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Joel W. Nomkin

Profile photo for Joel W. Nomkin
Profile photo for Joel W. Nomkin
Of Counsel

Joel W. Nomkin

  • Phoenix
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Joel has more than 40 years of experience in high-stakes appellate practice and commercial litigation.

Joel Nomkin served on the Appellate Staff of the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and is a fellow in the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers and a member of the American Law Institute. He has held several leadership positions within Perkins Coie, including as a member of its Management Committee, managing partner of the Phoenix office, and chair of the firmwide Appeals, Issues, and Strategy practice. In addition to his active appellate practice, Joel litigates cases at the trial level on a spectrum of business and public law issues and advises clients on risk management strategies.

Education & Credentials

Education

  • Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., cum laude, Editor, Law and Policy in International Business, 1979
  • Beloit College, B.A., magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, 1976

Bar and Court Admissions

  • Arizona
  • Supreme Court of the United States
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona

Related Employment

  • Department of Justice, Civil Division, Appellate Staff, 1986-1987
  • Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Trial Attorney, 1982-1986
  • Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Associate, Washington, D.C., 1980-1982

Clerkships

  • Hon. R. Anderson, III, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

Professional Recognition

  • Listed in Chambers USA as "America's Leading Lawyer" for Litigation: Appellate, 2020-2024

  • Named by Best Lawyers as Phoenix’s “Appellate Practice Lawyer of the Year," 2016; "Bet-the-Company Litigation Lawyer of the Year," 2021, 2024

  • American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, Fellow, 2010-present 

  • Listed in Best Lawyers in America: Appellate Practice; Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation, 2007-2024

  • Selected by Southwest Super Lawyers as one of the "Top 50 in Arizona," 2014, 2025

  • Listed in Southwest Super Lawyers, Business Litigation and Appellate, 2007-2025

  • Listed in Benchmark Appellate's Guide to America’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys as an Appellate Litigation Star for the 9th Circuit

  • *Peer Review Rated AV Preeminent in Martindale-Hubbell 
    (AV® Preeminent ™ and BV® Distinguished™ are certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies.)

Impact

Professional Leadership

  • American Bar Foundation, Life Fellow
  • American Law Institute, Member
  • Arizona Center for Law in the Public Interest, Board Member
  • American Bar Association, Fellow
  • Arizona Court of Appeals, Former Judge Pro Tempore
  • ASU Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Adjunct Professor, 2014-Present (teaches Federal Courts and The Federal System)
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