Quarles Announces New Leaders of Health & Life Sciences, Real Estate and Product Liability Practice Groups
The national law firm of Quarles & Brady LLP announced today new leaders for three of its practice groups.
Brenda Maloney Shafer has been named national chair of the firm’s Health & Life Sciences Practice Group, succeeding Amy Cotton Peterson, who was elected to the firm’s governing executive committee. Simone Colgan Dunlap will become vice chair of the group. Both are based in the firm’s Phoenix office.
Diane Haller will become national chair of the Real Estate Practice Group, with current chair Mary Ann Murray joining Quarles’ executive committee. Eric Wanner will assume the role of national vice chair. Haller and Wanner are based in Phoenix.
Additionally, Mark Kircher, located in Milwaukee, has been appointed national chair of the Product Liability Practice Group, taking over from Josh Fleming.
The moves are effective immediately.
“We put a lot of thought into leadership development, from the moment someone starts with the firm, and that commitment puts us in position to enjoy effective leadership transitions,” said Mike Aldana, Quarles managing partner and chair of the executive committee. “Our Health & Life Sciences, Real Estate and Product Liability teams have been key contributors to our sustained success over the last several years, and that momentum will continue under the leadership of Diane, Mark, Brenda, Simone and Eric.”
Maloney Shafer, who previously was the group’s vice chair, guides an array of health care providers on regulatory, compliance and transactional matters. A U.S. Army Nurse Corps officer prior to her legal career, Maloney Shafer is a member of the ABA Legal Assistance for Military Section’s Standing Committee and has previously served as vice chair of both the ABA Health Law Section’s Life Sciences Interest Group and the ABA Health Law Section’s Veterans and Military Health Task Force.
Colgan Dunlap counsels on health care regulatory compliance, related risk management and corporate/contracting matters. She was selected to Best Lawyers in America (Health Care Law) in 2024 and was named a Southwest Super Lawyers “Rising Star” (Health Care) from 2017-2019.
Advising clients on highly complex commercial real estate transactions including development and financing, Haller has been repeatedly recognized as a leading real estate attorney. Her honors include being selected multiple times as Best Lawyers in America “Lawyer of the Year” (Phoenix Real Estate Law), Chambers USA ranked in Real Estate each year since 2004 and named to AZ Business Magazine’s “Top 100 Lawyers in Arizona” in 2016, 2017 and 2021.
Wanner guides clients across the country on a broad range of commercial real estate transactions for developments such as luxury multifamily communities, office buildings, retail centers and industrial parks. He was named to Southwest Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” (Real Estate) in 2023 and Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch” in 2021.
Representing and defending national and international manufacturers, Kircher has tried more than 70 civil trials to verdict in almost half the states in the U.S. He was named Best Lawyers in America “Lawyer of the Year” (Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants) in 2018 and has been selected to Best Lawyers in America (Personal Injury Litigation -- Defendants; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants) each year since 2003. He also is Martindale-Hubbell AV-Preeminent Peer Review Rated and a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.