Az Business magazine, publishers of the annual Top 100 Lawyers list, has selected four Gallagher & Kennedy attorneys to its 2026 Arizona Top 100 Lawyers list and one to its Top 50 Emerging Leaders list.
Congratulations to Stephen Boatwright, Shannon Clark, Jennifer Cranston, Kiersten Murphy, and Dominick San Angelo.
stephen r. boatwright, Shareholder
Stephen handles some of the largest M&A deals in the state, working with companies to raise billions in private equity and public financing. He works with buyers and sellers of businesses of all kinds and advises companies in preparing registration statements (both IPO and secondary) and securities regulatory compliance documents. He is on the Board of Directors at Gallagher & Kennedy, the AI Venture Network (AIVN), and the Alliance of Merger & Acquisition Advisors (AM&AA).
Attraction to Law:
I fully intended to go into the business world, not law, but a college professor told me I should get both an MBA and a J.D. The only courses I enjoyed involved business transactions, securities, and finance, so I decided to start in the deal side of the legal industry. After taking a company public in my second year of practice, I was hooked.
Shannon L. Clark, Shareholder
Shannon is a member of the Board of Directors at Gallagher & Kennedy and co-chair of the firm’s catastrophic injury practice. He is dedicated to trying, litigating, and resolving cases involving motor vehicle crashes, aviation disasters, commercial trucking wrecks, product liability, and professional negligence. Shannon has been recognized as Az Business Magazine's Top 100 Lawyers, PHOENIX Magazine’s Top 100 Lawyers, Southwest Super Lawyers Top 50 Lawyers in Arizona, and Best Lawyers in America, Product Liability Lawyer of the Year.
Attraction to law:
Oddly, I didn’t initially plan to be a lawyer. I wanted to be a newspaper journalist, but eventually realized that path wasn’t quite what I expected, so I explored other careers that would let me write and talk to people. Law seemed to be a good fit, and I have never regretted that choice.
jennifer a. cranston, shareholder
Jennifer is a member of the firm’s board of directors. Her unique practice includes real estate litigation, insurance coverage, and utility regulation. For the past 25 years, she has counseled private property owners and acquiring agencies in condemnation actions and valuation issues. In her insurance practice, Jennifer advocates for business owners and individuals in coverage and bad faith disputes. On the regulatory side, she represents public utilities in rate cases and other important policy matters before the Arizona Corporation Commission.
Attraction to law:
Initially, I watched too many courtroom dramas on TV as a child. Fortunately, the practice of law in the real world has been less dramatic and more rewarding than I imagined.
kiersten a. murphy, shareholder
Kiersten practices in the areas of public bidding/procurement and commercial litigation, advising Arizona business owners who want to do business with local and state governments. She works with mid- and large-sized companies to pursue meaningful opportunities for their businesses operating in virtually any industry – from health care and transportation to food and beverage providers, and technology and software companies. Kiersten also represents businesses and individuals in a variety of commercial and civil lawsuits. She has been named to Az Business Magazine’s Business Leaders To Watch and Southwest Super Lawyers® Top 25 Women in Arizona.
Attraction to law:
Throughout college, I worked in Mohave County and Coconino County Court Administration. I also spent a college semester as a legislative intern for the Arizona Supreme Court. In those positions, I had the opportunity to work for court administrators, spend time in county law libraries, meet with judges, judicial assistants and lawyers, observe civil and criminal court proceedings, and watch the judicial process play out in real time. I was inspired by every different person who played a role in the judicial process, and I was able to visualize myself in that environment – inspiring me to apply to law school.
dominick san angelo, shareholder
Dominick focuses his practice in the areas of business law and transactions. Within those areas, his practice is industry-agnostic and focused primarily on mergers and acquisitions, securities, corporate governance, franchise matters, and finance. He routinely serves as outside general counsel to his business clients, assisting them with matters ranging from entity structuring and commercial transactions to resolving disputes. In addition to his legal practice, Dominick serves on the Board of Directors of RideNow Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: RDNW) and is an adjunct professor of business ethics and law at the Colangelo College of Business at Grand Canyon University.
Attraction to law:
My mother is a judge in Pima County, currently serving in Juvenile Court. I watched her spend her career as an attorney working as a tireless advocate for child welfare. Seeing how she was able to make such a tremendous impact on the lives of children and families in Arizona through her legal capabilities inspired me to follow suit and become an attorney to try to make a similar impact. While my practice area is quite different, in the end the goal is the same: helping people solve problems and obtain good outcomes through the practice of law.
Click here to read the full list of Arizona's Top 100 Lawyers and Top 50 Emerging Leaders published by Az Business magazine.