Category Archives: Christian Dichter Sluga

CDS Welcomes Charlie Callahan

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Charlie Callahan joined Christian Dichter & Sluga on May 1, 2012. Charlie Callahan is a Nebraska native, and after completing his undergraduate work at the University of Nebraska he obtained his law degree at Arizona State University, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law.

Charlie brings 19 years of experience to CDS, having focused his practice exclusively in the area of insurance law, and litigating complex civil and insurance cases in a wide variety of areas. He also brings substantial experience in appellate work, having argued numerous times in the Arizona Court of Appeals, as well as the Arizona Supreme Court and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Charlie is active in the civil defense bar, currently serving as a member of the Board of Directors for the Arizona Association of Defense Counsel (including being a member of the Amicus Committee). With our firm, Charlie will continue to emphasize insurance coverage, bad faith, and complex civil litigation.

The Best Laid Plans: A Departure From Flagstaff Affordable Housing and The Exansion of the Economic Loss Rule in Arizona By Alison R. Christian

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The Best Laid Plans: A Departure From Flagstaff Affordable Housing and The Expansion of the Economic Loss Rule in Arizona

Published in AADC Common Defense: A Magazine for Arizona Defense Attorneys, Spring 2012

By: Alison R. Christian

 

Recent expansions of the economic loss rule in Arizona state and federal courts, following the Arizona Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Flagstaff Affordable Housing Ltd. P’ship. v. Design Alliance, Inc., have left defense practitioners in a unique position.  This article analyzes the history of the economic loss rule and identifies the strategic advantages that defense counsel must consider at the outset of a case… [click here to read more]

Christian Dichter & Sluga Attorneys Selected as 2012 Southwest Super Lawyers & Rising Stars

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Congratulations to Christian, Dichter & Sluga associate Alison R. Christian who was selected for inclusion on the 2012 Super Lawyers Southwest Rising Stars list, an honor for young lawyers who have shown excellence in their practice areas.  The designation of Rising Star is given to only the top 2.5 percent of lawyers in Arizona or New Mexico who are either 40 years old or younger or in practice for ten years or less.  Ms. Christian was honored in the Insurance Law category where 4 of the firm’s lawyers are recognized as either Southwest Super Lawyers or Rising Stars honorees.

Partners, Doug Christian, Steve Dichter and Gena Sluga have also been selected for inclusion on the 2012 Southwest Super Lawyers list of honorees.   Steve and Doug have been honored in their practice areas of White Collar Criminal Defense and Insurance Law since the recognition’s inception in 2007.  Congratulations to Gena who received this recognition for the first time this year in the Insurance Law category.  Southwest Super Lawyers’ selections are based upon a survey of 18,000 active lawyers in Arizona and New Mexico as well as staff research and evaluation  of a nominee’s background and experience in her or his area of practice.  Only 5 percent of the lawyers in Arizona are listed in Southwest Super Lawyers.

FDCC Inducts Gena Sluga into membership at Winter Meeting

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The prestigious Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel selected Christian, Dichter & Sluga partner Gena Sluga for membership at its Winter meeting at the Arizona Biltmore.  The FDCC is an international organization of top defense lawyers and corporate counsel whose active membership is limited to 1,000 private-practice defense lawyers worldwide.  Gena joins her partner Doug Christian as an active participant in the work of the Federation.

CDS welcomes Jeff Hutchins

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Jeff Hutchins joined Christian, Dichter & Sluga on March 12, 2012 as a litigation associate.  Jeff worked as an Assistant Attorney General with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office where he represented the Department of Economic Security.  He graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and received his J.D. from the University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law in 2007.  Jeff is licensed in Arizona and Texas and will emphasize insurance and commercial litigation in his practice with our firm.

Gena Sluga achieves the AV Preeminent rating with Martindale Hubbell

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Congratulations to Gena Sluga for achieving an AV(r) Preeminent(tm) rating with Martindale Hubbell, the highest such rating available to any individual lawyer.  The AV(r) Preeminent(tm) rating is a significant rating accomplishment, and is a testament to the fact that a lawyer’s peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence.  For additional information, see www.martindale.com/ratings.

Christian, Dichter & Sluga recoginzed by U.S. News / Best Lawyers as a Best Law Firm

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Christian, Dichter & Sluga is honored to have again been recognized by U.S. News / Best Lawyers  as a 2011-2012 Metropolitan Phoenix Best Law Firm in 5 categories.

Tier One:

1.        Criminal Defense:  White-Collar – Litigation

2.       Insurance Law

3.       Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants

Tier Two:

1.        Criminal Defense – White Collar – Governmental Investigations

2.       Litigation- Banking & Finance

The U.S. News – Best Lawyers(r) “Best Law Firms” rankings are established in tiers, according to practice areas. The
rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes client and lawyers evaluations as well as managers, partners, associates and staff in other firms.  The survey provides a comprehensive view of the Metropolitan Phoenix legal profession and our place in the local legal community.  For more information visit http://bestlawfirms.usnews.com.


Congratulations and Welcome Micalann Pepe!

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Christian, Dichter & Sluga welcomes Micalann Pepe as an Associate.  Micalann is a 2011 Cum Laude graduate of Arizona State University, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and joins the firm’s insurance coverage and litigation practice.  She received her undergraduate degrees, Magna Cum Laude from Arizona State University in Finance and in Women and Gender Studies.

Steve Dichter Honored as Phoenix Best Lawyers Litigation Banking & Finance Lawyer of the Year

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Best Lawyers, the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession, has named Stephen M. Dichter as the “Phoenix Best Lawyers Litigation – Banking & Finance Lawyer of the Year” for 2012.

After more than a quarter of a century in publication, Best Lawyers is designating “Lawyers of the Year” in high-profile legal specialties in large legal communities. Only a single lawyer in each specialty in each community is being honored as the “Lawyer of the Year.”

Best Lawyers compiles its lists of outstanding attorneys by conducting exhaustive peer-review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. The current, 18th edition of The Best Lawyers in America (2012) is based on more than 3.9 million detailed evaluations of lawyers by other lawyers.

The lawyers being honored as “Lawyers of the Year” have received particularly high ratings in our surveys by earning a high level of respect among their peers for their abilities, professionalism, and integrity.

Steven Naifeh, President of Best Lawyers, says, “We continue to believe – as we have believed for more than 25 years – that recognition by one’s peers is the most meaningful form of praise in the legal profession. We would like to congratulate Stephen M. Dichter on being selected as the ‘Phoenix Best Lawyers Litigation – Banking & Finance Lawyer of the Year’ for 2012.”

Doug Christian recognized as a Top Lawyer by North Valley Magazine

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Christian, Dichter & Sluga partner Doug Christian is recognized in the current issue of North Valley Magazine as a 2011 Top Lawyer in the Insurance Law category. North Valley Magazine, in conjunction with Avvo, Inc., rated Metropolitan Phoenix lawyers in 15 categories and Doug was selected as a Top Lawyer in Insurance Law. Doug’s practice in Phoenix and Las Vegas emphasizes insurance law and litigation.