Dean Brekke Email and Phone Number

Assisting fiduciary management staff with legal issues related to various estate administration services.

Estate Planning: analyzing needs and creating trusts, wills and powers of attorney. Probate: handling formal and informal probate proceedings, guardianships and conservatorships. Estate Administration: providing legal support for estate and trust administration, including litigation.

General practice law firm providing legal advice and services in civil litigation, estate planning and administrative law. I am building a practice in estate planning and probate while continuing to exercise that which I know, civil litigation. I handle primarily defense cases in product liability and medical malpractice and professional healthcare licensing and regulation matters.

From October 2001 to December 2008, I represented the Arizona Medical Board and the Arizona Board of Physician Assistants. I was the lead attorney handling litigation matters relating to the licensing and regulation of physicians and physician assistants. I advised Board staff during investigation of licensees. I prepared cases involving serious discipline for administrative hearing, conducted the hearings and handled all appeals. From February 1995 to October 2001, I represented the Arizona Department of Corrections in prisoner civil rights litigation and in all mental health issues. I reviewed inmate complaints involving claims of civil rights violations, conducted discovery, handled all pleadings, trials, and appeals, primarily in federal district court. I managed the class action "Gluth vs. ADOC" and negotiated a settlement that involved the termination of a long-standing Consent Agreement that imposed stringent guidelines for providing inmates with legal access assistance. I handled the majority of healthcare related claims.I also handled all mental health cases within the department, advising staff and conducting involuntary commitment proceedings. I advised the Director and staff about the implementation of the Department's obligation under the Sexually Violent Persons Act.

I was appointed to serve as Magistrate Judge in the Third Judicial Circuit in South Dakota. I handled both criminal and civil proceedings. In criminal court, I was responsible for all initial appearances, preliminary hearings and trial for all class 1 and 2 misdemeanors. In civil court, I handled all small claims cases through trial and any other civil action under $5,000 in damages. I was the juvenile intake officer, responsible for making a determination of placement of all juvenile arrestees pending court appearance. I also served as the chair of the mental health board for several counties, determining placement of mentally ill citizens and conducting commitment and evaluation proceedings.I developed a process for tracking and collection of unpaid fines and restitution that significantly reduced the outstanding balance. I worked with local social service agencies to establish a program to follow and counsel domestic violence offenders.I was appointed to the Magistrate review commission by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The commission reviewed the statutory authority for the position and reviewed the case workload of each position in the state. The commission made recommendations, that were subsequently implemented, that reallocated resources to handle the busiest courts and corrected salary inequities.

I was referred petitions for modification of child support obligations by circuit court judges. I would schedule and conduct hearings and make recommendations to the court.I assisted the Supreme Court administrator in developing forms for the newly created position and helped develope a calculation software.