A NOTE TO READERS. This profile was researched and written independently by Awesome Attorneys’ editorial team. Southwest Trial Lawyers 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 | Southwest Trial Lawyers |
| Offices | Phoenix and Flagstaff |
| Chief Litigation Counsel | D. Reid Garrey — Stetson University College of Law (J.D., 1983, third in his class), on academic scholarship |
| Managing attorney | Tom McCarty, former major crimes prosecutor, Maricopa County |
| Certification | D. Reid Garrey: Certified Specialist, Injury and Wrongful Death Litigation, State Bar of Arizona, since 1995 |
| Practice focus | Catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death, exclusively plaintiff-side for the past several years |
| Reported recoveries | Over $100 million in verdicts and settlements, per the firm |
| Contact | southwesttriallawyers.com |
A Former Insurance-Defense Attorney Who Helped Rewrite the State’s Certification Rules
Reid Garrey has practiced law in Arizona for more than 40 years since graduating third in his class from Stetson University College of Law in 1983. His career, like several others documented in this series, began on the defense side: for more than three decades he was a partner at Garrey, Woner, Hoffmaster & Peshek, P.C., a Scottsdale firm that practiced both plaintiffs’ personal injury and insurance defense. In June 2021, Garrey and partner Erin Evans branched off specifically to focus on wrongful death and catastrophic personal injury exclusively for plaintiffs, and for the past several years Garrey has dedicated his practice entirely to representing injured plaintiffs.
Garrey has been a State Bar of Arizona Certified Specialist in Injury and Wrongful Death Litigation for over 30 years and served on the State Bar’s Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Advisory Commission for eight years, five of them as co-chair — a role in which he helped rewrite the rules and criteria for certification in the field he now practices. He was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers in 2004 and later served as State Chair of the Arizona Chapter of that invitation-only organization, limited to the top one percent of American trial lawyers.
Practice Areas
The firm concentrates on severe personal injury and wrongful death cases, deliberately maintaining what it describes as a selective caseload rather than operating as a high-volume practice, in order to fully prepare each case for trial. Garrey has represented hundreds of plaintiffs (and, earlier in his career, defendants) across personal injury, product liability, medical malpractice, premises security, and commercial litigation matters, with over 100 jury trials to his name.
Track Record
The firm reports having recovered over $100 million in verdicts and settlements for clients. Awesome Attorneys did not locate an itemized ledger with individual case dollar figures as of the research date.
ABOUT THESE RESULTS. The cumulative figure is drawn from the firm’s own published materials and has not been independently confirmed. 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
Awesome Attorneys did not locate detailed, individually attributable client reviews for this firm on major consumer platforms as of the research date. A peer endorsement on Avvo, from someone who has known Garrey for nearly 20 years, describes him as “extremely experienced, intelligent and charismatic” and “an excellent trial attorney and a formidable adversary.”
Beyond the Courtroom
Garrey has been a presenter for numerous continuing legal education programs and a faculty member and instructor at the State Bar of Arizona’s Trial College. He has also been a guest lecturer in trial practice at ASU’s Sandra Day O’Connor School of Law and has mentored students interested in learning to try lawsuits.
Recognition
Garrey has held Martindale-Hubbell’s highest AV rating for more than 20 years. His Certified Specialist designation in Injury and Wrongful Death Litigation, held for over 30 years, and his American College of Trial Lawyers membership (including a term as Arizona State Chair) are among the strongest peer-reviewed credentials this series tracks. He is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates.
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 |
The Awesome Attorneys Assessment
Reid Garrey’s role helping rewrite the actual certification standards for Arizona’s personal injury and wrongful death specialty, combined with 40-plus years of trial experience, ACTL membership, and a deliberately selective caseload, make this one of the more institutionally significant credentials in this series. Managing attorney Tom McCarty’s background as a former major crimes prosecutor adds a distinct courtroom perspective to the team.
The honest caveat: like several other attorneys profiled in this series, Garrey’s career included decades of insurance defense work at his prior firm before his practice became exclusively plaintiff-side; that history is disclosed directly here rather than omitted. Awesome Attorneys also could not locate an itemized results ledger or a deep bench of client reviews.
Methodology & Sourcing
This profile was researched using southwesttriallawyers.com (firm site), AZ Big Media’s coverage of the 2021 Evans Garrey launch, Avvo, Martindale-Hubbell, and Justia. 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.