Jennings Haug Keleher McLeod Waterfall (JKW) is pleased to announce that 32 of the firm’s attorneys were recognized by their peers for their work in in the 2025 edition of Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers® Ones to Watch in America. Additionally, Paul Roshka and Gary Van Luchene earned the honor of being named 2025 Lawyer of the Year in key areas of their practice, which include SEC defense litigation and insurance litigation, respectively.   

Attorneys with the firm’s three regional offices, located in Arizona and New Mexico, earn recognition from their peers for their work in 36 areas of the law.

Best Lawyers® in America and Ones to Watch® lists are annual peer-review rankings for the legal profession.

JKW lawyers in Arizona and New Mexico were recognized by their peers in 36 areas of practice, which include: administrative/regulatory law, antitrust litigation, appellate law, arbitration, bankruptcy and creditor debtor rights, insolvency and reorganization law, Bet-the-Company litigation, business organization, construction law and litigation, commercial litigation, corporate law, energy law, energy regulatory law, environmental law and litigation, family law, government relations, insurance law and litigation, labor and employment litigation, mass tort litigation and class actions, medical malpractice law, Native American law, natural resources law, personal injury litigation (defense and plaintiff counsel), product liability litigation, real estate law and litigation, tax law, trust and estate law and litigation, SEC defense litigation, securities litigation, tax law, and water law. Best Lawyers compiles its lists of outstanding attorneys by conducting exhaustive peer-review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers.



The firm’s 2025 Best Lawyers in America® include:

Mark E. Barker has been listed by Best Lawyers® since 2009. He is recognized for his work in the areas of business organizations, construction law and construction litigation, and for his real estate litigation practice in Arizona.

Thomas Bird has been listed by Best Lawyers® since 2007 and earned Lawyer of the Year recognition in 2024 for his work in Native American law. This year, he is recognized for his work in appellate law, antitrust litigation, Native American law and Natural Resources law in New Mexico.

Joseph Brophy has been recognized by Best Lawyers® for his work in commercial litigation in Arizona and was previously named Ones to Watch by Best Lawyers for several years.

John Browder has been listed by Best Lawyers® since 2024 for his work in real estate law in Arizona.

Ann Conway has been listed by Best Lawyers® since 2024 for her work in insurance law and government relations in New Mexico.

James Csontos has been listed by Best Lawyers® since 2011. He is recognized for his work in commercial litigation as well as construction law and construction litigation in Arizona.

Jack Cunningham has been listed by Best Lawyers® since 2013. He is recognized for his work as defense counsel in personal injury litigation as well as in the areas of insurance law and insurance litigation in Arizona.

Thomas Domme has been listed by Best Lawyers® since 2024 for his work in energy regulatory law in New Mexico.

Jorge Franco has been listed by Best Lawyers® since 2018. He is recognized for his work in insurance litigation, and for his work as plaintiff and defense counsel in personal injury litigation in Arizona.

Benjamin Feuchter has been recognized by Best Lawyers® for his work in personal injury litigation defense in New Mexico.

Karen Gaylord has been listed by Best Lawyers® since 2009. She is recognized for her work in environmental law and litigation as well as for her energy law, energy regulatory law, natural resources law and water law practices in Arizona.

Ronnie P. Hawks has been listed by Best Lawyers® since 2011. He is recognized for his work in environmental law and litigation as well as for his natural resources law and energy law practice in Arizona.

John Kendall has been listed by Best Lawyers® since 2009 for his work in trusts and estate planning law in Arizona.

Deron Knoner has been listed by Best Lawyers® since 2024 for his work in corporate law and real estate law in New Mexico.

Corey Larson has been listed by Best Lawyers® since 2018 for his work in real estate law and real estate litigation as well as for his trust and estate litigation practice in Arizona.

Kim Lough has been listed by Best Lawyers® since 2008. He is recognized for his work in construction law and construction litigation in Arizona.

Cassandra Malone has been listed by Best Lawyers® for her work in commercial litigation in New Mexico. 

Chris Marquez has been recognized by Best Lawyers® for his work in construction litigation in New Mexico.

Brian Myers has been recognized by Best Lawyers® for his work in construction litigation in Arizona.

Sean Olivas has been listed by Best Lawyers® since 2021. He is recognized for his work in labor and employment litigation in New Mexico. 

Paul Roshka has been listed by Best Lawyers® since 2003. He earned the honor of being named a 2025 SEC defense litigation Lawyer of the Year. In addition, Paul is recognized for his work in arbitration, commercial litigation, securities litigation and Bet-the-Company litigation in Arizona.

Edward Rubacha has been listed by Best Lawyers® since 2012. He is recognized for his work in construction law and construction litigation in Arizona.

Chad Schexnayder has been listed by Best Lawyers® since 2010. He is recognized for his work in construction law and construction litigation, as well as in the areas of bankruptcy and creditor/debtor rights, insolvency and reorganization in Arizona.

Laurence Sharlot has been listed by Best Lawyers® since 2022. He is recognized for his work in insurance law and insurance litigation, as well as for his representation of defendants in personal injury litigation and medical malpractice law in Arizona.  

John Sinodis has been listed by Best Lawyers® since 2021. He is recognized for his work in the areas of bankruptcy and creditor/debtor rights, insolvency and reorganization, and commercial litigation in Arizona.

Matthew Sloan has been listed by Best Lawyers® since 2021. He is recognized for his work in commercial litigation as well as in the areas of bankruptcy and creditor/debtor rights, insolvency and reorganization in Arizona. 

Gary Van Luchene has been listed by Best Lawyers® since 2015. He earned the honor of being named a 2025 insurance litigation Lawyer of the Year. In addition, Gary is recognized for his work in commercial litigation and for his work as defense counsel in product liability litigation, mass torts and class actions in New Mexico.

Ryan Walters has been listed by Best Lawyers® since 2024 for his work in commercial litigation in New Mexico.

Blake Whiteman has been listed by Best Lawyers® since 2024 for his work in Family Law in Arizona.

Jill Wiley has been listed by Best Lawyers® since 2013 for her work in trusts and estate planning law in Arizona.

Kurt Wihl has been listed by Best Lawyers® since 2012. He is recognized for his work in New Mexico handling administrative and regulatory law matters, commercial litigation, construction litigation, insurance litigation, trust and estate litigation, as well as for his work as defense counsel in personal injury litigation.

Chad Worthen has been listed by Best Lawyers® since 2021. He is recognized for his work in the areas of corporate law and tax law, as well as trusts and estates law in New Mexico.

Additionally, Best Lawyers® recognizes lawyers who are earlier in their careers for outstanding professional excellence in private practice in the United States as Ones to Watch in America®.

JKW’s attorneys listed the 2025 Ones to Watch in America® include: Julianna Hopper, who was recognized for her work in commercial litigation in New Mexico; R.J. Lamb, who was recognized for his work in commercial litigation and construction law in Arizona; and Alana Porrazzo, who was recognized for her work in construction law and construction litigation in Arizona. 

About Jennings Haug Keleher McLeod Waterfall LLP 

JKW is a full-service litigation and business law firm with extensive trial, litigation management, dispute resolution and complex litigation experience. The firm’s attorneys address a wide range of legal matters for businesses and individuals in the areas of antitrust, attorney regulation and ethics, appellate law, business law and litigation, banking, bankruptcy and creditors’ rights, civil rights and constitutional law, commercial real estate, construction, corporate law, employment, environmental, comprehensive estate planning, trusts, probate and administration services, family law, fidelity and surety, government relations and lobbying, insurance defense and coverage, medical and professional malpractice, municipal law, personal injury, energy regulatory matters and tribal law, as well as alternative dispute resolution. JKW has offices in Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona and Albuquerque, New Mexico to serve clients in the Southwest and throughout the United States.