Micalann C. Pepe primarily practices in the areas of insurance coverage and bad-faith litigation. Her diverse practice also includes commercial litigation, civil litigation, and transactional work. She has a wide-range of experience including medical marijuana, DUI, foreclosures, and workers’ compensation litigation. Before joining Jaburg Wilk, she successfully first-chaired multiple bench and jury trials with the City of Phoenix Prosecutor’s Office through a law student Rule 38(d) program.
She has been recognized as a “Rising Star” by Southwest Super Lawyers since 2015. Micalann was named as Litigation Counsel Associate Fellow and is a member of their Diversity Law Institute and Trial Law Institute. She was selected to American Bar Association TIPS Leadership Academy for 2018-2019. She is a currently a member of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel, and a member of "Women in the Law Liaison” for the AADC 2019-2020.
Micalann grew up in small-town South Dakota where she enjoyed the outdoors, hunting, fishing with her Grandpa, and learning the long-standing work ethic that the Mid-West is known for. She moved to Arizona to pursue dual degrees at Arizona State University, ultimately graduating magna cum laude with a B.A. in Women and Gender Studies and a B.S. in Finance from the W.P. Carey School of Business at ASU. Forever a Sun Devil, she continued her education at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, graduating cum laude and gaining admission to the Arizona State Bar in 2011. She is also admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court- District of Arizona, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
She began participating as a board member of the Arizona Association of Defense Counsel, Young Lawyers’ Division in 2011, and has served as Board’s Vice President, President and Executive Board Member, and currently serves on the AADC’s main board. She has co-authored and contributed to publications for the Defense Research Institute and the Claims & Litigation Management Alliance on various topics, mainly focusing on developments in insurance law. Micalann was chosen as a participant in the inaugural class of the AADC’s “Ladder Down” program which focused on honing leadership, business development, and mentoring skills for women lawyers. She has been very active with the American Bar Association, Tort Trial & Insurance Practice’s Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee and is currently serving as a Vice Chair of the ICLC and Co-Chair of the ICLC’s Midyear Meeting.
Awards and Recognition
-Best Lawyers in America, Ones to Watch, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
-Phoenix Magazine - Top Lawyer, Insurance, 2022, 2023, 2024
-Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel, Member, 2019
-American Bar Association TIPS Leadership Academy 2018-2019
-Southwest Super Lawyer, 2024, 2025
-Southwest Super Lawyer, Rising Star 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023
-Martindale-Hubbell, Rated AV Preeminent
-Named Associate Fellow of Litigation Council of America
-Recognition of Excellence as Litigation Council of America, Associate Fellow
Professional Affiliations
- American Bar Association TIPS ICLC, Chair, 2023
- Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC), Insurance Industry Institute Co-Chair, 2023
- Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC), Insurance Coverage Section, Vice Chair, 2023
- Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC), Projects and Objectives Committee, Vice Chair, 2023
- Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC), Membership Development Committee, Vice Chair, 2023
- President of the Arizona Association of Defense Counsel.
- Membership Vice Chair: Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee, 2021
-Diversity Vice Chair: Property Insurance Committee, 2021-Vice Chair: Self-Insurers and Risk Managers Committee, 2021
-Member: Revenue Enhancement Standing Committee, 2021
-Member: Diversity and Inclusion Standing Committee, 2021
-Editor: TortSource Editorial Board, 2021
-Faculty member for Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC) Commercial and General Liability 2021 Bootcamp
-AADC, "Women in the Law Liaison", 2019-2020
-Litigation Counsel of America, Diversity Law Institute, Member, 2019
-Litigation Counsel of America, Trial Law Institute, Member, 2019
-Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel, Member, 2019
-American Bar Association TIPS Vice Chair Property Insurance Law Committee 2019-2020
-American Bar Association TIPS Vice Chair Self-Insurers and Risk Managers General -Committee 2019-2020
-ABA TIPS Diversity and Inclusion Standing Committee and ABA Tips Revenue Enhancement Standing Committee
-Arizona Association of Defense Counsel, Board Member, 2017- Present
-Arizona Association of Defense Counsel, Judicial Selection Committee, 2017-Present
-Arizona Association of Defense Counsel, Young Lawyers’ Division, President, 2016-2017
-Arizona Association of Defense Counsel, Young Lawyers’ Division, Vice President, 2015-2016
-Arizona Association of Defense Counsel, Young Lawyers’ Division Executive Board Member, 2011-2017
-Maricopa County Bar Association-American Bar Association, Young Lawyers’ Division
-ABA Tort Trial & Insurance Practice, Member
-ABA TIPS, Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee, Member 2015- Present
-ABA TIPS, Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee, Vice Chair 2017-Present
-ABA TIPS, Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee, Mid-Year Planning Committee, 2015-Present
-ABA TIPS, Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee, Mid-Year Dine-Around Coordinator, 2015-Present
-ABA TIPS, Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee, Mid-Year Toolbox Co-Coordinator, 2017-Present
-ABA TIPS, Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee, Service Project Coordinator, 2017-Present
-Defense Research Institute, Member, Blog Contributor, 2011-2016
-Ladder Down: A Women’s Leadership Program-Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International
Court Admissions
-Arizona-Arizona District Court
-Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
