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Attorney

Location:
Phoenix, AZ
Posted:
July 25, 2014

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Resume:

Robert'H.'Willis

****%E.%McDowell%Rd.%#**,%Mesa,%AZ%%85207

480974891865%%%********@*****.***%

LITIGATOR, APPELLATE ATTORNEY, MANAGING ATTORNEY,

CERTIFIED MEDIATOR, EXPERIENCED ARBITRATOR

Practical attorney with extensive litigation, appellate and complex-case handling experience. Independent case management

and preparation skills. Capable of organizing legal teams and elevating staff capabilities for cost effective, high quality ethical

legal representation. Growing client base through open communication, results and attention to detail. Possessor of superior

legal skills honed through more than a decade of high-level case handling and fully litigating legal and/or administrative

matters. Vast legal and practical expertise in construction, business, personal injury, commercial litigation, real estate and

insurance coverage cases. Widely recognized as a leader amongst peers and an active member of the local bar.

Civil Litigation Dispute Resolution Construction Defect Litigation Insurance Defense Personal Injury Administrative Law

Real Estate Business & Commercial Litigation/Disputes Products Liability Insurance Coverage Appellate Work Case

Management Staff Management Supervising Attorney Client Relations Negotiations Fortune 500 Companies Legal Resear ch

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

BARS%

%% % February%1998%California%Bar% %Bar%No.:%195215%

% % % July%2003%Arizona%Bar%–%Bar%No.:%022765%

%

EDUCATION%

Legal% % % Detroit%College%of%Law%at%Michigan%State%University%nka%Michigan%State%University%College%of%Law%

% % % J.D.%January%1998%–%emphasis%in%commercial%law%%

%

%

% % % Thomas%M.%Cooley%Law%School%

% % % Attended:%%August%1995%through%August%1996%

%

% Honors%% % Honor%Roll%&%Dean’s%List%member%each%tri9mester%%

% % % Certificate%of%Merit%on%final%exam%for%Torts%II%(Products%Liability,%Toxic%Torts,%etc.)%

%

% % % Western%State%University%College%of%Law%at%San%Diego%

% % % Attended:%January%1994%through%May%1995%

%

% Honors%&% Honors%Credit%in%legal%research%%

% Activities%%% Intellectual%Property%Law%Society%member%

%

Undergraduate% University%of%Michigan%

% % % B.S.,%Physical%Education,%Teacher’s%Certification,%December%1985%

%

Honors Jim%Hunt%Student%Athletic%Trainer%Academic%Award%–%full%scholarship%

% Activities%%% 1985%Fiesta%Bowl,%1984%Holiday%Bowl,%1984%Sugar%Bowl,%and%1983%Rose%Bowl%Sports%%Medicine%Staff%%

%

LEGAL%EMPLOYMENT%

% Shinnick%&%Ryan,%LLP,%Phoenix%–%Managing%Senior%%Associate%for%AZ%office%9/13%to%5/14%

% Plaintiffs’%construction%defect%litigation.%%Helped%to%develop%and%manage%the%AZ%office.%%Personally%responsible%for%monitoring%

% processing%more%than%35%active%matters.%

%

%

% The%Law%Offices%of%John%Chaix,%Phoenix%9%Associate/Office%Manager%5/13%to%9/13

% Plaintiffs’%construction%defect%litigation.%%Handled%all%aspects%of%a%settlement%involving%350%homes.%

%

% Burdman%&%Shore,%PLLC,%Phoenix%–%Associate%5/06%to%4/13%

Plaintiffs’%construction%defect%litigation:%Trial Paul%et%al.%v.%D.R.%Horton,%(Maricopa%County%Superior%Court

awarded%favorable%verdicts%for%all%4%homeowners%(2006 Arbitrations%–%Bynon%et%al.%v.%Continental%Homes%(Hon.%

Chris%Skelly%Ret awards%obtained%for%16%homeowners%(2008);%and%Adkins%et%al.%v.%PC/BRE%Springfield,%LLC%et%al%–%

awards%obtained%for%9%homeowners%(2010

% Appellate%work:%%Albano%et%al.%v.%Shea%Homes,%et%al Ninth%Circuit%and%Arizona%Supreme%Court drafted%all%briefs%

and%presented%oral%arguments%(2010%and%2011)%

%

%

% Skypeck%&%Sorensen,%Phoenix%(Zurich%Ins.%Staff%Counsel Associate%5/04%to%4/06%

Insurance%defense%99%personal%injury,%wrongful%death,%products%liability,%business,%subrogation%and%construction%defect%%

(subcontractor)%litigation;%discovery,%disclosure%and%correspondence;%appearances;%depositions%and%mediations;%dispositive%

motions%–%granted%9%out%of%13%motions%for%summary%judgment%in%2005/2006%%

%

% Campbell,%Volk%&%Lauter%San%Diego% %Associate%4/01%to%5/04%

Construction%defect/insurance%defense%(developer%&%subcontractor),%wrongful%death,%personal%injury,%products%liability,%real%

estate,%business,%senior%care;%drafting%motions,%discovery%and%correspondence;%appearances;%depositions,%mediations%and%

Trials% %Maison%de%Fleur%Community%Assoc.%v.%Maison%de%Fleur%Development%Co.,%et%al.,%Orange%County%Superior%

Court%(Feb.%2002 case%settled%2%days%into%trial;%and%Wills%v.%Dana%Horne%Realty,%San%Diego%County%Superior%Court%

(March%2003 awarded%plaintiff’s%verdict%in%property%management%dispute%

%

% Summers%&%Shives,%San%Diego Associate%12/99%to%3/01%

Construction%defect/insurance%defense;%real%estate/business%law;%insurance%coverage;%drafting%coverage%opinions,%

motions,%discovery%and%correspondence;%appearances;%depositions,%and%mediations%

%

% The%Law%Office%of%Robert%H.%Willis,%San%Diego% %Sole%Practitioner%4/99%thru%11/99%

% Personal%injury,%business%law;%construction%law,%administrative%law;%and%general%civil%litigation%

Trial%–%Johannesen%v.%Ramirez,%(L.A.%Superior%Court,%April%2000 awarded%two%plaintiffs’%verdicts%in%loweimpact%

automobile%collision%case.%%Administrative%Hearing%–%obtained%Railroad%Retirement%Fund%benefits%for%client.%%

%

% Popov%&%McCullogh,%La%Jolla% %Clerk/Associate%11/97%to%4/99%

Public%works/private%sector%construction%law;%real%estate%law,%personal%injury;%and%business%law;%drafting%discovery%and%

correspondence;%trial%preparation;%Trial%–%successfully%defended%plaintiff’s%Small%Claims%Appeal%in%loweimpact%

automobile%collision%case%(San%Diego%Small%Claims%Court%e%El%Cajon)%

%

NOTED%DECISIONS%&%APPELLATE%WORK%

%

% Tyman%v.%Hintz%Concrete,%Inc.,%2005%WL%4978439%–%obtained%summary%judgment%for%Hintz%Concrete;%authored%appellate%

brief;%trial%court%decision%upheld%by%Appellate%Court;%appellate%decision%affirmed%by%Arizona%Supreme%Court%

!

! Alfred%Albano,%et%al.%v.%Shea%Homes%Limited%Partnership,!United!States!Court!of!Appeals!for!the!Ninth!Circuit!Case!No.!

09:15808!–!primary!author!of!all!briefs!and!pleadings.!Presented!Appellants’!oral!argument!on!June!16,!2010!to!the!

Ninth!Circuit.!Questions!certified!by!Ninth!Circuit!to!Arizona!Supreme!Court!Case!No.!CV:11:0006:CQ!–!primary!author!

of!Arizona!Supreme!Court!briefs!and!pleadings.!Presented!Appellant’s!oral!argument!on!May!3,!2011!to!the!Arizona!

Supreme!Court.!Opinion!issued!by!Arizona!Supreme!Court!on!June!30,!2011.!

%

CERTIFICATIONS%

%

Certified%Mediator%–%Completed%Pepperdine%University’s%Straus%Institute%429hour%“Mediating%the%Litigated%

Case”%Program,%Spring%2006%

%

NONeLEGAL%EMPLOYMENT%

%%

% % % H.%G.%Fenton%Inc.,%San%Diego%

% % % Outside%Sales%Representative,%April%1989%through%July%1995%

County9wide%sales%of%concrete,%aggregates%and%soils;%completed%and%submitted%contracts%for%suppling%goods%

and%services%to%the%U.S.%Naval%and%Marine%Corp%bases,%City%of%San%Diego,%and%U.S.%Border%Patrol;%Member%of%

the%American%Concrete%Institute% %active%with%the%Membership%Growth%Committee;%member%of%the%Masonry%

Contractors%Industry%%

%

% % % BARSS%Residential%Care,%Inc.,%Port%Huron,%Michigan%%

Developer/Manager%of%residential%care%facilities%for%seniors%and%the%closed9head%injured,%July%1987%through%

December%1988%(Michigan%Residential%Builders%License%9%inactive%1988)%

% %

% % % Sunland%Housing%Inc.,%San%Diego%

% % % Customer%Service%Representative,%January%1987%through%June%1987%

%

%

% % % Willis%Construction,%Dowagiac,%Michigan%

Foreman,%supervisor,%carpenter%and%laborer% %summer%and%seasonal%employer%1975985;%

% % % %

INNS%OF% % San%Diego%Inns%of%Court%e%

COURT% % % Member%of%Fall%1999%Trial%Advocacy%Program%

% % % % Member%of%Spring%2000%Evidence%Program%

%

% % % American%Inns%of%Court%e%Welsh%Chapter%

% % % % Associate%member%1999%–%2000%

%

AZ%BAR% % Active%member%of%the%Construction%Law%(“CL”)%and%Alternative%Dispute%Resolution%(“ADR”)%sections.%

Presented%Educational%Seminar%on%Stigma%Damages%for%the%CL%section%%in%2006.%%Completed%the%%Appellate%

%

Practice%Institute%(API)%2010%program.

%

COMPUTER%% %

SKILLS% % % Westlaw,%Lexis9Nexis,%WordPerfect,%Windows,%Excel,%Microsoft%Word,%Legal%Master,%Microsoft%Access%

and%Amicus%%

% %%

OTHER%% % Builder:%California%Licensed%Residential%Builder%(inactive%9%#597657);%Michigan%Licensed%Residential%Builder%

(lapsed%9%#210******* High%School%Baseball%Coach:%%Volunteer%Assistant%Baseball%Coach%(Red%Mountain%

High%School Youth%Sports%Coach Red%Mountain,%Mountain%Lions%Baseball%14U%Assistant%Coach)%

presently;%(Arizona%Hurricanes%13U%AA%Club%Baseball%Assistant%Coach)%Winter%&%Spring%2011;%(Junior%

Basketball%Association%(“JBA 2005%9%2009;%Mesa%Youth%Basketball%(“MYB 2010%9%2011;%Red%Mountain%

American%Little%League%(RMALL from%2006%9%2010;%American%Youth%Soccer%Organization%(“AYSO 2005,%

&%2007%9%2009 Golf:%%Member%of%the%Golf%Channel%Amateur%Tour%since%January%2012%(Index%11.5 Member%

of%the%2012%OB%Sports%National%Team%Event%for%Eagle%Mountain%Golf%Club;%member%of%the%2009%OB%Sports%

National%Team%Event%for%Longbow%Golf%Club;%and%Winner%of%the%2008%Longbow%Match%Play%Cup.%%Basketball:%

Participant%in%the%2013%and%2013%Gilbert%Parks%&%Rec’s%leagues;%member%of%the%2008%Tempe%Kiwanis%Men’s%

Basketball%“A”%League%regular%season%championship%team.%%Softball:%%Member%of%2013%Fall%Mesa%Parks%&%

Rec’s%Red%Mountain%B%League%Swingers’%team;%and%Member%of%2012%Spring%Mesa%Parks%&%Rec’s%Riverview%

Men’s%C%League%regular%season%and%season’s9end%tournament%championship%teams%

!

PHILANTHROPY%

%

Affordable%Sports%Inc Principal%and%founder%of%this%non9profit%organization.%%Affordable%Sports,%Inc.%was%

established%to%raise%money%for%kids%who%play%sports.%



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