Firm Chair Paul Cereghini was recently featured in AZ Attorney, a blog written by Arizona Attorney Magazine Editor Tim Eigo, who spoke with Paul back in early May and shared highlights from their dialog within the piece. Paul elaborates on his longstanding career, his new position as firm chair and the firm's history of developing superior trial lawyers, which he attributes to strong leadership and a culture founded on core values.
Having been with the firm since its debut on Feb. 1. 1985, Paul certainly knows what makes Bowman and Brooke attorneys unique. When it comes to finding new attorneys or lateral recruits, he says the firm seeks out those who will thrive within the firm's culture – one of collegiality and camaraderie or, as Paul puts it, "sharing foxholes together."
Starting as an associate straight out of law school, he now serves as the third chair in the firm's 30 year history, preceded only by Founding Partners Dick Bowman and David Graves. Even with the additional responsibilities that come with the charge, Paul still maintains his high-profile product liability practice and credits the firm's shift from a managing partner structure to a chairship for making this possible. In the blog post, Paul is quoted saying, "where other law firms might have their chair scale back, we have a solid administrative side with a COO."
As his successors helped shaped Paul into the trial lawyer he is today, Paul emphasizes the firm's continued dedication to developing the next generation of trial lawyers. Younger attorneys are given the opportunity to stand up before judges and juries whenever possible.
"Dick Bowman taught my generation how to be trial lawyers," says Paul, "and now, my generation has done the same."
Read Tim's full blog post.