A NOTE TO READERS. This profile was researched and written independently by Awesome Attorneys’ editorial team. Rudolph & Hammond 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 | Rudolph & Hammond, LLC |
| Office | 8689 E. San Alberto Dr., Scottsdale, AZ |
| Founding member | Paul Rudolph |
| Partners | Kent Hammond — Drake University School of Law (J.D. with honors, 1993); Kurt Hammond |
| Certification | Kent Hammond: Certified Specialist, Personal Injury and Wrongful Death, State Bar of Arizona, since 2021 |
| Practice focus | Medical malpractice, insurance bad faith, and personal injury, with a stated special interest in wrongful death cases |
| Professional service | Kent Hammond: Past President and Board Member, Rotary Club of Scottsdale; Board Member, Arizona Amateur Hockey Association |
| Contact | rudolphhammond.com · (480) 951-9700 |
Brothers Who Both Started on the Defense Side
Kent Hammond graduated with honors from Drake University School of Law in 1993 and began his legal career as an insurance defense attorney. In 2001, finding the defense work unfulfilling, he joined Paul Rudolph at what was then Rudolph & Rudolph, LLC, moving to representing injured people directly. His brother Kurt Hammond followed a similar arc from the opposite direction: after 20 years as a partner at a Chicago-based firm doing primarily insurance defense work, he became an independent plaintiff’s lawyer and joined Rudolph & Hammond, bringing a particular focus on pursuing bad-faith claims against insurers.
The firm describes this shared defense-side background directly as an operational advantage rather than something to downplay: “we know their tactics… we have their playbook and can predict their actions.” Kent Hammond became a Certified Specialist in Personal Injury and Wrongful Death in 2021, a designation the firm notes is held by fewer than 2 percent of Arizona attorneys.
Practice Areas
The firm’s docket centers on medical malpractice and motor vehicle accident cases, with Kurt Hammond’s insurance bad-faith practice as a distinct specialty within the firm. Kent Hammond has represented hundreds of seriously injured clients over more than two decades and describes a particular interest in wrongful death matters.
Track Record
Awesome Attorneys did not locate a published, itemized verdicts-and-settlements ledger with individual case dollar figures for this firm as of the research date. One case Kent Hammond describes publicly involved the wrongful death of a young man in the Grand Canyon, resolved at mediation with both a financial recovery for the family and a direct apology from the defendants — a resolution he says helped the family “heal emotionally” beyond the monetary outcome.
ABOUT THESE RESULTS. Case descriptions above are drawn from the firm’s own published materials. Past results do not guarantee, warrant, or predict the outcome of any future case; every matter turns on its own facts and law.
In Clients’ Words
Client testimonials on the firm’s site are specific and detailed. One client, rear-ended and left permanently disabled, described being turned away by other attorneys before Kent Hammond took the case despite acknowledging it might be a “lost cause,” and ultimately secured a settlement after establishing that the other driver did in fact have coverage. Another wrote that Hammond and his team “fought for his rights, eased some of the pain, got his medical bills covered as well as his rental car,” and recovered damages for a son injured in a car accident. A third called the firm “transparent” and free of any sense of being “shady.”
Beyond the Courtroom
Kent Hammond is a Past President and Board Member of the Rotary Club of Scottsdale and a Board Member of the Arizona Amateur Hockey Association.
Recognition
Kent Hammond’s Certified Specialist designation in Personal Injury and Wrongful Death from the State Bar of Arizona is the strongest peer-reviewed credential this series tracks. His professional memberships include the American Board of Trial Advocates, the American Association for Justice, the Arizona Trial Lawyers Association, and the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
Arizona Legal Backdrop
| A.R.S. § 12-542 | Two-year statute of limitations for personal injury and wrongful death claims |
| A.R.S. § 12-821.01 | 180-day notice of claim requirement before suing a public entity or employee |
| A.R.S. § 12-821 | One-year statute of limitations for suits against public entities |
| A.R.S. § 12-2505 | Arizona’s pure comparative negligence rule |
| A.R.S. § 12-502 | Tolling of limitations periods for minors and persons under a legal disability |
Kurt Hammond’s insurance bad-faith practice operates under a distinct legal theory: Arizona recognizes a separate tort when an insurer unreasonably denies, delays, or investigates a valid claim, independent of and in addition to the underlying personal injury claim itself.
The Awesome Attorneys Assessment
Rudolph & Hammond’s two brothers both bring genuine insurance-defense backgrounds to their current plaintiff-side work, a combination the firm discloses openly rather than treating as incidental. Kent Hammond’s certification, professional memberships, and detailed, specific client testimonials support a credible mid-size practice.
The honest caveat: Awesome Attorneys could not locate an itemized results ledger with case-specific dollar figures, and most of the detailed track-record narrative available comes from the firm’s own published case descriptions rather than independently verified court records.
Methodology & Sourcing
This profile was researched using rudolphhammond.com (firm site, attorney biographies for Kent Hammond and Kurt Hammond, testimonials page), Super Lawyers, and Law Leaders. All statutory citations were checked against the Arizona Revised Statutes as published by the Arizona State Legislature. No compensation was sought or received from the firm, and the firm was not contacted prior to publication of 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. “Awesome Attorneys” is a brand name only; it is not a rating, ranking, or claim that any profiled firm is superior in any legal category. Awesome Attorneys maintains a separate attorney directory; only listings there marked “Sponsored” or “Ad” reflect a paid relationship. Facts in this profile are current only as of the research date and are subject to change; readers should confirm any detail directly with the firm.