James W. Ryan

Certified Estate & Trust Law Specialist
Phone - 602.277.2010
Email -
vCard

Jim is a founding partner of Frazer Ryan Goldberg & Arnold LLP. His practice is focused on sophisticated estate planning, estate administration and representation of the closely-held business owner - assisting them in corporate transactional and business planning.

Jim has been certified as a specialist in Estate & Trust Law by the Arizona Board of Legal Specialization since the inception of certification of this specialty in Arizona. He is a past chairman of the Estate and Trust Advisory Commission for the State Bar of Arizona - administering the annual certification test for applicants in Estate and Trust Law Specialty and served on the Committee for seven years. Jim is also a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. Jim served as the chairman of the Arizona Trust Code subcommittee to the Probate and Trust Section of the State Bar of Arizona for 4 years and is a member of the Probate and Trust Section Executive Council. The Arizona Trust Code project successfully concluded with its passage into law effective January 1, 2009. He has lectured on numerous occasions for the State Bar of Arizona, the Maricopa County Bar Association, the Arizona Society for CPAs, the Arizona Community Foundation, the Phoenix Tax Workshop, Arizona State University Alumni Association, the National Business Institute, the Arizona State Bar Convention and numerous Estate Planning Study Groups.

In addition to his passion for law, golf and music, Jim is a dedicated husband and father. He and his wife, Pam, are the proud parents of Timothy James Ryan (also an attorney at Frazer Ryan Goldberg & Arnold LLP) and Kathryn Anne Ryan Goodall, as well as proud grandparents of Ethan James Goodall, Keegan Goodall, Jackson Warren Ryan, and Samuel Timothy Ryan.

Jim is a five-time Super Lawyers® selectee and is listed in the current edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. He is among the top Estate and Trust Lawyers as ranked by Ranking Arizona's annual publication of the Arizona Business Magazine. He has been an AV* rated attorney with the highest ratings for legal ability and ethical standards for over twenty-eight years. Jim has recently been elected to the Board of Directors for the Bankers Trust Company of Phoenix.

Education

• Arizona State University College of Law - J.D. 1974
• University of Iowa - B.B.A. 1971

Memberships

• American College of Trust and Estate Counsel - Fellow
• State Bar of Arizona
• Maricopa County Bar Association
• Arizona Community Foundation Professional Advisory Board
• Arizona Community Foundation Annual Tax & Legal Seminar
• Central Arizona Estate Planning Council

Offices

• Chairman Arizona Community Foundation Professional Advisory Board
• Board of Directors, Bankers Trust Company of Phoenix
• Chairman of the Arizona Trust Code Sub Committee to the Probate and Trust Section of the State Bar
• Member of the Probate and Trust Section Executive Council, State Bar of Arizona
• Former Member of Board of Directors, Phoenix Country Club
• Past Chairman of Membership Committee, Phoenix Country Club
• President, First Christian Church Promise Endowment Fund, Inc.
• Chairman, Board of Trustees - First Christian Church of Phoenix
• Former Chairman, Estate & Trust Advisory Commission to State Bar of Arizona Board of Legal Specialization
• Past Chairman, Board of Elders of the First Christian Church of Phoenix
• Past President, Moon Valley Country Club
• Susan L. Drescher-Mulzet Foundation - Board of Directors
• Board Member Emeritas - Christian Care Companies
• Board of Director of the Davidson Family Foundation

* AV, BV and CV are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with Martindale-Hubbell certification procedure's standards and policies.