Gregory J. Benner, Ph.D - Helen and Pat O’Sullivan Professor, University of Alabama

Dr. Benner has a knack for grassroots collective impact - getting whole communities including families, child welfare, mental health, and schools on the same page to meet needs of the whole child. In February 2018, he received the Presidents’ Award from the Northwest PBIS Network for his outstanding leadership of social and emotional learning and PBIS. He is co-founder of the Tacoma Whole Child Initiative and led implementation efforts for the six years of this transformative effort. He also served as Professor and Executive Director of the Center for Strong Schools at the University of Washington, Tacoma. 

Heather R. Pierson - Legal Issues in Special Education: Case Law Review

Heather R. Pierson joined Udall Shumway PLC in 2009. She is a member of the School Law section, representing the firm’s education law clients throughout the State.

Ms. Pierson comes to Udall Shumway PLC uniquely qualified in the area of special education law. Prior to joining Udall Shumway, Ms. Pierson taught behavior disordered students. During her teaching career, Ms. Pierson was involved in the development and implementation of Individualized Education Plans (“IEP”) and behavior plans and attended several trainings on special education and regular education interventions and strategies. While in law school, Ms. Pierson provided in-home ABA services for autistic children under the age of three and participated in the Whittier Law School Special Education Clinic, which provided special education advocacy services for children with developmental disabilities. Additionally, Ms. Pierson earned her Master’s Degree in Special Education in 2004.

Ms. Pierson primarily focuses her practice on special education and disability related matters. She routinely defends school districts and other public educational institutions in matters related to disability law matters, such as special education due process hearings, Office of Civil Rights (“OCR”) complaints, Section 504 due process hearings, mediation, and special education state complaints. She provides daily advice and assistance in matters related to special education, Section 504, the Americans with Disabilities Act, student discipline, personnel issues and student records. Ms. Pierson taught Contemporary Developments in Special Education Law through Northern Arizona University during the Spring of 2014. She has also given in-service workshops to district personnel on a wide range of special education and disability related topics and speaks at state-wide conferences.

Denise Lowell-Britt

I have been practicing law at Udall Shumway since 1987, have been a partner of the firm since 1993, and lead the firm's education law practice group. I am very pleased to devote my practice entirely to representing school districts, community colleges, charter schools and other public educational institutions.

I provide daily advice and assistance to school districts and other public educational institutions. I represent and defend educational institutions in administrative and court proceedings. I advise and represent clients in matters that include but are not limited to: personnel issues; special education; Section 504 and ADA issues; student disciplinary hearings; student records; contracts; policy development; governing board liability and open meeting and public records issues. I have extensive experience working with matters involving the EEOC, OCR, DOJ, and the Arizona State Department of Education.

In November 2006, I was named a Top Education Attorney in Phoenix Magazine and I have been repeatedly selected by my peers as a Best Lawyer in America in the specialty of Education Law, including the most recent selection for 2013.

I have been a regular presenter at State-wide conferences and conduct a great many in-service and training programs for school personnel on a variety of topics relating to education law. I have also authored articles for National and State publications on a variety of topics of interest to educators.

I am a member of the National School Board Association, Arizona School Boards Association and Arizona Council of School Attorneys and have also been an adjunct faculty member for Arizona State University, teaching graduate level Education Law classes for the College of Education, Division of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. I have been on the steering committee for the Arizona School Administrators Principal and the Law conference for approximately 16 years and have also been a regular speaker at the annual law conferences sponsored by the Arizona School Boards Association and the Arizona Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE). In March 2009, I was presented with the Laura Ganoung Award, which is CASE's highest award recognizing leadership in the area of special education.

Speaker and keynote topic will be announced soon.