Daniel J. DeRienzo - Prescott Valley, AZ

Daniel J. DeRienzo has over 35 years of legal experience and over 25 years of experience managing a law office. He founded and served as the first Chief Public Defender for Yavapai County from 1998 to 2004. He served as the first President of the Arizona Public Defender's Association and is recognized by his peers as a top notch attorney and litigator.

He is a recipient of the Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice William Rothstein Award and in June 2005 was presented with the Arizona Public Defender's Association highest honor, the Gideon Award.

Dan has served with the Arizona Association of Drug Court Professionals and is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys.

He received his Law Degree from the University of Arizona in 1985 and began his career prosecuting securities fraud for the Arizona Corporation Commission. He then served as Deputy County Attorney in Pinal County, AZ, prosecuting DUI's, felonies, and homicide cases. His experience working for the state provided him with trial experience, a valuable tool in defending people charged with criminal offenses as well as presenting divorce cases to the Family Court.

In 1991, Mr. DeRienzo was appointed as Chief Public Defender for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. There he worked with attorneys from across the country and helped draft and write the CNMI statutes. In 1998, he established the first Yavapai County Public Defender's Office and served as Chief Public Defender until 2004.

Since 2004, he has been in the private practice of law. After his own divorce in 2006, Mr. DeRienzo decided to share his experience and decided to practice Family Law. As a result of his own personal experience, he is able to help parents develop a parenting plan which best benefits the children. He is able to bring compassion and understanding to the process of a divorce.