Charles W. Wirken

Charles (Chas) Wirken’s extensive appellate experience coupled with his expertise has earned the respect of his peers and appellate judges, as indicated by his election as a Fellow in the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, inclusion in Best Lawyers in America^® and Southwest Super Lawyers^® in the Appellate Law Category, and recognition in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Litigation: Appellate in 2021 and 2022. Chas was named one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Arizona in 2015, 2018, 2021, and 2024 by AZ Business Magazine, and was a Best Lawyers^® Lawyer of the Year in 2016, 2018, 2021, and 2024.

Having briefed and argued nearly 200 appeals involving a broad range of cases and issues in both state and federal appellate courts, Chas has become a valuable resource to trial lawyers inside and outside of Gust Rosenfeld. He has served as a judge pro tem of the Arizona Court of Appeals and co-founded the State Bar’s Appellate Practice Section which shares his knowledge with other lawyers as a faculty member of the Institute.

In 2009, Chas successfully petitioned the United States Supreme Court to hear the case of United Student Aid Funds, Inc. vs. Espinosa. He was the primary draftsman of the briefs, leading to a favorable decision that settled the procedural requirements for the discharge of student loan debt in bankruptcy cases. In 2017, he briefed and argued the case of Howell v. Howell at the high court.

The other focus of Chas’s practice is the resolution of business disputes. He has tried a wide variety of commercial disputes with judges and juries in state and federal courts. His national reputation for the litigation of cases involving franchises, dealers, distributors and licensors is reinforced by his listing in The Best Lawyers in America^® Franchising Law category. Since 1980, Chas has represented both franchisors and franchisees from various franchise systems, in contract, business tort, intellectual property and government regulation disputes typically encountered by such clients.

Chas brings to his advocacy the perspective of years of experience as a judge pro tem of the Maricopa County Superior Court and as a former arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association. As President of the State Bar of Arizona, Chas re-established the Arizona College of Trial Advocacy, where he annually serves as a faculty member.

In 2013, Chas was elected to membership in The American Law Institute, the leading, independent organization in the United States producing scholarly work to clarify, modernize and otherwise improve the law. In recognition of his many contributions to the law and justice in Arizona, Chas was inducted into the Maricopa County Bar Association Hall of Fame in 2015.

Chas is AV^® Preeminent™ rated by Martindale-Hubbell^®, representing the highest rating in legal ability and ethical standards.