Meet Your Attorney

FAMILY HISTORY

I was born in Mesa, and am a fourth-generation native Arizonan with ties back to Old Tombstone and the original settlers of Southeastern Arizona. In fact, my great grandfather Henry Alec Waters was "the first white child born in Cochise County" as printed on his birth certificate. Henry's mother operated the local bakery frequented by Doc Holiday, Wyatt, Virgil, and Morgan Earp, and the Clantons and McLaurys; and his father was a U.S. Calvaryman. My father and grandfather were both born in Southeastern Arizona, and my uncle still operates the family store opened in Safford in 1910. My family has operated a business continually in Arizona since the late 1800's. My mother was born in Prescott, and her family has also been in the Southwest for 100 years. With such extensive family ties to Arizona, I am in a unique position to understand the needs of Arizona businesses and families, and the State's legal and political structure.

PART OF THE COMMUNITY

I have strong ties to the local community. Prior to opening my own office, I was a local public school teacher at both the Elementary and Junior high levels. In addition to my teaching, I also coached Football each year, and recently helped sponsor the River Valley Vipers Pop Warner team as they went to Regional Finals in Torrey Pines, California. I assisted in various other school activities including taking the Science Club to the Grand Canyon and fundraising at the Cornfest. As an Eagle Scout, I am supportive of my sons' boy scout troop. I recently helped sponsor the K-9 unit of the local police department. I am active in my local church- come by my office and you'll see signs of the religious influence in my life. My wife was a Math teacher at River Valley High school, and is still teaching. My three children attend local schools.

After leaving education, I worked in Personal Injury, Probate and Estate Planning and all other practice areas of an extremely busy law firm. The high caseload and rigors of the work precluded individualized attention. The lack of personal attention to each client's case was the deciding factor in opening my own firm.

Frank T. Waters

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

I hold both Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Northern Arizona University in Southwestern History with additional focus on Political Science and Education. My wife and both of my parents also graduated from this regional college located in Flagstaff; which has local satellite offices to serve our county's population. I went to The University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) School of Law to see what other parts of the United States are like; but promptly returned to Arizona when law school ended.

Ole Miss is a fine school, which recently hosted the Obama/McCain Presidential debate. This highly traditional school is the fourth oldest Law School in the United States, and has been called the "Harvard of the South." Ole Miss provided me with an unmatchable law school education as I benefitted from the expertise of Johnny Cochran, Bobby DeLaughter and Myrlie Evers (Ghosts of Mississippi), and Alumnus John Grisham.

Attending Law school with three children was rigorous, but I still found time to enjoy watching a young Eli Manning and the rest of the Ole Miss football team whenever occasion permitted. My favorite areas in law school included torts (injury law), wills/estates, family law, alternative dispute resolution including mediation and settlements; and bankruptcy. I have brought my personal interests to my firm as I focus on these areas of law.

Frank T. Waters