Michael Pearson

I lived the first portion of my life in a small Ohio town adjacent to the Air Force Base where my father worked. I played most sports and worked through my high school years and football helped pay for my undergraduate education. Among other jobs I’ve worked on ranches and farms, a nursery, framed houses, assisted bricklayers, worked at an auto parts store and national tire chain, and was a bartender and bouncer while attending college. I also built several businesses before the term “entrepreneur” became commonplace. These life experiences shaped my desire to help those who often can’t help themselves. I became interested in law school in my mid-twenties. I was already working as an air traffic controller, a job I loved, when I decided to become an attorney. It became apparent to me that there were injustices that often occurred where folks were injured or harmed and they didn’t have a voice- let alone a way to get real help.

During law school a very well-known lawyer from a large firm in Phoenix, teaching a trial advocacy class, took an interest in my career path after he found out my mother was from the same small town in Kentucky. Knowing that I had a significant aviation background he opened the door for me to teach undergraduate and graduate law classes at Arizona State University. One of the reasons I continue to teach is that I enjoy helping and mentoring students as they try and “find their place” in the world. It’s tough when you are young and are looking for your career path. Exponentially so in today’s modern times where young adults are constantly bombarded by social media and peer pressure that leads to anxiety. In short, I teach because I realize that I would not have the opportunities I’ve had if it wasn’t for others who assisted me. I’m proud to say that many of my former students found “their place” in the aviation or legal fields. Nothing I have done is as fulfilling as helping someone achieve their dreams. A story of one of these students is here.

A large portion of my work involves free legal services. Assisting those that have been harmed- yet cannot afford traditional legal representation. I’ll often represent a client that has been significantly injured by a powerful entity or government that other attorneys discount or turn away because they don’t have the resources or ability to successfully handle the matter. I believe in making the community we live in more safe. Frankly, there are too many lawyers who will sue people without just cause. However, a lawsuit is often the only way to make sure people and entities comply with safety rules and regulations that make the community secure for us all. There is nothing worse than being hurt, harmed and feeling insignificant and helpless. I only take cases I strongly believe in and usually only handle 12-20 matters at a time while other attorneys may handle hundreds. This allows me to devote significant time to each client’s case.

Law may be incredibly fulfilling yet also extremely emotionally painful. Properly articulating the harms and losses suffered by clients that you’ve grown very close to is a very heavy burden. When a jury brings a fair and just verdict that will help those harmed recover a small sense of normalcy and that protects others there is no better feeling. A verdict that leaves someone helpless and whose life will never be the same due to injuries, loss of mobility and freedom, or loss of a loved one is crushing.

Over the years our firm has help countless people achieve justice. Our success is evident in decades of successful verdicts and settlements. We don’t advertise specific “successes” or recoveries because no amount of money can ever properly compensate an individual who has suffered harm or the loss of a loved one. It trivializes the harms our clients have suffered. While no reputable lawyer will promise an outcome- I do promise that no firm will work harder on our client’s behalf.

If you’re tired of my story and just want to know my legal background/qualifications some of the information is here.