Three Manning & Kass Attorneys Selected for 2018 Southwest Super Lawyers List

Manning & Kass is pleased to announce that three attorneys in our Phoenix office have been included on the 2018 Southwest Super Lawyers List. Partner Richard Mack was selected for the Super Lawyers List for the tenth time, while Partner Debora Verdier and Phoenix Managing Partner Robert Zelms were selected for the sixth and second straight years, respectively. In addition, Associate Catherine Barnard was named to the 2018 Southwest Rising Stars List.

Ms. Verdier was also included on the Top 50: 2018 Arizona Super Lawyers for the third consecutive year and on the Top 25: 2018 Women Arizona Super Lawyers for the fourth year in a row. The Top 50 list is extremely competitive, and includes the 50 attorneys with the highest peer rankings in the state. Mr. Mack and Mr. Zelms were among only 15 attorneys selected for the list from the Professional Liability: Defense category.

Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations.

Richard V. Mack has been in practice since 1990. He is a State Bar of Arizona certified real estate specialist and AV Preeminent® by Martindale Hubbell. Mr. Mack also serves on the Arizona State Bar Real Estate Advisory Commission, which oversees the Real Estate Specialization Program. Mr. Mack is admitted to practice in the state and federal courts of Arizona and before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Mack graduated magna cum laude from Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas with a BBA with an emphasis in economics, and received his JD from the University of Arizona.

Debora L. Verdier graduated from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University in 1997 where she now serves as an adjunct faculty member. She defends employers in all types of labor and employment disputes pending before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, state and federal courts, and private arbitrators. She has experience in defending employers, including municipalities, against claims of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation brought under Title VII, the Family Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the whistleblower provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Ms. Verdier also has significant experience in handling large and complex litigation matters in the areas of professional liability, antitrust, copyright, and healthcare reimbursement. In addition to representing business clients in litigation, Ms. Verdier counsels companies with an eye toward preventing disputes and providing pre-litigation solutions.

Robert B. Zelms is managing partner of the Phoenix office of Manning & Kass, and leader of the firm's Legal Malpractice Team.  He practice focuses on Professional Liability defense, including claims against Lawyers, Accountants, Real Estate Brokers, Insurance Agents, Design Professionals, and Director and Officers, among others.  Mr. Zelms graduated from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University in 1997 where he now serves as an adjunct faculty member. Mr. Zelms is frequently retained by insurance carriers and brokers to conduct Risk Management Audits and Peer Review Assessments of attorneys and law firms related to E&O insurance renewals. Additionally, Mr. Zelms is a frequent lecturer on risk management/claims issues and has conducted seminars for numerous insurance carriers and companies nationwide.

Catherine T. Barnard is an associate in the Phoenix office of Manning & Kass. Ms. Barnard’s practice consists mainly of civil defense in the areas of professional liability and general personal liability. Ms. Barnard has experience handling complex civil litigation and multi-party matters. Ms. Barnard received a BA in history, cum laude, from the Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University and a Masters in nonprofit management from Arizona State Universit. She received her JD from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. During law school, Ms. Barnard had the honor of working as a judicial extern for the Honorable Samuel A. Thumma at the Arizona Court of Appeals, Division One and for the Honorable Bridget S. Bade at the United States District Court, District of Arizona. In addition, Ms. Barnard is a faculty associate at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, where she teaches an undergraduate course in business law.