J. Steven "Steve" Sparks

Steve Sparks joined Sanders & Parks in 1995 and is a Shareholder and Director. He serves as the firm's Vice President and has previously served on the firm's Executive Committee. Mr. Sparks has earned Martindale-Hubbell's highest AV® Preeminent rating and has been honored by AVVO (a peer-reviewed professional organization) with its highest rating – Superb Rated Attorney. He is licensed to practice law in both Arizona and California and maintains an active practice in both jurisdictions.

Mr. Sparks' practice focuses on complex civil litigation, primarily in the areas of insurance coverage and insurance bad faith, asbestos and toxic torts, liquor liability/dram shop, tax and accounting malpractice, insurance defense, employment, personal injury, and product liability. He is a member of the State Bar of Arizona, the State Bar of California, Maricopa County Bar Association, Defense Research Institute and Arizona Association of Defense Counsel.

Mr. Sparks is frequently called upon to tackle complex insurance coverage and bad faith matters for insurance carriers. He has significant experience authoring coverage opinions and litigating complex bad faith matters from start to finish. Mr. Sparks also handles additional-insured and primary/excess coverage issues, and has particular expertise in the area of Damron and Morris Agreements (consent judgments). Mr. Sparks has been listed in Best's Recommended Insurance Attorneys for more than ten years.

Mr. Sparks is also regularly assigned to represent insureds in all varieties of tort matters, including motor vehicle accidents, premises liability, product liability and negligence claims.

For many years, Mr. Sparks has led a team of Sanders & Parks attorneys in defending complex asbestos litigation matters for a wide variety of national and international product manufacturers and suppliers, as well as premises owners and employers. He is regularly called upon to litigate claims arising out of alleged occupational or non-occupational exposures to asbestos-containing products and allegations of disease, including lung cancer and mesothelioma. Such claims involve a wide array of products, including brake linings and other friction material, valves, pumps, gaskets and household products.

Mr. Sparks is a seasoned trial attorney with a diverse practice involving matters alleging product liability (e.g., off-road vehicles, electrical equipment, asbestos-containing products), personal injury and wrongful death, premises liability, public entity issues involving schools and municipalities, and professional negligence, including accounting and tax advisor malpractice. Mr. Sparks has defended accounting, legal and tax professionals in cases involving nearly $100 million in alleged damages associated with the implementation of allegedly deficient tax advice. Mr. Sparks also represents insurance agents and brokers in professional negligence matters.

Mr. Sparks also serves as general counsel for several small businesses throughout the state, and provides advice and representation on business-related issues including transactional matters, contract drafting/review and employment disputes.

Mr. Sparks is licensed to practice in the State of Arizona and the State of California. He is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court, District of Arizona, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California, U.S. District Court, Central District of California and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

For more than fifteen years, Mr. Sparks has volunteered his time with the Arizona High School Mock Trial program and has served as the head coach of the highly successful Brophy Mock Trial Team.