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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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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Coppersmith Brockelman Sponsors ACLPI Annual Fundraiser, Bolstering Organization’s Mission to Protect Arizonans’ Legal Rights

Demonstrating the firm’s ongoing commitment to advancing civil and legal rights across the state, Coppersmith Brockelman sponsored the Arizona Center for Law in the Public Interest’s (ACLPI) annual Spring Celebration. For more than 50 years, the nonprofit law firm has been dedicated to protecting the fundamental freedoms of Arizonans, focusing on cases that have far-reaching social, environmental, and public health implications. In addition to Coppersmith Brockelman’s financial support of ACLPI, the firm also often partners with ACLPI to represent clients on high-profile and high-impact litigation, furthering ACLPI’s mission. Held at the historic Desert Botanical Garden, the event is ACLPI’s largest fundraiser of the year, bringing together community leaders and supporters to celebrate the organization’s impact and vision for the future. This year’s event featured former Maricopa...

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Andy Gaona Provides Election Law Insight to Local Government Attorneys at National Conference

At the International Municipal Lawyers Association’s (IMLA) annual conference in Orlando, Andy Gaona recently contributed his election law expertise as part of a panel titled “Election Law in the Era of Hyperpartisanship.” Andy joined three other election law experts from around the nation to discuss the evolving legal landscape as the country gears up for the 2024 election. Drawing from firsthand experience representing the Arizona Secretary of State during both the 2020 and 2022 election cycles, Andy shared important lessons learned from those fiercely contested (and fiercely litigated) elections. He provided attendees with valuable insight into what he’s seen before, and what he expects for what lies ahead with another presidential election on the horizon. An experienced political, election, and constitutional law attorney, Andy has played a...

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