Eleven Gust Rosenfeld lawyers were selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2009.

Since its inception 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 25,000 leading attorneys cast almost two million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their specialties, 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.”

The following Gust Rosenfeld attorneys received this honor for 2009:

Tom Chauncey II (Corporate Law) – Chauncey practices media law, zoning procedures, litigation, and legislative action. He assists clients in resolving contractual, privacy, employment, and access issues. His experience includes the acquisition and disposal of assets, employment issues, and difficult environmental issues involved in buying, selling, and financing real estate, including homes, commercial property, and ranches. Since 2007, Chauncey has been listed by Best Lawyers for Corporate Law. He graduated from Arizona State University College of Law in 1973.

Peter Collins, Jr. (Personal Injury and Insurance Law) – Collins, based in Gust Rosenfeld’s Tucson office, concentrates his practice in general litigation with an emphasis on insurance defense and coverage, on construction, personal injury, aviation, medical malpractice, and products liability claims. He represents insurers, manufacturers, contractors, and a variety of businesses and individuals. He also represents people with serious injury claims. He graduated from the Ohio State University College of Law in 1978. He has been Chair of the Arizona State Bar Association’s Trial Practice Section and was Chair of the Arizona College of Trial Advocacy from 2004-2007.

Robert D. Haws (Labor and Employment Law) – Haws concentrates his practice on employment law and education law. He regularly advises employers on the full range of challenges and opportunities employees present. He is an experienced litigator and legal counselor to his clients. Haws is especially familiar with representing educational institutions in employment, student matters, business matters, and more. He has successfully represented clients before juries, state and federal judges, appellate courts, numerous government boards, the EEOC, the DOL, the Attorney General’s office, and in a number of alternative dispute resolution formats. He graduated from the University of Utah College of Law in 1989.

Keith C. Hoskins (Public Finance Law) – Hoskins focuses his practice on municipal finance, including general obligation bonds, lease-purchase financing, pledged revenue obligations, refunding bonds, special assessment bonds, and industrial development bonds. He represents state agencies, counties, cities, towns, community colleges, school districts, several types of improvement districts, community facilities districts, and governmental agencies. He works extensively with many cities, towns, counties, special districts, and developers throughout Arizona structuring innovative financing for infrastructure development. He often assists in drafting legislation regarding state and local government finance. He is a 1980 graduate of Arizona State University College of Law.

John L. Hay (Franchise Law) – Hay practices general corporate and commercial law, with an emphasis on representing small- and medium-sized businesses, particularly insurance companies, banks, startups, franchisors, and franchisees. He represents business clients with respect to formation, financing, relationships, and contracts with vendors, customers, and lenders, dealings with regulatory agencies, relationships among owners, mergers and acquisitions, and intellectual property matters, including trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. He has worked on complex commercial transactions, land deals, mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, and business reorganizations. Hay worked on the State Bar of Arizona committee to develop the new corporate code. In addition, he is co-author of Arizona Corporate Practice (West Group Publishing). Hay has been listed in Best Lawyers for Franchise Law since 1995. He is a 1964 graduate of the University of Colorado School of Law.

Fred H. Rosenfeld (Corporate Law and Public Finance Law) – Rosenfeld focuses his practice on governmental law, including municipal finance, real estate, and legislative law. He is experienced in general obligation, revenue, special tax, and assessment bonds. His clients include issuers, borrowers, trustees, underwriters, and financial institutions. In addition, he represents governmental entities before the State Legislature. He is a fellow and co-founder of the American College of Bond Counsel and a past board member of the National Association of Bond Lawyers. He has been listed for Corporate Law in Best Lawyers since 1983 and Public Finance Law since 2007. Rosenfeld graduated from the University of Arizona College of Law in 1961.

Scott W. Ruby (Corporate Law and Public Finance Law) – Ruby practices in governmental law, specifically public and municipal finance and school district law. He provides general legal services primarily to governmental entities and focuses in matters relating to municipal finance, contract negotiations, development agreements, real estate, budgets and elections. Ruby has been listed for Corporate Law in Best Lawyers since 2005 and Public Finance Law since 2007. He is a 1978 graduate of Arizona State University College of Law.

Richard A. Segal (Commercial Litigation and Antitrust Law) – Segal concentrates his practice on commercial, insurance, and antitrust litigation. He represents insurance companies, financial institutions, businesses and individuals. He possesses extensive experience in both jury and non-jury trials of tort and antitrust cases, mediations, arbitrations, and appeals. Segal has been listed for Commercial Litigation in Best Lawyers since 1983 and Antitrust Law since 2002. He graduated from the University of Arizona College of Law in 1956.

Richard H. Whitney (Trust and Estates) – Whitney’s practice includes estate planning, probate and trust administration, and nonprofit organizations. In particular, he represents individual clients in legal matters involving the preservations and devolution of their property. He is a Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. Whitney has been listed for Trusts and Estates in Best Lawyers since 1983. He is a 1963 graduate of the University of Arizona College of Law.

Charles “Chas” W. Wirken (Appellate Law and Franchise Law) -Wirken concentrates his practice on two areas: appeals in all areas and business litigation, much of the latter involving disputes in the franchising context. He is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth, Tenth and Federal Circuits. Wirken has been a judge pro tem of the Maricopa County Superior Court since 1986, and has also served as a judge pro tem of the Arizona Court of Appeals, Division One. He is a former president of the State Bar of Arizona, a former chair of the State Bar’s Trial Practice Section, and was a founder and officer of the State Bar’s Appellate Practice Section. Wirken has been listed in Best Lawyers for Franchise Law since 2003 and Appellate Law since the category was created in 2007. He is a 1975 graduate of the University of Arizona College of Law.

Founded in 1921, Gust Rosenfeld provides legal counsel to individuals, private and public corporations and governments. Nationally known for its public law and finance practice, the firm additionally maintains significant practices in real estate, corporate, environmental, litigation, labor and employment, creditors’ rights and franchise law. The firm has offices in Phoenix and Tucson.

Tom Chauncey II – 602.257.7479 – chauncey@gustlaw.com