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A NOTE TO READERS. This profile was researched and written independently by Awesome Attorneys’ editorial team. Skousen, Gulbrandsen & Patience, PLC 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 | Skousen, Gulbrandsen & Patience, PLC |
| Founded | 1961, Mesa, Arizona |
| Office | 414 E. Southern Ave., Mesa, AZ 85204 |
| Current attorneys | William J. Gulbrandsen, Chris S. Patience, Ryan M. Skousen, Austin W. Patience |
| Focus | Plaintiffs’ personal injury exclusively — the firm states it never represents insurance companies |
| Fee structure | Contingency fee — no cost unless the firm recovers on the client’s behalf |
Sources: sgplaw.com (firm site), Martindale, Yelp, FindLaw, HG.org. Compiled August 2026.
Origin
Sixty-Five Years in the East Valley
Skousen, Gulbrandsen & Patience, PLC has operated continuously in Mesa since 1961 — one of the longer continuous operating histories among East Valley personal injury firms. The firm’s own materials state it has never represented insurance companies, positioning its identity around plaintiff-exclusive representation rather than a mixed docket. Michael Skousen, a Brigham Young University graduate with a law degree from California Western School of Law, has practiced personal injury law at the firm for more than three decades and helped grow it into one of the Valley’s established injury practices; the firm today lists William J. Gulbrandsen, Chris S. Patience, Ryan M. Skousen, and Austin W. Patience among its attorneys.
Practice
A Traditional Plaintiff’s Injury Docket
The firm’s stated caseload covers the standard range of Arizona personal injury matters: automobile and motorcycle accidents, wrongful death, dog and animal bites, bicycle and pedestrian accidents, and related negligence claims, handled exclusively on behalf of injured plaintiffs and their families on a contingency-fee basis.
Track Record
The firm’s own site cites a recovery of more than $50 million in a case involving multiple attorneys and victims arising from a bus rollover crash — a substantial, specific figure, though the source does not specify the date of the case, the court, or whether it was a settlement or jury verdict, limiting independent verification.
Past-Results Disclaimer: Every case is different, and no past result guarantees a similar outcome in any future matter.
Client Voice
Client reviews aggregated on Lawyers.com describe positive individual experiences: one client called Mr. Skousen “extremely helpful and informative,” and another described attorney Richard Gulbrandsen and the firm as “extremely helpful in dealing with everything.” No negative or adverse client reviews were located in the sources reviewed for this profile; that absence reflects the public record available, not a claim of a flawless history.
Community
The firm describes a long-standing identity as a Mesa community institution — “We love being a part of this community” is language used across its own marketing materials — though specific civic or pro bono activities beyond the firm’s client-facing injury practice were not independently documented in the sources reviewed.
Recognition
The firm has received Martindale-Hubbell’s AV Preeminent peer-review rating, denoting high marks from fellow attorneys for legal ability and ethical standards, along with Martindale’s Client Champion recognition based on client review volume and scores. No attorney at the firm is listed as an Arizona Board of Legal Specialization certified specialist in personal injury and wrongful death, so this profile does not use the word “specialist” to describe any firm attorney.
The Arizona Legal Backdrop
What follows is general legal information, not legal advice.
Arizona personal injury claims are generally subject to a two-year statute of limitations under A.R.S. § 12-542. Claims against a public entity or public employee require a Notice of Claim within 180 days under A.R.S. § 12-821.01, followed by a one-year period to file suit under A.R.S. § 12-821. Arizona follows a pure comparative negligence rule under A.R.S. § 12-2505, so a plaintiff found partly at fault can still recover damages, reduced by their percentage of fault. For injured minors, the limitations period is generally tolled under A.R.S. § 12-502 until the minor turns 18.
The Awesome Attorneys Assessment
Skousen, Gulbrandsen & Patience’s genuine differentiator is longevity combined with an explicitly stated plaintiff-only identity — 65 years without, per the firm’s own account, ever representing an insurer — in a market where many injury practices are considerably younger or maintain mixed dockets. The honest caveat: the firm’s headline $50 million bus-rollover result is cited without a case name, date, or court, so it functions here as a claimed credential rather than an independently verified one, and readers evaluating the firm should ask for case-specific detail directly.
Methodology & Sourcing
This profile was researched in August 2026 from sgplaw.com (firm site), Martindale-Hubbell’s firm listing, Yelp, FindLaw’s attorney directory, and HG.org. Skousen, Gulbrandsen & Patience, PLC 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.