Attorney Profiles

Brian A. Laird is the managing partner of Weeks & Laird PLLC. Brian's practice emphasizes business and financial litigation, including financial abuse and fraud.

Brian has successfully represented victims in financial fraud and abuse cases. He also represents national and local businesses in a wide variety of commercial litigations matters. Brian's practice includes litigation in contracts, construction defects, real estate, trademark infringement, noncompetition, and other commercial matters.

Brian graduated with honors from the University of Arizona College of Law. He worked as an associate of Bruce Heurlin at the Tucson law firm of Karp, Heurlin & Weiss, and as an associate in the Phoenix law firm of Bonnett, Fairbourn, Friedman & Balint.

Brian is past President the Federal Bar Association, Tucson Chapter. Brian is a member of the Board of Directors of the University of Arizona Law College Association.

Brian is an adjunct professor of law at the University of Arizona College of Law, teaching Pre-trial Litigation.

In law school, Brian was on the UA College of Law National Moot Court team. He was the winner of the Best Brief, Best Overall Advocate, and Outstanding Oral Advocate in the Final Round of the UA College of Law Fegtly Moot Court Competition. Brian was winner of the Jenckes Closing Argument Competition in 1999 and 2000 - he is the only two-time winner of the Jenckes Competition in the history of the UA College of Law. He also won the International Academy of Trial Lawyer's Award, and the Chandler Award for advancement of First Amendment Values.

Brian is the author of two novels, Bowman's Line and To Bury the Dead. He has edited books, and written short stories, articles, and reviews for a variety of publications. His most recent short story, "The Mexicali Blues," appeared in the literary journal Ecotone in 2006. Brian collects rare plants and enjoys tending to his cactus and succulent garden.

Year Joined Organization

• 2004

Areas of Practice

• Business and Financial Litigation
• Financial Abuse
• Fraud
• Trials
• Arbitrations
• Appeals

Bar Admissions

• Arizona
• U.S. District Court District of Arizona
• U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit
• U.S. Court of Federal Claims
• U.S. Court of Appeals Federal Circuit

Education

• University of Arizona College of Law, Tucson, Arizona, May, 2000
  Juris Doctor
  Honors: Cum Laude
  Honors: Winner, Jenekes Closing Argument Competition (1999-2000)
  Honors: Winner, Jenekes Closing Argument Competition (1998-1999)
  Honors: Chandler Award for Advancement of First Amendment Values-2000
  Honors: International Academy of Trial Lawyers Award (1999-2000)
  Honors: Winner, Arizona Association of Defense Counsel Closing Argument Competition
  Honors: Winner, Best Overall Advocate, Fegtly Moot Court Competition-1999
  Honors: Winner, Best Brief, Fegtly Moot Court Competition-1999
  Honors: Outstanding Oral Advocate in Final Round Fegtly Moot Court Competition-1999
  Honors: Winner, Arizona Association of Defense Counsel Closing Argument Competition
  Honors: Finalist, Grand Damages Competition-1999
  Honors: Finalist, Grand Damages Competition-2000
  Honors: University of Arizona National Moot Court Team-1999
  
  
• University of Arizona, December, 1991
  Master of Arts
  Honors: Editor in Chief, El Independiente Newspaper
  Major: Journalism
  
  
• University of Arizona, May, 1988
  Bachelor of Arts
  Major: Creative Writing/English Literature
  Minor: Political Science
  
  

Published Works

• To Bury the Dead, a novel of suspense, St. Martin's Press, 1997
• Bowman's Line, a novel of suspense, St. Martin's Press, 1995
• Freelance Editor, Cue Lazarus, by Carl Marcum, University of Arizona Press, 2000
• Freelance Editor, Last of the Ofos, by Geary Hobson, University of Arizona Press, 1999
• Freelance Editor, Turtle Pictures, by Ray Gonzalez, University of Arizona Press, 1999
• Freelance Editor, Wandering Time, by Luis Alberto Urrea, University of Arizona Press, 1998
• Producer, The Glowing Heart of the World, audio books series, 1998
• Producer, Lawrence Clark Powell's Southwest, audio books series, 1997

Classes/Seminars Taught

• Adjunct Professor of Law, Teaching Pre-Trial Litigation Class, University of Arizona College of Law, 2005 - Present
• Adjunct Professor, English Composition, Pima Community College, 1994 - 1996
• Instructor, Writing Suspense and Mysteries, U of A Extended University, 1995 - 1996
• Guest Speaker/Author, Deep South Writer's Conference, Lafayette, La, 1998

Honors and Awards

• Tucson Weekly, Best of Tucson, Ten Most Wanted, 1998
• Edgar Allen Poe Awards, Best Television Movie Panel, 1997

Professional Associations and Memberships

• University of Arizona Law College Association
  Member, Board of Directors
  
  
• Federal Bar Association, Tucson Chapter, President, 2007 - 2008
  
  

Past Employment Positions

• Karp, Heurlin & Weiss, Tucson, Arizona, Associate, 2001 - 2004
• Bonnett, Fairbourn, Friedman & Balint, Phoenix, Arizona, Associate, 2000 - 2001
• U.S. Senator Dennis DeConcini, Washington, Intern
• U.S. Senator Dennis DeConcini, Tucson, Intern
• Judge William Browning, Office of Senior District Court, Clerk
• Ellen Bublick, Assistant Professor, U of A College of Law, Research Assistant
• City Public Defender's Office, 38(c)
• Eugene Zlaket, 1999
• Arizona Center for Disability Law, Law Clerk, 1999

Pro Bono Activities

• Court Appointed Special Advocate, Juvenile Court, Judge Escher, 1997 - 2000
• Radio Program Host, The Western Reader, KXCI, 1992 - 1994
• 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Pro Bono Project Represented Petitioner on Appeal, Wrote Three Appellate Briefs and Argued Before a Three-Judge Panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, 1999 - 2000