HOLDEN WILLITS - Key Persons
Barry A. Willits was honored as the 2022 Lawyer of the Year for Construction Law in Phoenix by U.S. News & World Report - Best Lawyers. He previously received the honor in 2021 and 2016.
Mr. Willits is a founding member of Holden Willits PLC. He has 25 years of experience handling all manner of construction and commercial disputes, as well as providing advice and counsel on construction and commercial matters. He was voted Construction Lawyer of the Year for 2016, 2021, 2022, and 2023 by U.S. News - Best Lawyers of America™. He regularly represents general contractors, subcontractors, sureties, architects, design professionals, lenders, insurers, and business owners in all facets of construction law, from drafting contracts through trials and appeals.
Kevin M. Estevez is a member of Holden Willits PLC. His practice focuses on construction law and commercial litigation. He represents general contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers, architects, engineers, and business owners in construction and business matters, including litigation, arbitration, Arizona Registrar of Contractors complaints, contract review and drafting, and entity formation and licensing.
Mr. Estevez is a frequent writer on issues affecting the construction industry. He is the author of Arizona Construction and the Law, a legal blog providing an informative look at construction law in Arizona.
Mr. Estevez has successfully litigated cases in Arizona and federal courts, in arbitrations, and before various administrative bodies.
Mr. Estevez is a past president (2015-2016) of the Scottsdale Bar Association and continues to serve on its board of directors. He is a Southwest Super Lawyers TM honoree for 2022 and 2023 for Construction and Business Litigation, and a Best Lawyers in America® honoree for 2024 for Construction Law and Commercial Litigation. He was also a Southwest Super Lawyers TM rising star selectee from 2013 to 2019, a Charter Fellow of the Construction Lawyers Society of America, and has a strong track record of achieving results for his clients in a wide range of disputes.
Michael J. Holden is a member of Holden Willits PLC. A 1980 graduate of Duke Law School, he has concentrated his practice for over 40 years in the area of construction law, representing primarily owners, contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers and sureties. After 20 years at the Phoenix law firm of Lewis and Roca LLP, Mr. Holden formed his own firm in 2000. The firm name changed in 2007 when partner Roger Brodman was appointed as a Maricopa County Superior Court judge.
Mr. Holden is a frequent author and speaker on a wide range of construction issues. He co-wrote "Developments in Change Order Law," 1999 Wiley Construction Law Update, Aspen Law and Business (1999), "Recent Case Law Developments in West Region," 1998 Wiley Construction Law Update, Aspen Law and Business (1998), as well as the Arizona chapter in Fifty State Public Construction Contracting, Wiley Law Publications (1996). He was also a contributing author to the Arizona Construction Law Practice Manual, which was published in 2003, 2011 and 2016 by the State Bar of Arizona.
Mr. Holden helped draft the 1989, 1992 and 1998 amendments to the Arizona mechanics' and materialmen's lien laws, and he was one of the primary authors of Arizona's revolutionary private sector prompt payment law enacted in 2000. He also was involved in drafting the 2010 amendments to the prompt pay statutes.
He was the founder and first chairman of the Arizona State Bar Construction Law Section. He is a member of the Arizona Builders Alliance (since 1986) and currently serves as general counsel for that association. He is also a member of the American Subcontractors Association of Arizona (Chair, Legal Advisory Council 1993-98, 2006, and Board of Directors 1994-95, 2000-2001), and the American Bar Association Construction Forum Committee and Fidelity and Surety Committee. For the past 17 years, he has been an Adjunct Professor at Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University teaching a course on Construction Law.
Mr. Holden was elected as a Fellow to the American College of Construction Lawyers in 2011. In addition, he has been selected by his peers to be included in the Best Lawyers in America in the specialty of Construction Law since 2007. Three times in the past 11 years (2010, 2013 and 2020) he was recognized by Best Lawyers as the Phoenix "Construction Lawyer of the Year." He is also included in the Southwest SuperLawyers listing for Arizona in the Construction Litigation specialty and that publication has named him one of the top 50 lawyers in Phoenix nine of the last ten years.
Nelson A. F. Mixon is a member of Holden Willits PLC. He focuses his practice on construction law, representing general contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers, owners, and design professionals in an array of construction matters.
In addition to his construction law practice, Mr. Mixon has substantial experience representing policyholders in all manner of insurance coverage and claims handling disputes. He also represents companies, businessowners, and executives in a variety of business and contract litigation matters.
Mr. Mixon has successfully tried cases in jury and bench trials before the Arizona courts, as well as arbitrations and evidentiary hearings before the Arizona Registrar of Contractors.
Mr. Mixon serves on the executive committees of the construction law sections of the State Bar of Arizona and the Maricopa County Bar Association, and is an active member of the American Bar Association's Forum on Construction Law. He also serves the legislative committee chair for the Arizona Builders Alliance Young Builders' Council, and he is a longstanding member of the Men's Arts Council of the Phoenix Art Museum.
Robert ("Bobby") Niska is an associate at Holden Willits PLC. His practice focuses on construction law and commercial litigation. He represents owners, general contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers, and business owners in an array of construction and business matters.
Prior to joining Holden Willits, Mr. Niska served as a Judicial Law Clerk for the Honorable Angela K. Paton at the Arizona Court of Appeals, Division I. There, he performed extensive research and drafted recommended decisions in civil, criminal, family, juvenile, and administrative cases. He also presented case recommendations before a judicial panel.
Mr. Niska earned his law degree from the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. There, he served as a certified limited practice student for the University's First Amendment Clinic. During law school, he gained litigation experience by serving as a Judicial Extern for the Honorable Christopher A. Coury at the Maricopa County Superior Court and as a litigation extern for the City of Tempe Attorney's Office. Additionally, Mr. Niska served as a legal extern at the Arizona Governor's Office of General Counsel.
Mr. Niska, a Chicagoland native, graduated from North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, with a triple major in marketing, management, and entrepreneurship. He also earned his Master of Business Administration ("MBA") from North Central. He is a die-hard Chicago Cubs fan and avid marathon runner, having completed over 25 marathons.
Education
Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, J.D., 2021
Mr. Schaffer is an experienced trial lawyer and appellate advocate. A former United States Supreme Court law clerk, he has over two decades of experience persuading trial and appellate courts in both routine and high stakes litigation, he has been recognized as a "Local Litigation Star" in Arizona by Benchmark Litigation, and he is listed in The Best Lawyers in America in Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation and Antitrust Law (2012-2020).
Mr. Schaffer specializes in complex business, real estate, and corporate/partnership/LLC disputes and civil appeals of all kinds. His counsel is valued not only for his ability to prevail in court but also for his practical judgment in guiding clients through the uncertainty of litigation and implementing efficient strategies to streamline disputes. He is known for delivering results through comprehensive case strategy, boiling down complex cases into understandable themes, and communicating simply and effectively with judges and juries.
Mr. Schaffer joined Holden Willits PLC in 2019 and prides himself on delivering the same high-quality representation clients are accustomed to finding in larger law firms but with more efficient results.
Roger E. Brodman has rejoined Holden Willits PLC after serving as a Maricopa County Superior Court Judge for 14 years. Mr. Brodman co-founded the firm as Holden Brodman PLC in 2001, leaving in 2007 when he was appointed to the bench. Mr. Brodman was one […]
Roger E. Brodman joined Holden Willits, PLC in 2023 with a practice emphasizing commercial and construction arbitrations and special master assignments. He is on the American Arbitration Association roster of neutrals for Commercial and Construction Arbitration.
Mr. Brodman retired in 2021 from the Maricopa County Superior Court, where he served for 14 years, completing rotations in the civil, criminal, family and juvenile departments. From 2015-2021, he was one of the original members of Maricopa County's Commercial Court, a court formed for handling business and corporate management litigation. He also was assigned to the Complex Civil Litigation Court, a specialty court for the most complex and difficult civil cases. He has special expertise in business, construction and real estate litigation. Mr. Brodman has presided over more than 110 civil and criminal jury trials, and hundreds of bench trials and evidentiary hearings. He has managed cases ranging from securities fraud class actions to complex construction and real estate disputes.
Mr. Brodman is an adjunct professor at Sandra Day O'Connor School of Law at Arizona State University, where he teaches evidence. He served on the Arizona State Bar's Civil Jury Instruction Committee.
Before taking the bench, Mr. Brodman spent 24 years in civil litigation private practice, with an emphasis on construction and real estate litigation. Along with Michael Holden, he was a founder of Holden Brodman, PLC. He sat on the Executive Board of the Arizona State Bar's Construction Law Section for several years and was the chair from 1999-2000. He regularly served as an arbitrator. He has an engineering degree and is very good at math.
Barry A. Willits was honored as the 2022 Lawyer of the Year for Construction Law in Phoenix by U.S. News & World Report - Best Lawyers. He previously received the honor in 2021 and 2016.
Tyler S. Woods is an associate at Holden Willits PLC. He focuses his practice on construction litigation, representing owners, contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers, and sureties in an array of construction disputes.
In addition to his construction law practice, Mr. Woods has expansive experience in general commercial and civil litigation, representing executives, domestic and international companies, sports teams, and the State of Arizona. Mr. Woods' experience includes all facets of litigation, from pre-litigation dispute resolution to jury trials and appeals.
Mr. Woods, an Arizona native, graduated from Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University with degrees in Philosophy and Justice Studies. Mr. Woods went on to attend Sandra Day O'Connor, College of Law where he found his niche in legal writing and oral advocacy.