Attorney Andy Gaona

Andy Gaona Argues High-Profile Abortion Case for Planned Parenthood Arizona Before Arizona Supreme Court

In a high-stakes case that will determine the future of access to abortion in Arizona, attorney Andy Gaona represented Planned Parenthood Arizona in an oral argument before the Arizona Supreme Court this week. The question before the court is which of two abortion laws controls in Arizona – a law first enacted during the Civil War that bans nearly all abortions, or one enacted just last year under which physicians can provide abortion care through 15 weeks. Last December, the Arizona Court of Appeals held that the more recent law controls, and that physicians can’t be prosecuted under the pre-statehood law. On Planned Parenthood’s behalf, Andy urged the Arizona Supreme Court to affirm that ruling.     The Arizona Supreme Court will decide the case sometime in...

Read MoreRead More
Attorney Andy Gaona

Andy Gaona Honored Among Arizona Capitol Times’ 2023 Leaders of the Year

When the Arizona Capitol Times named its 2023 Leaders of the Year, Andy Gaona was among the statewide leaders recognized for their contributions to Arizona's growth and quality of life. Honored in the Public Service category, Andy was selected for his role in defending democracy against the unprecedented attacks it faced over the past two election cycles. This is the second consecutive year that the Arizona Capitol Times has recognized Andy as one of its Leaders of the Year. "Those of us who work with Andy on a daily basis know his first-rate legal expertise, advocacy skills, and commitment to democracy in our state. We're very proud that the Arizona Capitol Times continues to recognize Andy for his leadership and public service in these areas," said...

Read MoreRead More

Best Lawyers® Recognizes 15 Coppersmith Brockelman Attorneys and 2 Lawyers of the Year

Best Lawyers® has not only recognized 15 of our 22 attorneys for exceptional work in 17 categories, but also named Kent Brockelman “Lawyer of the Year” in Litigation — Labor & Employment and Andy Gordon “Lawyer of the Year” in Litigation — Health Care and Litigation — Antitrust. The Best Lawyers in America© is the longest-running peer-review publication in the legal profession. Each year, Best Lawyers conducts comprehensive surveys of tens of thousands of lawyers who confidentially evaluate their professional peers. Based on the results of these surveys, the publication designates the year’s leading lawyers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The Coppersmith Brockelman attorneys recognized in the 2024 edition are: 2024 Best Lawyers Michael Aguirre: Corporate Law (2024) Keith Beauchamp: Bet-the-Company Litigation (2024),...

Read MoreRead More
Attorney Andy Gaona

Washington Post Taps Andy Gaona for Insights into 2024 Arizona Abortion Ballot Measure

Major abortion rights groups are launching a bid to enshrine abortion protections into the Arizona Constitution through a voter initiative that would appear on the ballot in 2024. Andy Gaona, head of Coppersmith Brockelman’s nationally recognized elections, political, and public law practice and attorney representing the abortion rights effort, was called on by the Washington Post for commentary on this historic effort. Andy told the Washington Post that initiatives are a fundamental part of Arizona’s history, and that this recent effort fits squarely within the initiative power’s use when elected representatives fail to respond to their constituents. Indeed, a ballot measure approved shortly after statehood secured women’s suffrage rights. An experienced political, election, and constitutional law attorney, Andy has played a critical role in the practice’s biggest...

Read MoreRead More
Attorney Andy Gaona

Arizona Supreme Court Appoints Election Practice Leader Andy Gaona to Judicial Performance Review Task Force

With a deep-seated commitment to championing transparency in public processes and maintaining the integrity of elections,  Andy Gaona – head of Coppersmith Brockelman’s nationally recognized elections, political, and public law practice – was named to the Arizona Supreme Court Task Force overseeing reforms to the Judicial Performance Review system. Appointed by Chief Justice Robert M. Brutinel of the Arizona Supreme Court, Andy is one of 21 members called to develop recommendations to expand and improve the judicial performance review process, which currently evaluates the performance of all judges and justices who stand for retention. Andy is one of only three practicing attorneys appointed to the Task Force, and will join current and retired judges and others in helping the Arizona Supreme Court with this important task. He...

Read MoreRead More
Attorney Andy Gaona

Andy Gaona Leads Coppersmith Brockelman’s Political & Election Practice as Roopali Desai Exits for Ninth Circuit Judgeship

With Roopali Desai leaving to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Coppersmith Brockelman not only congratulates her on the appointment, but also announces that Andy Gaona will take up the mantle of the firm’s nationally recognized elections, political, and public law practice she helped build and ensure its important work continues and expands throughout Arizona. In her 15 years at Coppersmith Brockelman, Desai focused on defending election challenges, ensuring compliance with campaign finance laws and representing a variety of initiative and candidate campaigns. Most recently, she prevailed in 11 lawsuits related to Arizona’s 2020 General Election and successfully represented two statewide initiative campaigns. Additionally, she helped the firm's business clients resolve a variety of disputes. “President Biden and the U.S. Senate...

Read MoreRead More