus on the sale and purchase of businesses, for a variety of Arizona-based companies.

A core belief guiding Ms. Crown’s career is her commitment to providing results-oriented legal services to local companies, including entrepreneurs and small business owners, in the effort to make local communities stronger. Favorite projects include the adaptive reuse of older and/or historically-significant properties that now serve as gathering spots and entertainment facilities for the Phoenix community.

Ms. Crown holds degrees from Northwestern University and Loyola University of Chicago School of Law and is a long-time member of the Scottsdale Bar Association. She supports numerous organizations that promote local Arizona businesses and investment in the state, and she enjoys mentoring the next generation of commercial real estate professionals.

A co-founder of Guidant law firm, Gary Smith is a distinguished AV-rated Arizona litigator, advisor, mediator and arbitrator whose practice spans commercial, construction, real estate, cannabis and administrative law. He has represented individual and institutional clients in state and federal courts, administrative proceedings and arbitration, and is widely recognized as an authority in contracting and construction law. He authored key treatises and practice manuals on Arizona contractor regulation and coauthored a construction lien practice manual.

A certified mediator from Pepperdine’s Straus Institute, Gary is also skilled in alternative dispute resolution, handling partnership, construction-defect, design-defect, real estate, employment and commercial disputes. He also has served on the American Arbitration Association’s roster of neutrals and has taught ADR courses for the organization. As a leading cannabis attorney in Arizona, Gary has successfully advocated for industry clients and served as amici counsel in the Arizona Supreme Court’s State v. Jones, helping restore cannabis extracts under the Medical Marijuana Act. Gary also co-founded the Arizona Cannabis Bar Association, serving as its elected multi-term president. Over his 32-year career, Gary taught dozens of continuing legal education classes and has been a regular contributor to the annual State Bar Convention. He mentored many young lawyers and even aided a few aspiring college students in admission to law school.

Hon. David Allen II
Arizona Black Bar
Dominic Gomez
Hon. Kris Mayes
Barry Wong

Michael R. Murphy
Jennifer Rebholz