Gallagher & Kennedy announced the addition of a family law practice group, with two accomplished attorneys, a paralegal, and their legal support professional joining the Phoenix office. This expansion strengthens the firm’s full-service capabilities and marks the establishment of a dedicated Family Law Practice.
“I am pleased to welcome this talented team of family law practitioners to our firm,” said G&K managing partner, Kevin O’Malley. “We have been seeking to expand our client services with a domestic relations practice, and this group is the ideal fit for our firm’s clientele, culture, and reputation as a full-service client-focused firm.”
Representing individuals, families, parents, grandparents, acting caregivers, and minor children, the family law team prides itself on a concierge-style approach, tailored to meet the unique needs of each client.
Melissa Benson
Melissa F. Benson joins the firm as a shareholder with extensive experience in all aspects of family law. She brings over 17 years of experience working in Arizona’s criminal justice system as a victim advocate, a probation officer, and a sex crimes and domestic violence prosecutor. Melissa is a certified mediator, often helping resolve her client’s most personal disputes before they go to trial.
Benson is a member of the Arizona Women Lawyers Associations, Arizona Thurgood Marshall Inn of Court, and Maricopa County Bar Association, and volunteers with Wills for Heroes and the Probate Lawyers Assistance Project. She has been recognized to the 2024 list of Top 25 National Women Trial Lawyers and the Top 30 Matrimonial and Family Trial Lawyers. She is admitted to practice in Arizona and New York and before the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona.
Benson graduated magna cum laude from Arizona Summit Law School and was a member of the law review. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice with a minor in Sociology from Virginia Wesleyan College.
Elizabeth Nañez joins the firm as an associate attorney. Bringing a dynamic and diverse background, Liz assists individuals with a wide range of domestic relations law issues including divorce, spousal maintenance, child support, third-party rights, guardianship, and relocation, among others. Nañez is a member of the Latina Mentoring Project, Los Abogados, and the Hispanic National Bar Association. She is admitted to practice in Arizona.
Nañez earned her law degree from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at ASU. She externed with the Honorable Diane J. Humetewa at the Arizona District Court, participated in the Post-Conviction Clinic, and served as Vice President of the Chicano/Latino Law Students’ Association. She was also selected for the Diversity Legal Writing Program in her final year of law school.
Before law school, Liz earned her undergraduate degree in Political Science from ASU and has worked as a legal assistant, certified paralegal, and law clerk, roles that deepened her passion for litigation.
Karen L. Duckworth-Barnes is a paralegal with the family law group. With over 11 years of paralegal experience, Karen serves as an effective point of contact for clients. She is knowledgeable and resourceful in stages of case management, from initial disclosures and discovery to all items necessary for complex trial litigation. She works directly with attorneys to develop case management and strategy, and is experienced in Superior, Justice, and Municipal Courts. Duckworth-Barnes earned her certificate in paralegal studies with Highest Honors from Everest College.
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