Announcements: Professional & Personal Achievement

February 3, 2026

RILEY L. ARTER received her CAP designation (Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy) after an 8-month program. The CAP designation emphasizes the intersection of charitable planning and estate planning to assist clients with charitable donations during life and at death.

LANCE R. BROBERG, as the President of the Arizona Bar Foundation, opened the 2025 Award Ceremony with remarks on the importance of the theme, “Expanding Access, Ensuring Justice.”

ASHLEY L. CASE has been elected by the Board of Regents of The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) as a Fellow of the College. ACTEC is an organization of trust and estate lawyers and law professors who have been elected by their peers in recognition of having made outstanding contributions to the practice of trust and estate law. Ashley and Phoebe Moffatt of Sacks Tierney, P.A., both Certified Specialists in Estate & Trust Law, presented before the East Valley Estate Planning Council on the potential sunset of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and estate planning strategies for clients on February 19, 2025. Ashley presented her continuing legal education course, “Look What You Made Me Do: A Checklist for Post-Mortem Tax Planning (Taylor’s Version),” providing practical insights for managing tax obligations after a decedent’s passing, at the FSP Institute for the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors in Nashville, Tennessee, for the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils Robert G. Alexander Webinar Series, and for the State Bar of Arizona’s 2025 Advanced Issues in Probate, Trust Law, and Estate Planning Litigation annual seminar.

ASHLEY L. CASE and RILEY L. ARTER presented “Anatomy of an Informed Decision: Dissecting Client Organ Donation” for the Arizona State Bar. The presentation covers the reality of the organ donation process in Arizona and focuses on dispelling myths about the organ donation process.

CLAUDIA L. GRAJEDA presented on a panel at Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law discussing the On-Campus Interview process. Law students were able to ask questions about resumes, interviews, and work experience. The panel also included associates from other major firms. Claudia was an estate planning guest speaker for an event called “Transitioning to Adulthood: Supporting Parents of Teens with Disabilities” on November 6, 2024 at the Sheraton Grand Wild Horse Pass. She spoke about the importance of estate planning and special needs trusts. Approximately 50 guests were present, with the audience primarily composed of parents of teens with disabilities.

ALISA J. GRAY will be one of the faculty members at the Mindfulness In Law Society 2025 Conference & Retreat in San Francisco and Marin County, California. The 3-day conference, “Mindfulness for Legal Professionals: Rest, Recalibrate, and Reconnect,” will provide attendees with the opportunity to learn tools and practices to meet professional and personal challenges with greater clarity, resilience, and compassion. MILS is a 501(c)(3) organization, with members from across the country and around the world, with a mission to enhance well-being in the legal profession by educating it about the benefits of mindfulness meditation, yoga, and other contemplative practices.

Tiffany & Bosco was a featured sponsor at Mindfulness First’s “Mindful Future Gala” on October 26, 2024. The event was held at the Phoenix Zoo’s Stonehouse Pavilion. ALISA J. GRAY, a member of the Mindfulness First Board, and JAMES A. FASSOLD, attended along with several Tiffany & Bosco clients and friends. Mindfulness First provides mental health and wellbeing training in K-12 schools for students, faculty, and staff.

VANESSA R. HEIM and NORA L. JONES presented at the State Bar of Arizona’s annual CLE by the Sea that took place July 7-10, 2025 in Coronado, California. Vanessa and Nora presented on probate essentials, and Nora presented on litigating financial exploitation claims.

NORA L. JONES was appointed as President-Elect for the Board of Directors of Arizona’s Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). NAELA is a professional association of attorneys dedicated to improving the quality of legal services provided to older adults and people with disabilities. Nora was also appointed as Chair of the Estate and Trust Advisory Commission for the State Bar of Arizona for the 2024 to 2026 term. The Commission seeks to advance and strengthen the practice of Estates and Trusts throughout the State of Arizona, administering the specialization program under the guidance of the Board of Legal Specialization.

On January 31, 2025, NORA L. JONES and KRYSTA C. FURNELL presented to the Maricopa County Bar Association on how to represent and protect trustees in litigated matters. Their one-hour CLE, “You had one job!: Protecting Trustees from Litigation and Liability,” explored the various duties trustees owe to the beneficiaries of the trusts they are administering and the actions trustees can take to avoid litigation.

On February 21, 2025, NORA L. JONES, VANESSA R. HEIM, and KRYSTA C. FURNELL were honored to present to the Maricopa County Bar Association as part of the annual Estate Planning, Probate & Trust Fundamental program whereby each Friday in the month of February, probate practitioners in our community present about the basics of various aspects of estate administration. Their CLE presentation, “EPPT Fundamentals III: Basic Probate Proceedings,” invited practitioners into the wizarding world of Harry Potter to provide insight into the options for transitioning assets through both the informal and formal probate process, while sharing tips and tricks on how to navigate the court system to bring finality to estate administrations in an efficient manner.

MAY LU is the successor co-author of the Arizona Limited Liability Company Forms and Practice Manual, originally authored by Richard C. Onsager. On January 24, 2025, May co-chaired and co-presented with Matthew Engle, Jillian Bauman, and Scott Clouse, CPA an encore presentation of “Anatomy of an Operating Agreement” for the Arizona State Bar. This 3-hour CLE program provided an overview of the categories of information usually included in an operating agreement and the default rules in the LLC Act.

CM MATTHEW LUK was selected to serve on the State Bar of Arizona’s Civil Practice and Procedure Committee for a three-year term.

KEVIN P. NELSON authored the article, “The Law of Changed Circumstances,” published in the May 2025 edition of Laches, the Oakland County (Michigan) Bar Association publication. The article explores how equitable principles can be applied to modify or remove contractual and legal restrictions on real estate. Additionally, Kevin presented at the National Business Institute’s May 6, 2025 webinar, “Arizona Real Property Law: Understanding Title, Transfers, and Encumbrances.” His session covered critical real estate topics, including land boundaries, surveys, easements, and the complexities of voluntary and involuntary title transfers.

On April 24, 2025, JAMES P. O’SULLIVAN and MAY LU presented on a panel at the American Bar Association Business Law Section’s Spring Conference to introduce the Model Short Form Stock Purchase Agreement.

AMY D. SELLS is the Chair of the State Bar of Arizona’s Appellate Practice Section for the 2025- 2026 term. On behalf of the Appellate Practice Section, Amy chaired and moderated a CLE at the annual State Bar Convention entitled, “Trading Places: Lessons Learned After Leaving the Bench to Return to Private Practice,” with panelists Justice Andy Gould (ret.), Judge Peter Swann (ret.), Judge Pat Irvine (ret.), and Judge James Smith (ret.).

The TIFFANY & BOSCO FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT is a recipient of the 2024 USFN Award of Excellence. This achievement is reserved for law firms demonstrating excellence in the legal community, involvement in philanthropic events, and providing significant contributions to the mortgage banking industry. Our firm has earned this prestigious recognition every year since the award’s inception in 1993.

‘Super’ Achievement

Super Lawyers^®, a listing of outstanding attorneys who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement, selected the following attorneys for 2025: Mark S. Bosco, Banking, Real Estate; David L. Case, Estate Planning & Probate; Alisa J. Gray, Estate & Trust Litigation; Christopher R. Kaup, Bankruptcy-Business; May Lu, Mergers & Acquisitions; Robert D. Mitchell, Business Litigation; and Robert A. Royal, Business Litigation, Closely Held Businesses.

The following attorneys were selected as Super Lawyers Rising Stars for 2025: Elise B. Adams, Estate & Trust Litigation, Elder Law, Appellate; Michael F. Bosco, Banking, Civil Litigation; Joshua T. Chappell, Creditor Debtor Rights, Appellate, Bankruptcy; Nora L. Jones, Estate & Trust Litigation; Evan Tompkins, Business Litigation; and Michael A. Wrapp, Real Estate-Business, Banking, Business/ Corporate, Civil Litigation (Defense).