Congratulations to Christian, Dichter & Sluga partner Gena Sluga, who has been included in the 2013 list of Top 25 Women Lawyers in Arizona by Southwest Super Lawyers.  Gena is the only Insurance Law attorney included in this list.

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.  This elite list of Top 25 Women Lawyers is comprised of the female Super Lawyers in Arizona who scored the highest point totals in the Arizona nomination, research and blue ribbon review process.

http://www.superlawyers.com/arizona/toplists/Top-25-Arizona-Women/ac10ff1941c540cd87c107330996f4f6

Congratulations to Christian, Dichter & Sluga associate Alison R. Christian who was selected for inclusion on the 2013 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 for the second year in a row in the Insurance Law category where 3 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 2013 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.  Gena received this recognition for a second 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.

Thanks to the efforts of Dean & Ralph W. Bilby Professor of Law Marc Miller, the University of Arizona College of Law recently started a weekly newsletter for its alumni.  The email messages spotlight members of the Arizona Law network and share their contributions to our legal community.  The March 13^th message featured CDS attorney Alison Christian and highlighted her efforts to make a difference for women lawyers through the AADC Ladder Down program.  Ms. Christian co-founded the program with local attorney Beth Fitch and together they hope to provide women lawyers with the skills they need to develop business, become more visible leaders, and encourage mentorship.  For a full copy of the newsletter, please click here.   Ms. Christian has also been invited to speak for the Arizona Law chapter of the LWA on April 3, 2013 and will be joined by Ladder Down participants, and fellow alumna, Rebecca Covell and Nicholle Harris.

CDS founding partner Doug Christian has been elected a Fellow of the newly formed American College of Coverage and Extracontractual Counsel.  ACCEC is comprised of experienced lawyers representing policyholders and insurers in insurance coverage and extra-contractual matters.  Fellows of the College are recognized authorities in a wide range of legal and insurance disciplines.  Membership is limited and by invitation only.

ACCEC’s founding President, Thomas F. Segalla explains:

“The time seemed right to bring together the finest lawyers from the United States and Canada, who represent some of the best minds practicing in a wide range of legal and insurance disciplines.  While our goals include providing education for the bench and bar as well as the insurance industry, we believe it’s the dialogue among our diverse members that will lead to creative resolutions and improved representation for all parties in a dispute.”

Doug is also a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, the Tort & Insurance Practice Section of the ABA and the Litigation Counsel of America.  He is an elected member of the American Law Institute, the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel and the American Board of Trial Advocates and is a past President of the Arizona Association of Defense Counsel.

Alison Christian and Beth Fitch have partnered with the Arizona Association of Defense Counsel to create a business development program for women lawyers that will launch in January 2013.  The program’s objective is to empower women by giving them directed training and providing them with practical, tangible tools for getting ahead in the legal profession.  The program will take place over the course of a year with 3-hour training sessions each month dedicated to the following three topics: leadership, mentoring, and business development.  The sessions will be taught by industry leaders and experts, such as Lynn Moran, Marianne Trost, and Janice Brown.  The AADC program is co-sponsored by Righi Law Group, Christian Dichter & Sluga, Lorber Greenfield & Polito, Koeller Nebeker Carlson Haluck, Thomas Thomas & Markson, Rai & Barone, Lewis and Roca and Jones Skelton & Hochuli.  For more information on the program or to apply for the 2013 session, please email Alison Christian at achristian@hcdslaw.com.

Congratulations on passing the Arizona Bar examination and welcome to our newest lawyer, Lon Johnson.  Lon is a 2012 graduate of the Arizona State University, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, where he was President of the Student Bar Association.  Lon earned his undergraduate degree from Princeton University and studied in Cape Town, South Africa with an undergraduate emphasis in Anthropology and African Studies.  Lon will work with us on commercial and insurance litigation matters.

Desert Companion Magazine, a Public Broadcasting System publication, recognized CDS partners Steve Dichter, Gena Sluga and Doug Christian as top lawyers in their practice areas in Southern Nevada.  Steve was recognized in the White Collar Criminal Defense category, Gena in the Insurance Law category and Doug in the Insurance Litigation category.  The list of top lawyers was compiled by Desert Companion Magazine in cooperation with the prestigious Martindale-Hubbell lawyer peer review rating service.  Steve, Doug and Gena have each received an A-V Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating conferred for lawyer ethics and ability.  CDS practices in Nevada through its Las Vegas affiliate; Christian, Kravitz, Dichter, Johnson and Sluga, PLLC

CDS partner Doug Christian was honored for the second consecutive year as a Top Valley Lawyer by North Valley Magazine.  Doug was selected in the Insurance Law category.  North  Valley Magazine selects Metropolitan Phoenix lawyers for recognition in conjunction with Avvo Inc, a company that helps consumers make better healthcare and legal professional choices.

Steve Dichter and Doug Christian are honored to once again be selected for inclusion among the Best Lawyers in America ™ in 2013. Together their listings span 6 of our firm’s practice areas. Both Steve and Doug are recognized in the Commercial Litigation category. Steve is also listed in his practice areas of White Collar Criminal Defense, Banking & Finance Litigation and Securities Litigation. In addition to Commercial Litigation, Doug is also recognized in Insurance Law and Personal Injury Defense Litigation.

Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Because Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which more than 36,000 leading attorneys cast almost 4.4 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas, and because lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.” We are honored to be included in the prestigious company of these lawyers.