After a serious attack, many Arizona families start searching for a lawyer and come across The Haggard Law Firm and attorney Michael A. Haggard, whose practice centers on negligent-security cases nationwide. The next question is natural. The firm is in Florida. How can it help with something that happened in Phoenix, Tucson, or a small town in between?
The answer lies in a common, court-approved arrangement that pairs a national specialist with a lawyer licensed in Arizona.
Where the firm is licensed
To be direct about it: The Haggard Law Firm is based in Coral Gables, Florida. Michael A. Haggard is licensed to practice law in Florida. He is not licensed in Arizona.
That matters, because only lawyers admitted in Arizona, or permitted by an Arizona court to appear in a particular case, can represent clients in Arizona litigation. Any Arizona matter the firm takes on is handled together with local counsel admitted in Arizona.
What co-counsel means for you
In a co-counsel arrangement, two law firms work on the same case for the same client. The Arizona attorney brings a state license, familiarity with local courts and procedure, and the ability to file in Arizona. The national firm brings depth in one specialized area, in this case negligent security and crime-victim litigation, which is the core of the Haggard firm's practice.
Because of the national reputation the firm has built in this field, Mr. Haggard regularly joins Arizona cases in exactly this way.
What pro hac vice means
Pro hac vice is Latin for "for this occasion." It describes a request asking a court to let an out-of-state lawyer appear in one specific case. Where a court's rules allow it, Mr. Haggard seeks this admission for the individual Arizona case he is working on. It is limited to that case and does not amount to a general Arizona license.
Why specialized experience matters here
Negligent-security law has its own patterns. Arizona expects property owners to guard against crimes by third parties that they could reasonably anticipate, a principle the state Supreme Court addressed in Martinez v. Woodmar. Arizona treats foreseeability as defining how much security a property owner needed, and it generally lets a jury decide whether the owner acted reasonably.
Winning on those questions takes a particular kind of investigation: crime histories, security staffing records, prior complaints, and expert testimony on what reasonable security looks like for a given property. The Haggard firm has handled nearly 500 negligent-security cases nationwide and secured a $102.7 million verdict, the largest negligent-security verdict in U.S. history.
Arizona rules your legal team will apply
Whatever team handles your case, these Arizona rules will shape it:
- Separate claim. You sue the property owner for inadequate security, independent of any criminal case against the attacker.
- Two-year window. Negligence and personal injury claims are generally due two years from the incident; wrongful-death claims, two years from the date of death.
- Pure comparative fault. Any share of fault assigned to you reduces the award but does not bar it, unless you intentionally caused the harm.
- No cap on compensatory damages. Arizona's constitution forbids any law that limits what can be recovered for an injury or a death. A grieving family's claim can cover funeral expenses plus the support and companionship the person would have provided.
Questions worth asking any legal team
Whether you choose this firm or another, it is reasonable to ask a few things before signing anything:
- Who will actually work on my case day to day, and who is the Arizona-licensed lawyer of record?
- How many negligent-security cases has the team handled, and what kinds of properties were involved?
- How will you find out about prior crimes and complaints at the property?
- What experts do these cases usually need, and who pays for them up front?
- How will you keep me updated, and how quickly do you return calls?
A team that answers these questions plainly is giving you a preview of how it will treat you once the case is underway. Clear answers about who holds the Arizona license, in particular, should never be hard to get.
Can you call the firm directly?
Yes. If you were shot or stabbed, or lost a loved one to a preventable crime in Arizona, you can contact The Haggard Law Firm yourself. You do not need to find local counsel first. The firm will review your case for free and, where it makes sense, associate with a qualified Arizona attorney to move it forward.
What the arrangement costs
Nothing up front. The firm works on contingency, so attorney's fees are owed only if compensation is recovered. If there is no recovery, there is no fee.
A practical next step
Evidence in these cases fades fast, especially surveillance video. Whether you are in Phoenix, Tucson, or anywhere else in Arizona, the sooner the case is reviewed, the more can be preserved. The office can be reached at (305) 446-5700 for a free, confidential consultation or by visiting https://crimevictim.attorney/negligent-security/arizona/.
This content is attorney advertising for general informational use only. It is not legal advice and forms no attorney-client relationship. Michael A. Haggard is licensed in Florida. Prior case results do not ensure a comparable outcome.
