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Ogletree Deakins’ Phoenix office is Arizona’s largest employment law practice, representing employers exclusively, with a Best Lawyers “Law Firm of the Year” streak spanning 14 consecutive years.
A NOTE TO READERS. This profile was researched and written independently by Awesome Attorneys’ editorial team. Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. did not pay for, request, or review this article prior to publication, and placement on Awesome Attorneys’ editorial pages cannot be purchased. Nothing in this article is legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney–client relationship. Past results do not guarantee, warrant, or predict the outcome of any future case.
At a Glance
| Firm | Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. |
| Phoenix Office Opened | 2005 |
| Phoenix Office Size | Arizona’s largest employment law practice (29+ attorneys as of 2025) |
| Office Managing Shareholder | Nonnie Shivers |
| Representation | Employers exclusively, disclosed explicitly |
| Recognition | Best Law Firms “Law Firm of the Year,” Litigation – Labor and Employment, 14 consecutive years; Chambers USA-ranked |
| Focus | Wrongful discharge, employment discrimination, wage-and-hour compliance and litigation, restrictive covenants, trade secrets, ERISA, business immigration, workplace safety |
| Office | 2415 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix, AZ |
| Contact | ogletree.com |
Sources: ogletree.com, Chambers USA, Super Lawyers’ hosted directory. Compiled August 2026.
Origin
Ogletree Deakins Phoenix: From Six Founding Shareholders to the State’s Largest Employment Practice
Ogletree Deakins opened its Phoenix office in June 2005, when Joseph T. Clees, Michael D. Guinan, Pavneet S. Uppal, L. Eric Dowell, Tracy A. Miller, and James T. Tucker — all formerly of Bryan Cave LLP — became founding shareholders. Clees had already been ranked among Chambers USA’s top Arizona labor and employment attorneys for three consecutive years at the time of the move. Two decades later, the Phoenix office has grown into what the firm describes as Arizona’s largest employment law practice, adding shareholder Sarah Humble as its 29th attorney in March 2025.
Practice
Management-Side Employment Law at National Firm Scale
Ogletree Deakins represents employers exclusively — disclosed explicitly here for readers comparing this practice against employee-side firms elsewhere in this category. The firm’s employment lawyers handle the full range of workplace law, including matters arising under Title VII, the Equal Pay Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and the WARN Act, plus trade secret and restrictive covenant litigation. The Phoenix office’s practice is complemented by the firm’s national business immigration, employee benefits, occupational safety and health, and construction law groups. Named Phoenix shareholder Leah Freed has practiced management-side labor and employment law exclusively throughout her career and was named the Best Lawyers 2021 “Lawyer of the Year” in Litigation – Labor and Employment for Phoenix.
Track Record
Awesome Attorneys did not identify an independent, itemized case-results table for the Phoenix office specifically, which is typical for employment defense work given the confidential nature of most settlements and internal investigations.
Past-Results Disclaimer: Every case is different, and no past result guarantees a similar outcome in any future matter.
Client Voice
Awesome Attorneys did not identify a substantial volume of independently sourced, individually attributable client reviews for the Phoenix office, consistent with a practice serving institutional employer clients rather than individual consumers.
Community
Firm materials describe premier client service, outlined in the firm’s Client Pledge, as a core operating value; Awesome Attorneys did not independently verify specific Phoenix-office community or pro bono initiatives beyond this general firm-wide statement.
Recognition
Chambers USA independently ranks Ogletree Deakins’ Arizona labor and employment practice, describing it as market-leading with a full-service offering covering both noncontentious and contentious matters, including complex or high-stakes reputational issues, and a particularly substantial traditional labor law capability. Best Law Firms has named Ogletree Deakins its “Law Firm of the Year” in Litigation – Labor and Employment Law for 14 consecutive years, including the 2025 edition. Leah Freed’s 2021 Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year” designation for Phoenix is a peer-review honor reserved for one attorney per city, per practice area, per year.
The Arizona Legal Backdrop
What follows is general legal information, not legal advice.
Arizona is an at-will employment state under the Arizona Employment Protection Act, A.R.S. § 23-1501, though federal and state anti-discrimination and wage laws layer significant exceptions on top of that default rule. Wage-and-hour compliance, a named focus, intersects with both the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and Arizona’s own minimum wage statute, A.R.S. § 23-363. Workplace safety matters proceed under federal OSHA standards and Arizona’s state-plan OSHA program administered by the Industrial Commission of Arizona.
The Awesome Attorneys Assessment
Ogletree Deakins Phoenix’s clearest differentiator is scale and specialization combined: Arizona’s largest dedicated employment law practice, backed by a national firm’s resources, with Chambers USA and sustained Best Lawyers “Law Firm of the Year” recognition documenting genuine market leadership rather than a marketing claim.
The honest trade-off: the firm represents employers exclusively, so individual employees seeking representation against an employer should look to the employee-side firms elsewhere in this category, and as a large national firm, fee structures and matter minimums likely reflect institutional-client scale rather than a small-business or individual budget.
Methodology & Sourcing
This profile was researched in August 2026 from ogletree.com, Chambers USA, and Super Lawyers’ hosted directory. Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. did not commission, review, or pay for this profile.
Publisher Disclosure & Independence Notice
This profile is an independent editorial article published by Awesome Attorneys. Awesome Attorneys does not endorse, recommend, or warrant any lawyer or law firm profiled on this site, and inclusion in this series is not paid placement.