Dickinson Wright PLLC

183 Best Lawyers awards

Dickinson Wright PLLC logo

Awarded Practice Areas

Arbitration Commercial Litigation Employment Law - Management Litigation - Labor and Employment

Biography

As leader of the Labor and Employment Practice Group in Dickinson Wright’s Phoenix office, Sam Coffman has over 30 years of experience counseling employers in all areas of employment law, including management and labor practices, hiring, discipline, terminations, terms of employment, and the review and drafting of employment policies, manuals and employee contracts. His strong employment-related litigation background includes representing clients in Title VII claims, breach of contract of employment, wrongful discharge, fraud, defamation and other employment-related torts, and restrictive covenants.

Mr. Coffman also focuses his practice on municipal law, commercial litigation, and tribal law. He serves as General Counsel for the Maricopa Association of Governments and has defended lawsuits brought against municipalities in development, employment and commercial litigation matters. He has litigated development agreements, defended title claims, defended and prosecuted landlord tenant cases and has represented Indian tribes, tribal enterprises, and gaming operations.

Dickinson Wright PLLC

183 Best Lawyers awards

Dickinson Wright PLLC logo

Overview

  • The University of Arizona, J.D., graduated 1987
  • The University of Arizona, J.D., graduated 1987

Client Testimonials

What sets Sam Coffman apart from many attorneys (and I actually worked with attorneys for over 20 years) is his ability and willingness to speak like a business or HR professional would speak, and not like a lawyer. He understands and carefully considers our perspective, but ultimately, he coaches us to make the right decision for our organization. Sam helped us navigate through some challenging issues last year, and he did it with great integrity and sensitivity to our valuesl. He responded to messages and timelines promptly, and the quality of his work product was outstanding, giving us much success. I would definitely recommend him to other businesses or individuals needing solid legal representation.

What sets Sam apart from many attorneys (and I actually worked with attorneys for over 20 years) is his ability and willingness to speak like a business or HR professional would speak, and not like a lawyer, if that makes sense. He understands and carefully considers our perspective, but ultimately, coaches us to make the right decision for our organization. Sam helped us navigate through some challenging issues last year and he did it with great integrity and sensitivity to our values as well. He responded to messages and timelines promptly, and the quality of his work product was outstanding, giving us much success. I would definitely recommend him to other businesses or individuals needing solid legal representation.

Deborah Wahl (ESS (Environmental Support Solutions, Inc.))

I have worked with Sam in regard to my real estate company and other businesses for over twenty years. When needed, Sam has been decisive and effective in obtaining positive results for me in court. On the other hand, he understands that litigation is expensive and time consuming and has always worked with me to resolve or avoid legal disputes whenever possible. I would definitely recommend Sam to anyone who needs a lawyer to provide consistently outstanding legal services.

Awards & Focus

Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for work in:
  • Arbitration
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Employment Law - Management
  • Litigation - Labor and Employment
Additional Areas of Practice:
  • Labor Law - Management
  • Labor Law - Union

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