DYER BREGMAN & FERRIS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the DBF Team
- Senior Counsel
Bridget has been practicing law in Arizona for 25 years with a focus on planning for individuals with disabilities who are under the age of 65 and their families.
Bridget grew up in the frigid North of Duluth, Minnesota. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame (cum laude), where she was a proud member of the marching band. After college, Bridget volunteered with Covenant House, a shelter for runaway and homeless youth, in Houston, Texas. It is through Covenant House that Bridget met her husband, Jay, and after completing their volunteer commitment, they relocated to Phoenix.
Upon first moving to Phoenix, Bridget worked in the field of mental health with children and adolescents, doing in-home counseling and case management. She then returned to school to pursue her law degree at Arizona State University, where she received her juris doctor in 1995 and Masters in Public Administration in 1997.
Over the span of her 25 year practice, Bridget has had the privilege of practicing with several boutique law firms before becoming a partner at Dyer, Bregman & Ferris, PLLC. Bridget served briefly as a Trust Officer at First International Bank & Trust, and now has been happily practicing again in the area of special needs law since 2015 at Dyer, Bregman & Ferris, PLLC.
Bridget is now branching into teaching with a desire to introduce law students and practitioners to the areas of Elder and Special Needs Law as well as help develop future practitioners in these areas or the law. She currently serves as Adjunct Faculty in Stetson Law's online LL.M. in Elder Law Program and is introducing a new Elder Law course at Arizona State University's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law.
Bridget is a second-generation Spaniard and speaks Spanish nearly fluently. She and her husband, Jay, who is a clinical social worker on a local inpatient psychiatric unit, have two children: Jaquelyn who is at the University of Arizona and Kasey who is mid-way through high school.
Practice Areas
Special Needs Planning
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Member of the DBF Team
Carla has been practicing law in Arizona for 7 years with a focus on estate planning, trust administration and probate.
Carla grew up on the coast of California. She received her Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of San Diego, where she was the Spanish Club President, member of the choir and International Students Organization, and an event coordinator for an on-campus entertainment club. In San Diego Carla supervised the cross-border and import/export business for a global firm. She met her husband, Marco, in San Diego and after enjoying 20 years there, they relocated their family to Phoenix. Carla then attended Arizona Summit Law School, receiving her juris doctor in 2014.
Carla currently serves as a volunteer attorney at Barrow Brain Tumor Support Group. She also is a presenter for Area Agency on Aging.
Carla speaks Spanish nearly fluently. She enjoys hiking, biking, weightlifting, playing the guitar and singing in a community choir and spending time with her family.
Practice Areas
Estate Planning
Job Titles:
- Member of the DBF Team
- Partner
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Member of the DBF Team
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Member of the DBF Team
Job Titles:
- Member of the DBF Team
- of Counsel
Job Titles:
- Member of the DBF Team
- Partner
Kelly grew up in San Diego, California and attended the University of California, Los Angeles, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology with a specialization in Business and Administration. She received her Juris Doctor degree from the Arizona State University College of Law. While in law school, Kelly served as an extern with the City of Scottsdale Prosecutor's Office and with the Honorable Daniel E. Nastro of the Maricopa County Superior Court. Prior to joining Dyer Bregman & Ferris, PLLC (f/k/a Dyer & Ferris, LLC), Kelly worked as an associate attorney with Black & Portney, PLC and as a partner with Black & Kral, PLC.
Kelly has been practicing law in Arizona for over 20 years and represents individuals, private fiduciaries, and Trust companies with regard to guardianships, conservatorships, decedent estates, trust administration, elder law, and special needs planning.
In 2011, Kelly founded the Probate Lawyers Assistance Project (PLAP), which is a pro bono organization that provides free legal advice to eligible low-income individuals who need assistance with Probate Court matters. The program is co-sponsored by the State Bar of Arizona, the Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Section of the Maricopa County Bar Association, and the Volunteer Lawyers Program of Community Legal Services.
Practice Areas
Guardianships
Job Titles:
- Member of the DBF Team
- Partner
Job Titles:
- Member of the DBF Team
- Partner
Michael completed his under-graduate degree at Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration. Michael received his Juris Doctor degree from California Western School of Law in San Diego, California. He originally served as a legal assistant and office administrator with the law offices of Charles J. Dyer prior to his graduation from law school. After law school, Michael served as an extern with the U.S. Federal District Court in the Pro Se Division where he assisted the assigned federal judicial officer to review and rule upon prisoner complaints and petitions.
Michael's major areas of practice include representation of private fiduciaries and trust companies in probate-related administration and litigation including wills, trusts, conservatorships, guardianships, elder law, mental health law and other areas of law pertinent to such cases, and special matters. In addition, Michael provides representation on matters concerning estate and business planning as well as Elder Law issues including governmental benefits. He is also a licensed private fiduciary, having been certified by the Licensing and Certification Division of the Arizona Supreme Court.
Practice Areas
Probate Administration & Litigation
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Member of the DBF Team
Good afternoon everyone. I am Ashley Dyer, Chuck's oldest granddaughter. Thank you so much for joining my family and me in celebrating my grandfather's life. There are many things I can talk about my gramps, his compassion, patience, and mostly love, but seeing as how I am already having trouble reading this, I will keep this short and sweet.
I have never lost a grandparent before so this is a new experience for me. Looking back, I remember a few memories that I would like to share with you.
I remember when I was very young, my grandpa and I use to watch Jurassic Park over and over and over again until the tape actually broke! I remember sitting on his lap, playing a video game together on his computer, that was my favorite.
I remember when I would stay with grandma during the day and gramps would go to work. Grandma would fall asleep and I use to go into his closet and see what treasures I could find before getting caught.
Job Titles:
- Member of the DBF Team
- of Counsel
Job Titles:
- Member of the DBF Team
- Senior Counsel
- Treasurer and Director of 3LPlace, Inc
Robert has been practicing law in Arizona for 44 years with a focus on planning for families with members who are significantly impaired.
Robert grew up in San Diego. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Loyola Marymount University of Los Angeles (Summa Cum Laude). After college, Robert entered Vista Volunteers of America where he served as a legal assistant in a legal aid office in Waterloo, Iowa. Robert then attended Georgetown University Law Center, receiving his juris doctor in 1974.
Robert and his wife moved to Phoenix in 1974 and Robert received his license to practice law in Arizona in 1975. His first employment was with the Arc-Arizona (an organization for persons with developmental disabilities) where he was the legal services director of a project for persons with developmental disabilities. Then, from 1978 to the present, Robert has been in private practice focused on assisting families with members who are substantially impaired - issues covering estate planning, special needs trusts, guardianship, conservatorship, Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Arizona Long Term Care System, Arizona Department of Economic Security - Division of Developmental Disabilities.
Robert also enjoys working with small businesses and non-profit corporations.
Robert currently serves as treasurer and director of 3LPlace, Inc., a non-profit corporation serving adults with developmental disabilities. He is a past director of the Arc-US and past president of the Arc-Az. He has consulted at no charge with many non-profit organizations serving persons with significant impairments. Robert was the attorney in a landmark Arizona case which established the rights of residents of the Arizona Training Program at Coolidge to live, be cared for, and receive habilitation services in an appropriate, safe and least restrictive environment.
Robert is a former pro-tempore judge for the Superior Court of Arizona, County of Maricopa serving as a judge in mental health hearings.
Robert served as a board member of a Kansas bank for 18 years.
Robert and his spouse, Laurie Gibson, have two adult children: Thomas who has Down Syndrome and lives with his parents; and Anne who is a physician.
Practice Areas
Estate Planning
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Member of the DBF Team
He received a Bachelor's degree from Chapman University in Orange, California. Scott returned to the Phoenix metropolitan area and taught elementary school and coached baseball and basketball and sponsored the chess club and supervised the science fair for fifteen years.
Having a need to continue growing professionally, he then obtained his law degree at Arizona Summit Law School. While in law school, Scott served at several legal externships: City of Phoenix (Public Safety Division); United States Federal District Court for Hon. Susan Bolton; Lubin & Enoch, P.C. (labor and employment issues); and the Arizona Supreme Court (Staff Attorneys Office) - preparing memos making recommendations on whether to grant appeals to the court.
Scott graduated from Arizona Summit Law School as its valedictorian.
Following law school, Scott worked as an associate attorney at The Law Offices of Donald W. Hudspeth, P.C representing small business owners with respect to their transactional and litigation needs.
Scott is now an associate attorney at Dyer Bregman & Ferris, PLLC where his practice includes representing professional and individual fiduciaries in probate-related litigation. He also represents clients in their appointment as guardian, conservator or personal representative and the administration of these estates.
Scott has two children. Jade is studying physics at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. And Milo will pursue a music degree at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Scott is an avid hiker and backpacker.
Practice Areas
Trust Administration Litigation
Job Titles:
- Member of the DBF Team
- Partner
Scott received a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Arts Degrees, with honors, from Arizona State University in Communication. Scott attended the University of Tulsa College of Law, where he received his Juris Doctor Degree. He served as Chairman of the Graduate Students of Communication Committee and was nominated as the Outstanding Graduate Student and Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant for the College of Public Programs at Arizona State University. Following receipt of a Master's degree, Scott served as a Faculty Associate teaching a full schedule of undergraduate classes. He has been published in the Journal of Society of Intercultural Education and Training and Research.
Practice Areas
Probate/Estate/Trust Litigation
Job Titles:
- Member of the DBF Team
- of Counsel
Sergio is of counsel with Dyer Bregman & Ferris, PLLC, and works with several of our practice groups, most notably Social Security disability and Public Benefits. He also has a solo practice devoted to representing veterans and their families who pursue benefits with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). He started helping VA claimants in 2008, as a legal assistant to a VA-accredited solo attorney named Ted Jarvi, and he continued to work VA cases all through law school where he was then admitted to the Arizona bar. When Mr. Jarvi retired in December 2014, Sergio joined another veterans' benefits firm( Bosley & Bratch) where he worked until he started his own VA practice in early 2016.
Practice Areas
Veterans Affairs
Job Titles:
- Member of the DBF Team
- Senior Associate