Charles W. Wirken

Charles (Chas) Wirken’s extensive appellate experience coupled with his expertise has earned the respect of his peers and appellate judges, as indicated by his election as a Fellow in the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, inclusion in Best Lawyers in America® in the Appellate Law category, and listings in Chambers USA “America’s Leading Lawyers” for Litigation: Appellate and the Appellate practice category of Southwest Super Lawyers®.

Having briefed and argued nearly 200 appeals involving a broad range of cases and issues in both state and federal appellate courts, Chas has become a valuable resource to trial lawyers inside and outside of Gust Rosenfeld. He has served as a judge pro tem of the Arizona Court of Appeals and co-founded the State Bar Appellate Practice Section. A true “lawyer’s lawyer,” Chas regularly shares his knowledge with other lawyers as a faculty member of the State Bar’s Appellate Practice Institute.

In 2009, Chas successfully petitioned the United States Supreme Court to hear the case of United Student Aid Funds, Inc. vs. Espinosa. He was the primary draftsman of the briefs that led to a favorable decision that settled the procedural requirements for the discharge of student loan debt in bankruptcy cases. In 2017 he argued the case of Howell v. Howell to the Court.