On February 12, 2026, CDQ’s Dan Dowd was the featured guest on “Litigation Radio” the official podcast of the ABA Section of Litigation hosted by Jim Reeder.  Litigation Radio  features interviews with some of the country’s best litigators and judges discussing key aspects of litigation practice. Dan was invited to discuss case budgeting in complex commercial litigation, including the “how to”, “why” and “when” issues inherent in building and monitoring a litigation cost projection. Listen to his comments here.

CDQ is pleased to welcome Michael Narlock as the newest member of our team.  Michael received a degree in Business Administration with a financial emphasis in 2018, and graduated cum laude from Vermont Law School in 2023 through its accelerated J.D. program.  During law school, Michael served as a teaching assistant and an Academic Success Program Mentor.  Michael has represented and advised government agencies, companies, and individuals in complex commercial and administrative litigation matters. His experience includes litigating contract disputes, business tort claims, defamation and related reputational disputes, civil rights actions, procurement matters, and a variety of matters involving the State of Arizona and its agencies.

We are thrilled to have Michael join us!

CDQ is pleased to welcome Jacqueline (“Jackie”) Iafrate and Samantha Johnson as the newest members of our team.

After receiving her B.A. in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Arizona, Jackie graduated from Arizona State University College of Law (Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law) in May 2024.  While at Arizona State University, Jackie participated in a moot court National Appellate Advocacy Competition and was on the Women’s Law Student Association Board. During law school, Jackie also received a CALI Excellence for the Future Award in the Post-Conviction Clinic.

After obtaining her B.A. in Human Services and a minor in Criminal Justice from the University of Minnesota Morris, Samantha graduated from Arizona State University College of Law (Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law) in May 2025. During her time at Arizona State University, Samantha was an active member of the Indian Legal Program and made meaningful contributions with local Arizona tribes by assisting tribal clients through the Indian Legal Clinic’s Estate Planning course. In addition, Samantha received a CALI Excellence for the Future Award and was named a Willard H. Pedrick Scholar.

We are thrilled to have both Jackie and Samantha join us!

CDQ is proud to announce that Dan Quigley and Daniel Durchslag have been named to the Top 100 Lawyers in Arizona by AZ Business Magazine. According to the publisher, being one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Arizona requires a combination of legal expertise, ethical conduct and effective communication skills. The selected lawyers demonstrate excellent communication and negotiation abilities, fostering positive client relationships and upholding high ethical standards and integrity. To select the Top 100 Lawyers in Arizona for 2025, AZ Business Magazine uses an algorithm that factors in professional ratings, client reviews, impact on the legal profession and community impact.

CDQ is also proud to announce that Jenna Brownlee has been named as one of the Emerging Leaders in Law in Arizona by AZ Business Magazine. Emerging leaders are vital to fostering innovation and progress in the legal profession. Jenna has been chosen as an emerging leader who brings fresh perspective, drives diversity, and addresses evolving challenges. Her inclusion this year as a Top 50 Emerging Leader strengthens the profession’s ability to adapt to future societal needs and ensures a robust leadership pipeline.

The Top 100 Lawyers and the Emerging Leaders in Law lists are published in the January/February issue of AZ Business Magazine and on AZBigMedia.com.

Congratulations Dan, Daniel and Jenna!

Best Lawyers has selected CDQ as a Tier 1 law firm in the 2026 Edition of “Best Law Firms” for four practice areas:  Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Real Estate, Bet-the-Company Litigation, and Litigation – Antitrust.   The “Best Law Firms” rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys, and review of additional information in the submission process. Further, a law firm must have at least one lawyer listed in the current edition of The Best Lawyers in America® list.

Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected attorney ranking service in the world, and has selected Dan Dowd (17th selection), Dan Quigley (17th selection), Dan Durchslag (2nd selection) and Betsy Lamm (1st selection) to its prestigious list of Best Lawyers for 2026.

CDQ proudly announces that Julieta Carrillo has been appointed to the Board of Directors of Los Abogados. Los Abogados is a highly respected Hispanic bar association in Arizona and is in its 49th year of existence. Los Abogados has a well-earned reputation for its commitment to many worthy causes and is committed to promoting diversity, education and advocacy in Arizona’s Hispanic legal community.

Congratulations Julieta!

CDQ proudly announces seven CDQ attorneys have been selected by their peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers of America. Dan Dowd was chosen as a “Best Lawyer” in Commercial Litigation and Bet-the-Company Litigation. Dan Quigley was chosen in five practice areas: Commercial Litigation, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Litigation –  Intellectual Property, Litigation – Antitrust and Litigation – Real Estate. Daniel Durchslag was chosen in two practice areas: Commercial Litigation and Litigation – Real Estate and was chosen as Litigation – Real Estate “Lawyer of the Year” for 2026.  For the second year in a row, Cindy Crogan was chosen as a “Best Lawyer” for Commercial Litigation. Betsy Lamm also made her Best Lawyers debut this year in the practice area of Commercial Litigation.  Inclusion as a “Best Lawyer” is based solely on a rigorous peer review survey of over 12 million confidential evaluations of lawyers by other top lawyers.

In addition, two CDQ attorneys have been selected by Best Lawyers as “Ones to Watch” in 2026. Kaysey Fung and Jenna Brownlee received this honor for the fifth year in a row. Best Lawyers recognizes “Ones to Watch” as attorneys who are earlier in their careers and have demonstrated professional excellence in private practice in the United States. CDQ is proud that Ms. Fung and Ms. Brownlee have again been recognized by their peers for their stellar work and professional contributions.

Congratulations all!

On June 6, 2025, the Dallas County, Texas district court issued an order dismissing a commercial contract and tort lawsuit against CDQ’s clients. In granting dismissal, the Texas court adopted CDQ’s arguments that the district court did not have personal jurisdiction over the Defendants. CDQ teamed with Texas counsel Brian Lauten, P.C. and Tillotson Johnson & Patton.  The CDQ team was led by Dan Dowd, Betsy Lamm and Kaitlyn Swift.

On May 7, 2025, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a published opinion affirming the District Court’s dismissal with prejudice of a lawsuit seeking over $5 million against CDQ’s clients, the Arizona Board of Regents (“ABOR”), former University of Arizona President Robert Robbins and former University of Arizona Senior Vice President Michael Dake.  The Ninth Circuit held that the suit was barred by qualified immunity as the law had not clearly established that the Plaintiff’s allegations, accepted as true for purposes of the motion to dismiss, constituted a violation of Plaintiff’s constitutional First Amendment rights.

The CDQ team representing ABOR and its senior leadership was led by Dan Dowd and included Rebecca van Doren, Cole Kubosumi and Tracy Zekoff. Dan argued the case to the Ninth Circuit.

CDQ is thrilled to announce that Dan Dowd, Dan Quigley, Gabe Aragon and CDQ have been selected by Chambers USA as among the top Commercial Litigation attorneys and law firms in the U.S. The prestigious Chamber’s ranking results from Chamber’s evaluations of law firms and individual lawyers all over the world on technical ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial astuteness, diligence, commitment and other qualities most valued by clients. Chambers conducts exhaustive independent research to determine its rankings, and its research has been trusted by clients and firms across 50 different practice areas/sectors on a state and national level for nearly 30 years. Chambers is considered the “gold standard” of attorney rankings. Dan Dowd is one of only six lawyers in Arizona awarded a Band 2 rating, Dan Quigley is one of eight lawyers selected to Band 3 and Gabe Aragon is one of only 11 lawyers selected to Band 4. This is the 12th consecutive year Dan Dowd and Dan Quigley have been recognized by Chambers. CDQ is one of three firms in Arizona included in Band 2. Only 28 lawyers in Arizona were ranked in Bands 1-4.

Congratulations Dan, Dan, Gabe and CDQ on this well-deserved honor!

This prestigious recognition by Chambers, coupled with 14 of CDQ’s lawyers being recognized by SuperLawyers® has capped off a very rewarding spring for CDQ.