Robert A Mandel

Rob is an AV® Preeminent™ peer review-rated appellate and trial court litigator. Trained at two of the nation's preeminent law firms in New York City before relocating to Arizona in 2003, and thereafter elected shareholder at one the nation's largest law firms, Rob has helped clients large and small navigate business, constitutional and public law disputes for nearly two decades.

Mindful of his clients' desire to devote their resources to business growth rather than litigation, Rob makes it a priority to gain a precise understanding of the client’s objective and to formulate a strategy to achieve it as early as possible and within budget.

It seems like most cases that wind their way to trial are destined for appeal. Rob routinely appears in causes pending before the Arizona Supreme Court, the Arizona Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.  Rob is passionate about appellate practice. He is recognized throughout the legal community for the potency of his appellate advocacy. 

While Rob also thoroughly enjoys trial advocacy, he knows that clients are rarely enthusiastic about going to trial. He therefore places great emphasis on the deployment of forceful, dispositive pre-trial motions to bring the case to an end if it cannot sooner be settled. 

Sometimes a case will wind its way to trial. When it does, Rob is ready. He co-chaired a two-week false advertising jury trial as recently as May 2010, resulting in victory. He co-chaired a three-and-a-half week jury trial of a distribution agreement dispute just months earlier, scoring a unanimous verdict for the client.

Rob is honored to have been endorsed by Practical Law Company both as an appellate advocate and business litigator based on its annual survey of in-house counsel.

Select accomplishments:

- Secured Arizona Supreme Court victory for mortgage lender, loan servicer and mortgage-backed securitization trustee in proceeding to resolve disputed questions of law pertaining to non-judicial foreclosures/trustees’ sales. Crafted principal brief, coordinated amici curiae counsel, engaged in extensive motion practice and presented oral argument, all within seven weeks.

- Persuaded Ninth Circuit to vacate natural gas company’s $60 million punitive damages award against former ACC Chairman as unconstitutionally excessive. Subsequently persuaded panel to vacate $4 million punitive damages remittitur on due process grounds, resulting in another published decision. Convinced trial court to stay enforcement of judgment without a supersedeas bond during appeals.

- Repelled Maricopa County Regional School District Superintendent’s petition for review and special action petition to Arizona Supreme Court, wherein superintendent sought to vacate trial court’s appointment of three-member panel to manage school district in the wake of her indictment.

- Co-chaired and prevailed in two-week bet-the-company trial in federal district court on behalf of multinational photo radar enforcement company after persuading district court to dismiss on summary judgment two-thirds of rival’s false advertising claims seeking tens of millions of dollars in purported damages.

- Co-chaired and prevailed in three-week jury retrial of wrongful termination claim in federal district court on behalf of electronics manufacturer after persuading Ninth Circuit to reverse seven-figure judgment in favor of former distributor based on trial court’s exclusion of probative evidence and other errors.

- Instrumental in securing eight-figure damages settlement for general contractor on construction design defect claims against Maricopa County arising out of public works project.