Arizona Capitol Times Recognizes Andy Gaona for Statewide Impact on Political Law Landscape

Partner Andy Gaona has been honored for his outstanding work in election and political law, earning the title of Best Capitol/Political Lawyer at the 2025 Best of the Capitol Awards. Presented by Arizona Capitol Times, the annual event celebrates standout individuals and organizations shaping the local legislative environment. A trusted legal strategist in some of the state’s most high-profile cases, Andy recently spent two years working with major abortion rights groups to enshrine abortion protections into the Arizona Constitution through the Arizona Abortion Access Act. This effort drew widespread attention following the Arizona Supreme Court’s opinion in Planned Parenthood v. Mayes, where Andy represented Planned Parenthood and presented oral arguments on its behalf. In addition to his litigation practice, Andy serves as Governor Katie Hobbs’ go-to outside...

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Senior HHS Attorney Joins Coppersmith Brockelman to Expand National Data Practice

Coppersmith Brockelman is pleased to welcome Amita Sanghvi to its Data Privacy, Security, Interoperability, and Governance practice group, significantly enhancing the firm’s national presence in health law. Amita brings robust experience from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of General Counsel, where she served as senior counsel on complex and high-stakes cases regarding health care privacy and cybersecurity policy development, enforcement, and litigation initiatives. While at HHS, Amita also provided strategic legal counsel on HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules, counseling the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in regulation and guidance development, and federal investigations into data breaches and unauthorized disclosure of protected health information. In addition to her government service, Amita draws on private practice experience advising health care providers, clinical...

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Mel Soliz Outlines Best Practices for Legal Advisors Supporting Health Care Organizations with AI Implementation

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into health care, those legally advising the adoption of this new tool must be prepared to navigate the rapidly changing and complex regulatory landscape. During a recent presentation to the Arizona Society of Healthcare Attorneys (AzSHA), Partner Mel Soliz detailed the legal issues and implementation best practices attorneys should follow when advising health care organizations on the use of common AI solutions, such as AI scribes and AI-powered clinical decision support and medical utilization/prior authorization software. A nationally recognized attorney in health data privacy and interoperability, Mel works with organizations to design, build, implement, and use artificial intelligence solutions. Learn more about Mel Soliz....

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Votebeat Taps Andy Gaona to Share Insight on Cochise County Election Dispute Settlement

Partner Andy Gaona offered his legal perspective in a recent Votebeat article examining a controversial settlement that raises important questions for elections statewide. The case centers around a 2023 Cochise County all-mail election for a proposed tax to fund a new jail — now invalidated after a legal challenge revealed the county failed to send ballots to more than 11,000 inactive voters. The settlement at issue halts the tax’s collection until a new election can be held in November and awards $130,000 in attorneys’ fees to the plaintiff. Andy noted the settlement is troubling, not just because of the payout to the plaintiff, but also because the judge refused to allow Secretary of State Adrian Fontes to challenge it and the parties’ agreement to invalidate the results...

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KJZZ Turns to Andy Gaona for Insight on Chandler Mayoral Eligibility Dispute

A complaint filed recently in Maricopa County Superior Court has sparked questions about whether Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke was ever eligible to run for that office, citing language in the city’s charter that arguably could have prevented him from being elected. KJZZ Phoenix interviewed election law expert and Partner Andy Gaona to break down the legal complexities of the situation while detailing what this could mean for the City of Chandler. Andy explained that under Chandler’s charter, anyone who has served two consecutive terms — regardless of whether on the City Council or as Mayor — is ineligible to hold office again until a four-year break has passed. Despite this rule, Hartke ran for Mayor in 2018 after serving two terms on the Council. He went...

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Chambers USA Recognizes Coppersmith Brockelman in 2025 Legal Rankings

Chambers USA, the world’s leading legal data and analytics provider, has recognized 10 of our 21 lawyers in its 2025 legal guide. The firm also achieved a new national distinction in Privacy & Data Security: Healthcare, underscoring the team’s extensive expertise in this complex and rapidly developing sector of law. Among the individual honors is a first-time Arizona ranking for Andy Gaona in appellate litigation. Coppersmith Brockelman also earned repeat recognition in Arizona for three key practice areas: Labor & Employment, Litigation: General Commercial, and Healthcare. 2025 Chambers USA nationally recognized attorneys: Kristen Rosati, Privacy & Data Security: Healthcare Mel Soliz, Privacy & Data Security: Healthcare Attorneys recognized for their expertise in Arizona: Keith Beauchamp, Litigation: General Commercial Kent Brockelman, Labor & Employment Jill Chasson, Labor & Employment ...

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