(September 8, 2005, Phoenix, AZ) – LAWFUEL – The Law News Network – Steptoe & Johnson LLP, an AmLaw 100 international law firm, this week announced that seven lawyers from Beshears Wallwork Bellamy Chartered, one of Phoenix’s best known civil litigation boutiques, are joining the firm. Beshears Wallwork Bellamy principals Nicholas J. Wallwork and Fredric D. Bellamy and five others will add significant depth to Steptoe’s commercial litigation practice in Phoenix.
“This addition combines the litigation experience and interests of Steptoe and our new colleagues,” said Kevin Olson, Steptoe’s Phoenix managing partner. “These skilled, nationally prominent litigators help position Steptoe for strategic growth in the region, the state and beyond. We plan to expand services to our traditional client base and to BWB’s clients, including major mining and manufacturing companies in the energy, transportation and specialty chemical sectors.”
Mr. Wallwork maintains a high profile in Arizona legal circles, including service as President of the State Bar of Arizona in 2001-2002, a member of the Arizona Judicial Council from 2001 to 2003, and a member of the Supreme Court Commission on Technology from 1996 through 1999.
A graduate of the University of Utah (1980) and the University of Virginia School of Law (1983), he practiced and became a shareholder with Phoenix-based O’Connor, Cavanagh, Anderson, Killingsworth & Beshears, where he chaired its technology committee and founded its environmental practice group. In 1993, Mr. Wallwork and another partner at O’Connor Cavanagh founded the firm that is now Beshears Wallwork Bellamy, where he provided representation in class action, contract, e-commerce, environmental, intellectual property, product liability, securities and toxic tort matters.
“The seven of us have joined Steptoe at a most opportune time for both firms,” said Mr. Wallwork. “We are confident this move gives us a broader platform from which to serve our existing clients as well as an excellent opportunity to increase the depth of Steptoe’s complex litigation practice nationwide. We are enthusiastic about our future as members of the Steptoe team.”
Mr. Wallwork is currently a member of the National Conference of Bar Presidents, the American Law Institute, the American Bar Association, the International Association of Defense Counsel, the Maricopa County Bar Association and the Arizona Bar Association. He also serves as the mining industry representative on the Arizona Water Quality Assurance Revolving Fund Advisory Board (advising Arizona’s state superfund environmental clean-up program), is a former trustee of the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, and is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Arizona Center for Disability Law.
He has chaired the American Law Institute-American Bar Association program on environmental and toxic tort liability for ten years and has handled environmental cost allocation and toxic tort matters at Pinal Creek—efforts through which he has gained significant hydrogeology and groundwater expertise.
Mr. Bellamy received his undergraduate degree in psychology and social relations from Harvard University (1983) and his law degree from Harvard Law School (1986). At Harvard he captained the winning team in the 1985 Ames Moot Court Competition and argued before a panel of judges led by Chief Justice William Rehnquist. After graduation, Mr. Bellamy joined Brown & Bain’s Phoenix office,, where he began his career practicing intellectual property, technology and securities fraud litigation. He joined Beshears Wallwork Bellamy at its founding in 1993.
In addition to continuing his practice in the areas of intellectual property and technology litigation, Mr. Bellamy’s practice has focused on other areas of complex litigation frequently involving technological, scientific and other expert-related issues, including environmental and toxic tort, product liability and class action litigation. He has chaired both the State Bar of Arizona’s Intellectual Property Section and its Internet, E-Commerce and Technology Law Section. He has been an active speaker in these areas. He has also served as the Editor in Chief of the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Update published by the State Bar, and as that publication’s Toxic Tort and Insurance Law Developments editor, and has spoken and written in those areas as well
Other attorneys joining Steptoe as a part of the acquisition include:
· Mark Freeze, graduate of the University of Texas Law School (1988), as Special Counsel;
· Bridget Bade, graduate of the Arizona State University College of Law (1990), as Litigation Counsel;
· Leslie Cooper, graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Law (1989), as Litigation Counsel.
· Mindy Brinker, graduate of Drake University School of Law (1998), as an associate.
· Lynn Broderick, graduate of Arizona State University School of Law (2002), as an associate.
“These seven attorneys provide additional top notch talent to the firm’s complex litigation, environmental and international capabilities, among many others,” said Frank Burke, Chair of Steptoe’s Commercial Litigation Group in Phoenix. “Many of the Steptoe partners in Phoenix have known and respected Nick and Fred for years. We know there will be significant synergy between their efforts and the work of our environmental, commercial litigation, toxic tort and tax practices in Los Angeles and Washington, D. C. All the way around, this combination represents a solid match of strength with strength that will have wide, long-lasting benefits for both firms’ clients.”
