their estate planning, asset protection planning and retirement planning needs, which led him to earning his pilot’s license so he could fly from the Valley to Payson, Prescott and even Sedona for meetings on any given day and still be home for dinner with the family. “We clearly filled a need in smaller cities across Arizona.” Case in point, by 2014 Dana had satellite offices littered in 13 cities and towns in addition to the flagship headquarter office in the Airpark.
Saddling up in the office
Speaking of the Scottsdale flagship office, it is among the most uniquely— and lovingly—decorated in the Airpark. Decidedly rustic with a clear Scottsdale chicness and sophistication, much of the natural wood that gives the office its charm is from Dana’s father’s old barn and corral, including his desk. “When you walk in, the first thing people often notice—aside from the woodwork—is the framed photo of my dad, Harvey Hyrum Dana, atop his horse,” says Dana, who displays the image above a genuine Old West saddle in a clear homage to both Dana’s heritage and Arizona’s. These themes don’t end there. “Each of the conference rooms in our 6,000-square-foot space are named for two of Arizona’s most famous cities from the Old West—the Prescott Room and the Tombstone Room,” says Dana. “And, almost all of the artwork in the space has been done by Western artists, including some notable watercolors done by artist and Western actor Buck Taylor, of ‘Tombstone’ and ‘Gunsmoke’ fame.” The only non-Western pieces, in fact, are a massive family portrait of Dana with his wife of nearly 40 years, Nancy, children and grandchildren and several photos and plaques thanking Dana for his community service and leadership.
Matt Dana and his wife, Nancy, in front of a family portrait. & Brady in 2014, our team’s ability to give back has grown exponentially,” says Dana. “Through the Quarles Cares volunteer initiatives, the firm provides opportunities for attorneys and staff to commit themselves personally to civic and charitable efforts.” According to Dana, through this program, Quarles & Brady’s Phoenix office coordinates a variety of ongoing, annual, and one-time events with his Scottsdale team as part of its mission to provide volunteer experiences that have wide appeal to its staff and attorneys, and a wide reach across the community. As a result, they’ve been able to impact organizations from Big Brothers Big Sisters to Make-a-Wish to the Girl Scouts in some very big ways.
Saddling up to Quarles & Brady
Dana’s partnership with Quarles & Brady goes far deeper than just community outreach initiatives though. “Although I loved managing Dana Law Firm, as we grew, a part of me missed
focusing all of my attention on clients,” says Dana, who met with Quarles & Brady office managing partner Nicole Stanton in mid-2014 to plant the seeds for a formal business partnership. By November 2014, Dana and his Scottsdale firm—including long-time Dana Law Firm partners and fellow business leaders Trevor S. Whiting and Todd Smith—joined Quarles & Brady in its Estate, Trust & Wealth Preservation Group, effectively making Dana’s Airpark law office Quarles & Brady’s first formal office in Scottsdale. “Through our alignment, our attorneys are now able to tap into and work with the nation’s top legal minds as we plan every stage of life for our clients,” Dana says. “This national presence is particularly important as many of our clients have homes, businesses and financial commitments in several states. Being back in the saddle again with clients full time is proving to be the ride of a lifetime, one for which this old cowboy is eternally grateful.”
Saddling up in the community
A member of the professional advisory board for the Phoenix Theatre and a longtime Scottsdale Rotarian, Dana is a past board member of Phoenix Suns Charities, the Scottsdale Healthcare Foundation and the Arizona Community Foundation. His firm is also a staunch supporter of all things maroon and gold, a formal “Partner of ASU Athletics,” and together his Scottsdale team hosted a radio program on 1510AM for more than five years, providing tips and advice on finances to listeners across Maricopa County. “And since partnering with Quarles August 2016 Scottsdale Airpark News |
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