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 other roles on the firm’s Executive Committee. Mr. Sparks has earned Martindale-Hubbell’s highest AV® PreeminentTM 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, tax and accounting malpractice, insurance defense, liquor liability, employment matters, 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.

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. Representative asbestos and product liability clients include Honeywell International, Yarway (a Tyco entity), Elliott Equipment Company, Buffalo Pumps, Inc., ADT and Lincoln Electric.

Mr. Sparks is frequently called upon to handle complex insurance coverage matters for insurance carriers. He has significant experience authoring coverage opinions and representing insurers in complex bad faith matters, as well as handling additional insured issues, personal injury claims, construction disputes, and primary/excess coverage issues. He also devotes his time to representing insurance companies in connection with Damron and Morris Agreements under Arizona law. Mr. Sparks has been listed in Best’s Recommended Insurance Attorneys for 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. Representative insurance clients include Fidelity National Insurance Company, Admiral Insurance Company, Burlington Insurance Company and Armed Forces Insurance Company.

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 serves as general counsel for several 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 ten 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.