Birnbaum takes on associate dean responsibilities
<p>Gary L. Birnbaum, managing director of the Phoenix law firm Mariscal, Weeks, McIntyre & Friedlander, P.A., has been appointed associate dean for graduate studies and program development at ASU's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law.</p><separator></separator><p>Birnbaum has served as the managing director of the Phoenix law firm for the past 15 years, and he has significant experience in all aspects of commercial and real estate litigation. He serves as an adjunct professor at the College of Law, teaching courses on private property rights and advanced topics in business law.</p><separator></separator><p>“I am delighted with Gary's unparalleled energy, his exceptional intelligence and his exceptional knowledge of the legal community,” says Patricia White, the college's dean. “He will be an invaluable member of our team.”</p><separator></separator><p>Birnbaum says he is excited about the position.</p><separator></separator><p>“I started as an adjunct professor about five years ago, and I have greatly enjoyed the experience,” he says. “This was an opportunity to further solidify my relationship with the College of Law, to continue teaching and to become a more active participant in the ASU community.”</p><separator></separator><p>For the past year, Birnbaum has worked on behalf of the college with representatives of the College of Design, the W. P. Carey School of Business and the Del E. Webb School of Construction to formulate a transdisciplinary master of real estate development program, which will begin its first class in August.</p><separator></separator><p>Birnbaum says he will focus on the college's graduate programs, the new real estate development program, the use of adjunct faculty and the development of new programs.</p><separator></separator><p>Birnbaum graduated summa cum laude from the State University of New York at Binghamton and earned his law degree magna cum laude from Indiana University, where he served as articles editor of the <em>Indiana Law Journal. </em></p><separator></separator><p>He is listed in the <em>Best Lawyers in America </em>in the areas of business litigation, real estate and alternative dispute resolution, and he also is a well-known lecturer on various litigation, law practice management, and business and real estate valuation topics.</p><separator></separator><p>He has contributed to the “Commercial Real Estate Transactions Practice Manual,” published by the State Bar of Arizona, and is a contributing author of “Nichols on Eminent Domain,” the leading treatise in the eminent domain field. He also has served as chairman of the law practice management section of the State Bar of Arizona.</p><separator></separator><p>Birnbaum also is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the Order of the Coif, the national panel of arbitrators of the American Arbitration Association and the Counselors of Real Estate. He has been elected a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the College of Law Practice Management.</p><separator></separator><p>Birnbaum served two terms as president of Phoenix Theater, and he has been appointed by the mayor of Phoenix to serve on several city committees, including the city's bond committee. He also has been involved with efforts to preserve the Arizona Biltmore golf course.</p><separator></separator><p> </p><separator></separator><!-- InstanceEndEditable --></p>