Paul A. Phelps

A native Arizonan, Paul graduated summa cum laude from Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and earned the top score on the Arizona Bar Exam.

As a former aerospace engineer with a B.S.E. in Mechanical Engineering, Paul helps clients apply the law to complex, technical challenges. Before joining AWD, he worked as an Assistant Attorney General, representing the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and the State’s Oil and Gas Commission. Paul has extensive experience in state and federal environmental law, including water, waste, and air quality, and knows the ins and outs of dealing with government agencies in permitting, licensing, utility regulation, and civil enforcement actions.

Paul believes most disputes can and should be resolved via goal-oriented negotiation or alternative dispute resolution (mediation) but has experience litigating cases in Arizona’s Office of Administrative Hearings, Superior Courts, Court of Appeals, and Supreme Court. He also represented Arizona in national-level, administrative appeals of federal agency actions in the D.C. Circuit. As a former law clerk for an Arizona Court of Appeals Judge, Paul lends special insight to his clients on what will and won’t fly with judges.

Outside of work, you might find Paul running in Buffalo Park, mountain biking on Mount Elden, or backpacking on the Arizona Trail. Ask Paul about rafting down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon in Winter.