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Don Bivens

Don Bivens brings 40 years of “big law” trial and appellate experience in complex litigation to the boutique law firm of Don Bivens PLLC, serving clients who seek top-flight, zealous advocacy in court, in mediation, in arbitration, or in the boardroom.   Don also serves as a deeply experienced and committed mediator and arbitrator of complex disputes. 

After a distinguished career in the industry and a role as Senior partner at Snell & Wilmer.  Don recently left Snell to create his own practice.  Don Bivens PLLC.

“I am very much looking forward to the future with my own practice, it is exciting to take all my years of experience and work with a wide range of clientele”

 

Check out Don’s story as featured in Attorney Law Magazine

memberships and activities
professional recognition
Publications & Presentations
community involvement
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Experience

Substantively, Don’s legal peers have three times voted him “Lawyer of the Year” for Financial and Banking Litigation.  Lawdragon has ranked Don as one of the top 500 lawyers in America.  Since 2001, Don also carries top ranking across five substantive areas of complex business disputes — (1) Bet the Company Litigation; (2) Intellectual Property Litigation; (3) Securities Litigation; (4) Commercial Litigation, and (5) Financial and Banking Litigation — from independent ranking services such as The Best Lawyers in America®, Southwest Super Lawyers®, and Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business Litigation®.   Don also carries the highest levels of distinction in legal competence and ethics –AV Preeminent – from judges and lawyers alike in Martindale Hubbell®.  

Don sits on the National Roster Commercial Arbitrators of the American Arbitration Association.   He also sits on AAA’s National Roster for Consumer Arbitrators.    Don currently chairs the national Center for Innovation of the American Bar Association, which tracks the cutting edges of legal technology and regulatory innovation in America.   Don further advises clients about Arizona’s newly revised ethical rules, which permit lawyers to share fees and ownership of law firms with non-lawyers.  

Don has previously served as Chair of the American Bar Association’s 55,000 member Section of Litigation, President of the State Bar of Arizona, and Chair of ABA’s Section of Litigation, President of the Western States Bar Conference, and a host of other elected professional leadership positions.  The Arizona Supreme Court appointed Don to Chair the Court’s Committee on Civil Justice Reform (2015-16), and the Court’s Board of Non-Legal Service Providers (2021).  

Don left his equity partnership in Snell & Wilmer, LLP, in July 2021 to start Don Bivens, PLLC.  Before joining Snell & Wilmer as a partner in 2006, Don was a name partner in the boutique litigation firm of Meyer, Hendricks & Bivens.  Don is a magna cum laude graduate of Yale University.   He received his J.D. degree from the University of Texas School of Law in Austin, where he was an editor of the Texas Law Review and winner of the mock trial competition. 

 

Photo by: Brandon Burris Photography (brandonburris.com)

Education

  • University of Texas School of Law (J.D.)
    • Note and Comment Editor, Texas Law Review
    • Order of the Barristers
    • First Place, Mock Trial Competition
    • Consul, Student Leadership Award
  • Yale University (B.A., English Literature, magna cum laude)
    • Departmental Honors in English
    • Pitchpipe, Yale Spizzwinks Historic Singing Group
Don Bivens E Craig award

Awards

Don has received multiple awards throughout his distinguished career.  

  • Walter E. Craig Distinguished Lifetime Professional and Community Service Award, Arizona Foundation for Legal Services and Education (2017)
  • Maricopa County Bar Association Hall of Fame (2014)
  • Phoenix Lawyer of the Year, Banking & Finance Litigation (2015, 2017, 2020)
  • The Best Lawyers in America®, Bet-the-Company Litigation (2001-2021), Commercial Litigation (2001-2021); Banking & Finance Litigation, Intellectual Property Litigation, Securities Litigation (2012-2021)
  • Southwest Super Lawyers®, Business Litigation (2007-2021)
    • Top 50 in Arizona (2010)
  • Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business®, Litigation: General Commercial (2010-2020)
  • American Law Institute, member (since 2007).
  • Benchmark Litigation, Local Litigation Star – Arizona, Intellectual Property, Antitrust, General Commercial, Professional Liability (2013, 2016-2018)
  • Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America (2010-2011)
  • Arizona’s Finest Lawyers
  • Top 50 Pro Bono Attorneys in Arizona
2023 Best Lawyers
Donald Bivens
  • Bet-the-Company Litigation
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Litigation – Banking and Finance
  • Litigation – Intellectual Property
  • Litigation – Securities

2023 “Best Law Firms”
Scottsdale
  • Tier 1 in Bet-the-Company Litigation – ­Newly recognized for Bet-the-Company Litigation for the 2023 edition
  • Tier 1 in Commercial Litigation – ­Newly recognized for Commercial Litigation for the 2023 edition
  • Tier 1 in Litigation – Intellectual Property – ­Newly recognized for Litigation – Intellectual Property for the 2023 edition
  • Tier 1 in Litigation – Securities – ­Newly recognized for Litigation – Securities for the 2023 edition

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