Bogutz & Gordon, P.C.
A Tradition Of Helping Individuals And Families
Bogutz & Gordon, P.C. has proudly served Tucson and Southern Arizona since 1984. We provide sophisticated legal services to meet our clients’ estate planning, elder law and fiduciary needs.
From our firm’s beginning, the goal has been to help those in need. In 1984, Allan Bogutz, who had served as Pima County Public Fiduciary, founded his own law firm. A few months later, he asked Craig Gordon, then working as an attorney at Southern Arizona Legal Aid (SALA), to join him. Both were deeply committed to helping people, especially those who cannot help themselves.
Bogutz & Gordon, P.C. has prospered as one of the preeminent elder law firms in the Southwest. Mr. Bogutz and Mr. Gordon have retired, but their goals and ideals are carried on by our attorneys, paralegals, and support staff.
Contact us today if you need legal assistance with any of the following:
- Estate planning: Our lawyers use tools such as wills, trusts, and powers of attorney to construct high-quality estate plans.
- Estate administration: Being the administrator or executor of an estate is an honor. It also can be extremely stressful, complicated, and time-consuming. Our firm helps administrators and executors fulfill their legal obligations. We can also do the work for you.
- Fiduciary services: A “fiduciary” is a person of trust who is legally empowered to make decisions for others. Our firm can serve as: Agent under a Power of Attorney; Trustee, Guardian, Conservator, or Personal Representative.
Call 520-321-9700 today to arrange your initial consultation.
Attorney Benjamin J. Burnside
Ben is a Certified Specialist in Estate & Trust Law by the State Bar of Arizona and a Certified Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation. Ben has been elected as a Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. He joined Bogutz & Gordon, P.C. in 1999, after having practiced with a Tucson estate planning firm since 1994. He serves on and is past Chair of the State Bar of Arizona Probate & Trust Section Executive Council. Ben earned a B.S. in Commerce from the University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce, a J.D. from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law and an LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.
He is a Member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and the Pima County Bar Association. He writes and lectures frequently and is active in numerous community organizations, including serving as Chair of the Board of Goodwill Industries of Southern Arizona, Inc. and as a member of the Board of the Southern Arizona Estate Planning Council. Ben and his wife, Dena, a CPA, have traveled extensively to all seven continents, and they now have two children, Josephine and Ethan, who keep them closer to home.
Education:
- The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, Tucson, Arizona
- J.D.
- University of Denver Sturm College of Law, Denver, Colorado
- LL.M.
- Major: Taxation
- University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce
- B.S.
- Major: Commerce
Professional Memberships and Achievements:
- State Bar of Arizona Probate & Trust Section Executive Council, Past Chair
- National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Member
- Pima County Bar Association, Member
- Board of the Southern Arizona Estate Planning Council, Member
Attorney Craig H. Wisnom
Craig is a Tucson native who has practiced law for 25 years in Arizona in the areas of estate planning, estate and gift taxation, probate, and trust administration. Craig is a Certified Specialist in Estate & Trust Law by the State Bar of Arizona and a Certified Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation.
Craig is a past chair of the State Bar Probate & Trust Section and the Estate and Trust Advisory Committee for specialization. He's a former President of the Arizona Fiduciaries Association and the Southern Arizona Estate Planning Council. He was long ago an erstwhile writer, as evidenced by his award winning humorous combination of law and swords-and-sorcery published in the State Bar's magazine, and he regularly appeared on KVOA's News at 4 as the station's legal contributor.
Craig earned his J.D. from the University of Arizona College of Law in 1995. His wife, Patti, is also an attorney, and his pretty-much-grown sons no longer keep him quite as busy, but his dogs Stella and Luna still need him. Craig's passion for heavy metal music remains very much intact, and his CD collection continues to grow.
Education:
- University of Arizona College of Law, Tucson, Arizona
- J.D. - 1995
Professional Memberships and Achievements:
- State Bar of Arizona Probate & Trust Section Executive Council, Past Chair
- State Bar of Arizona Estate and Trust Advisory Committee, Past Chair
- Arizona Fiduciaries Association, President
Attorney Ana Perez-Arrieta
Ana is a Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and has been certified a Specialist in Estate & Trust Law by the State Bar of Arizona, and she joined Bogutz & Gordon, P.C., in October 2011, after practicing law for six years with another firm in Tucson. Her practice is concentrated in the areas of estate planning, probate, trust administration, and guardianships and conservatorships. Ana earned her B.A. in Psychology & Italian from the University of Virginia in 2000 and her J.D. from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 2005.
In 2010, Ana was named one of the Arizona Daily Star's "40 Under 40." She served as Chair of the State Bar of Arizona Probate & Trust Section Executive Council during the 2013-2014 term, is a past president of the Southern Arizona Chapter of the Arizona Women Lawyers Association, and a former member of the Estate and Trust Advisory Commission for the State Bar of Arizona, the Morris K. Udall Inn of Court, and the Steering Committee for the Women's Foundation of Southern Arizona. Currently, Ana is a board member of the Southern Arizona Estate Planners Council and the Pima County Bar Association. Ana and her husband have two young children, Mateo and Margot.
Education:
- Notre Dame Law School, South Bend, Indiana
- J.D. - 2005
- Honors: cum laude
- University of Virginia, Virginia
- B.A. - 2000
- Honors: cum laude
- Major: Psychology
- Major: Italian
Professional Memberships and Achievements:
- State Bar of Arizona
- American Bar Association
- Pima County Bar Association
- Arizona Women Lawyers Association, Southern Arizona Chapter, Vice President and Past President
- Southern Arizona Estate Planning Council, Board Member
- University of Arizona Foundation, Professional Advisory Council
- State Bar of Arizona Probate & Trust Section Executive Council, Past Chair
- State Bar of Arizona Estate and Trust Advisory Commission
- Steering Committee for the Women's Foundation of Southern Arizona, Former Member
- Morris K. Udall Inn of Court, Former Member
- Arizona NAELA, Member
Attorney Teresa D. Lancaster
Teresa joined Bogutz & Gordon in 2008 after graduating from the John Marshall Law School in Chicago, IL and became a Shareholder of the firm in 2015. Since joining the firm, Teresa has become a Certified Specialist in Estates and Trusts as well as a licensed fiduciary. She also serves on the Fiduciary Board for the Arizona Supreme Court and is the past president of the Arizona Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys-though she continues to serve on their board.
Education:
- The John Marshall Law School, Chicago, Illinois
Professional Memberships and Achievements:
- National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Arizona Chapter, Past President
- Board of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
- Arizona Fiduciary Board
- Arizona State Bar Estates and Trusts of Advisory Commission
- Arizona NAELA
- Southern Arizona Estate Planning Counsel
Attorney Dane J. Dehler
Dane joined the firm in January 2018 and has two years of experience at a local commercial litigation firm. Dane earned his J.D. at the University of Arizona's James E. Rogers College of Law, where he served on the board of the Arizona Journal of International & Comparative Law. The Journal published his Note, "Buying Property In Mexico's Restricted Zone: The Missed Opportunity That Was The 2013 Beltrones Proposal To Amend Article 27 Of The Mexican Constitution." While in law school, Dane worked as a judicial extern for Pima County Superior Court Judge Gus Aragón. He spent his undergraduate years at the University of Arizona, where he received a degree in history with a minor in sociology.
Dane is a native Tucsonan and enjoys practicing law in his hometown. In his spare time, he enjoys playing city league baseball, exploring the outdoors around Tucson, and studying 19th and 20th Century United States history.
Education:
- The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, Tucson, Arizona
- J.D.
- Honors: Arizona Journal of International & Comparative Law
- Honors: “Buying Property In Mexico’s Restricted Zone: The Missed Opportunity That Was The 2013 Beltrones Proposal To Amend Article 27 Of The Mexican Constitution.”
- Honors: Extern, ima County Superior Court Judge Gus Aragón
- University of Arizona
- Major: History
- Major: Sociology
Professional Memberships and Achievements:
- Board of Directors of the Arizona Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Member
- Pima County Bar Association's Young Lawyers Division, Member
- Southern Arizona Estate Planning Counsel, Member
Attorney Patrick J. McDermott
Patrick joined the firm in March 2019. Patrick earned his J.D. from the University of Arizona's James E. Rogers College of Law, earning certificates in Tax Law & Policy and Transactional Business Law, and serving as a Note Editor on the Arizona Law Review. While in law school, Patrick founded and served as president of the University of Arizona Tax Law Society, volunteered at the Southern Arizona Tax Law Clinic assisting low-income tax-payers in disputes with the IRS, and worked as a Tax Law Research & Teaching Assistant. In 2019, Patrick was a recipient of the State Bar of Arizona Tax Law Section Scholarship.
Prior to attending law school, Patrick worked in motorsports entertainment in Daytona Beach, Florida and graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a degree in Political Science.
Education:
- The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, Tucson, Arizona
- Honors: president of the University of Arizona Tax Law Society
- Honors: volunteered at the Southern Arizona Tax Law Clinic
- Major: Tax Law & Policy and Transactional Business Law
- Florida Atlantic University
- B.S.
- Major: Political Science
Attorney William L. Jenney
Will joined Bogutz & Gordon in 2021 after gaining experience with a local civil litigation firm and representing children in juvenile dependency cases. Will earned his J.D. from the University of Arizona's James E. Rogers College of Law, where he served as the Senior Note Editor of the Arizona Journal of Environmental Law and Policy. The Journal published his Note, "Having Your Yellow Cake and Eating it Too: The Environmental and Health Impacts of Uranium Mining on the Colorado Plateau". Will also received his undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona in political science and spent a semester abroad at the University of Nottingham studying European politics and playing American football.
Attorney Craig Gordon
Craig practiced elder law with the firm from 1985 through 2008. He had extensive experience in Medicaid/ALTCS planning, including Special Needs Trusts, was certified as a Specialist in Estate and Trust Law by the State Bar of Arizona, and recognized as a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA) by the National Elder Law Foundation (NELF). Craig was also selected as a Fellow of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) in 1995 and Best Lawyers in America in 2007.
Craig has been quite active serving on the Boards and Executive Committees of both national and statewide elder law organizations (NAELA, NELF, Az-NAELA, Senior Rights PAC), while always looking out for the best interests of his clients.
Bar Admissions:
- Iowa, 1974
- Arizona, 1976
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Iowa, 1975
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Iowa, 1975
- U.S. District Court District of Arizona, 1979
Education:
- University of Oregon School of Law, Eugene, Oregon
- J.D., Doctor of Jurisprudence - 1974
- Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa
- B.A., Bachelor of Arts - 1971
Professional Memberships and Achievements:
- National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Member, 1988