John Hay, who counsels the Firm, focuses his general corporate and commercial law practice on representing small and medium-sized businesses, including insurance companies, banks, franchisors, and franchisees. He works with business clients on formation, financing, and relationships and contracts with vendors, customers and lenders. He also provides counsel on dealings with regulatory agencies, relationships among owners, mergers and acquisitions and intellectual property matters, including trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets.
A member of the state bar committees that drafted the 1976 and 1996 Arizona Business Corporation laws, the Arizona Entity Restructuring Act, and the 2019 Arizona Limited Liability Company Act, John has published numerous articles and been a speaker at seminars on corporate law. He was a member of the state bar committee that prepared the current (2004) report used by Arizona lawyers on rendering legal opinions in business and financing transactions.
John has been a member of the Alternative Business Structures Committee, which was appointed by the Arizona Supreme Court in 2021.
John is an American Arbitration Association-accredited and approved arbitrator and mediator. He has handled ADR proceedings in commercial disputes involving franchising, non-competes, contracts, business formation, financing, and intellectual property.
John has been a member of the American Bar Association Forum on Franchising since its inception in 1978. He has written articles and made presentations about franchising from the perspective of both franchisees and franchisors. John has represented insurers and reinsurers in corporate and regulatory matters since 1966, and was a member of the Arizona Life and Disability Insurance Guaranty Fund Board, a part of the Arizona Insurance Department, from 1984 to 1995.
John is recognized in the Franchising Law category of The Best Lawyers in America® (1995 – present). In addition, he was listed under the Business/Corporate category of the 2007 and 2008 Southwest Super Lawyers® magazine. John Hay is AV® Preeminent™ rated by Martindale-Hubbell®, representing the highest rating in legal ability and ethical standards.
Professional Associations
• State Bar of Arizona (member, Fee Arbitration Committee; member, Business Law, Intellectual Property and Securities Regulations Sections)
• American Bar Association (Forum on Franchising)
• District of Columbia Bar Association
• Maricopa County Bar Association
• Association of Life Insurance Counsel
• Arizona Licensor/Franchisor Association (secretary, treasurer and former president)
• Arizona Life and Disability Insurance Guaranty Fund (former chairman, Board of Directors)
• Small Business Council of the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce (former member, Transportation Committee; former chairman, Arts and Culture Task Force)
• University of Colorado School of Law (former member, Law Alumni Board)
• Community Legal Services (former President)
• Arizona Town Hall
Presentations and Publications
• Faculty member, lecturer and author for State Bar of Arizona, American Bar Association Forum on Franchising, Small Business Administration, and trade associations on franchising and corporate law, including more than 40 seminars for lawyers, clients and business professionals.
• Speaker, “Advising Entity Management – Fiduciary Duties,” State Bar of Arizona, 2012
• Faculty presenter, “Course on Professionalism,” State Bar of Arizona, January 2004, August 2009
• Speaker, “1996 Arizona Business Corporation Act,” State Bar of Arizona, CLE By the Sea, 1997
• Speaker, “1996 Arizona Business Corporation Act,” State Bar of Arizona, Phoenix, 1996
• Presenter, “Representing Franchisees,” 19th Annual Forum on Franchising, American Bar Association, 1996
• Presenter, “Special Sales Compliance Problems of the New/Smaller Franchisor,” 10th Annual Forum on Franchising, American Bar Association, 1987
• Presenter, “Establishment of a Franchise System,” 1st Annual Forum on Franchising, American Bar Association, 1978
• Speaker, “1976 Arizona Business Corporation Act,” State Bar of Arizona, Tucson, 1976
• Author, Arizona Corporate Practice, Thompson West (1996, supplemented annually)
• Author, Arizona Nonprofit Corporations, Art Law Committee of the State Bar of Arizona (1979, revised 1999)
• Author, “The New Arizona Business Corporation Act,” 17 Arizona Law Review 559 (1976)
• Author, “Government Regulation of Real Estate Franchising,” 12 Real Property, Probate and Trust Journal 580 (1977)
• Author, “Franchising: An Only Sometime Solution,” 1 Practical Approach to Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights 59 (1979)
• Author, “Representing Franchisees,” ABA Forum on Franchising (1996)
