Early Years
Adam was born in Southern California, the son of Polish immigrants. “My parents sacrificed tremendously to build the American dream. They taught me the importance of hard work, perseverance and helping others.”
After his family moved to Arizona, Adam finished his elementary school education in Phoenix and attended high school at Brophy College Preparatory. He then attended Arizona State University, where he graduated summa cum laude in three years with a Bachelor of Science in Economics. While attending college, he worked part-time and was involved in university activities.
It was during college that Adam decided to go to law school. “It dawned on me what a huge role the law plays in our lives. Buying a house, driving a car, paying taxes…so much of we do in life is influenced by laws or has potential legal implications. Since the law has such a significant impact on our society, I thought that if I could understand it better, I could help make a positive difference in people’s lives.” Adam’s motivation was reinforced by his involvement in a mock trial program, and his service in the ASU Student Senate as an elected Senator from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Law School
Adam obtained his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree, cum laude, from Harvard Law School (in the same graduating class as President Barack Obama and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch). While at Harvard, he was Senior Editor of the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy. “Law school helped me understand how the legal process can be used to make the world a better place. Sometimes it’s on a large scale, like national public policies that help millions of people. Sometimes it’s a lawsuit or transaction that helps an individual person or business.”
Practicing Law
After law school, Adam went to work at Gallagher and Kennedy, one of the largest and most prestigious law firms in Phoenix. He was subsequently voted to be a partner at the law firm. At Gallagher and Kennedy, Adam worked in a variety of areas, including business transactions, real estate and commercial and injury litigation. As time went on, he focused his practice on litigation, and he helped grow the firm’s plaintiff’s personal injury practice.
“My first personal injury case was my own. I was still a young lawyer when my car was totaled in a car crash. I was pretty beat up and had to spend the night in the hospital. Since I was defending personal injury lawsuits at the time, I handled the case myself. That experience helped me to decide that I wanted to apply my energy and focus to pursuing justice for others who have been injured. I thought a first-hand understanding of how big corporations and insurance companies defend cases will help me be a better plaintiffs’ injury lawyer.”
Current Practice
Adam is currently the managing attorney at Studnicki Law Firm. He has recovered over $100 million for clients in personal injury cases. (See examples of Adam’s case results.)
Holistic Approach
Adam brings a holistic approach to the practice of law. Each client’s particular legal problem is normally only one aspect of a larger situation.
“Your legal situation is usually only one part of the puzzle, and there can be other things you have to consider. You can’t pretend the other pieces of the puzzle don’t exist.”
Adam combines his legal knowledge and experience, with his real-world experience and applied wisdom, to help find creative, common sense, pragmatic, holistic and successful solutions to problems.
Contact Adam to learn more about your legal options.
EDUCATION
- Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Juris Doctorate with Honors (Cum Laude)
- Senior Editor, Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy
- Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
- Bachelor of Science, Economic, with Highest Honors (Summa Cum Laude)
- Numerous awards and distinctions, including:
- Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities
BAR and COURT ADMISSIONS
- Arizona, 1991
- U.S. District Court, District of Arizona, 1991
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, 1993
- U.S. Supreme Court, 2015
AWARDS, RECOGNITIONS and MEMBERSHIPS (Present and Past)
- Selected to Super Lawyers
- Selected to Best Lawyers
- Top 100 Trial Lawyer, The National Trial Lawyers
- Martindale-Hubbell’s highest national peer review rating (AV Preeminent – 5.0 out of 5.0) for legal ability and ethical standards
- Superb (10.0 out of 10.0) Rating from Avvo
- Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers
- Registry of America’s Most Honored Professionals
- American Association of Justice (American Trial Lawyers Association)
- Judge Pro Tem, Maricopa County Superior Court
- Board of Directors, Arizona Trial Lawyers Association
- Recognized as a Top Business Lawyer in Arizona
- State Bar of Arizona
- United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Appellate Pro Bono Program
- Arizona Court of Appeals, Division One, Appellate Pro Bono Program
- Arizona Court of Appeals, Division Two, Appellate Pro Bono Program
- Phi Beta Kappa
- Harvard Club
- Founding Member and Executive Committee, Phoenix Children’s Hospital Miracle Makers
- Friends of Compas (Combined Metropolitan Phoenix Arts and Sciences)
- Multiple Who’s Who Designations
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS (past)
- Adjunct Professor of Law, Arizona Summit Law School
REPORTED CASES
- Coleman v. Amon, 498 P.3d 638 (Ariz. App. 2021)
- Rodriguez v. Wise, No. 1 CA-CV 16-0331 (Ariz. App. 2017)
- Abbott v. Banner Health Network, 239 Ariz. 409, 372 P.3d 933 (Ariz. 2016)
- Golonka v. General Motors, 204 Ariz. 575, 65 P.3d 956 (Ariz. App. 2003)
LANGUAGES
- Fluent in Polish
- Some Spanish
PATENTS
PERSONAL
- Piano
- Tennis
- Skiing
- Scuba diving
- Hiking
- Traveling
- Meditation
- Yoga
