Bridget has been practicing law in Arizona for 25 years with a focus on planning for individuals with disabilities who are under the age of 65 and their families.
Bridget grew up in the frigid North of Duluth, Minnesota. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame (cum laude), where she was a proud member of the marching band. After college, Bridget volunteered with Covenant House, a shelter for runaway and homeless youth, in Houston, Texas. It is through Covenant House that Bridget met her husband, Jay, and after completing their volunteer commitment, they relocated to Phoenix.
Upon first moving to Phoenix, Bridget worked in the field of mental health with children and adolescents, doing in-home counseling and case management. She then returned to school to pursue her law degree at Arizona State University, where she received her juris doctor in 1995 and Masters in Public Administration in 1997.
Over the span of her 25 year practice, Bridget has had the privilege of practicing with several boutique law firms before becoming a partner at Dyer, Bregman & Ferris, PLLC. Bridget served briefly as a Trust Officer at First International Bank & Trust, and now has been happily practicing again in the area of special needs law since 2015 at Dyer, Bregman & Ferris, PLLC.
Bridget is a second-generation Spaniard and speaks Spanish nearly fluently. She and her husband, Jay, who is a clinical social worker on a local inpatient psychiatric unit, have two children: Jaquelyn who is at the University of Arizona and Kasey who is mid-way through high school.
Practice Areas include all aspects of special needs law, such as estate planning, guardianship and conservatorship, public benefits eligibility planning, and trust administration.
Publications
• The Wrongful Disregard of SSI Comparability by Some State Medicaid Agencies as it Relates to SNTs, NAELA Journal, Fall of 2009
Speaking Engagements
Bridget frequently authors and presents on topics related to special needs law. Recent presentations include the following: (1) 2019 Arizona Judicial Conference: Court Approval of the Reasonable Settlement; (2) The Nuts & Bolts of Special Needs Trusts and SO Much More sponsored by the Elder Law, Mental Health & Special Needs Planning Section of the State Bar of Arizona; and (3) To MSA or Not MSA: That is the Question sponsored by the Arizona Association for Justice
Recognitions & Awards
• 2019 Hon. John R. Sticht Disability Achievement Award
• Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA)
• Fellow of the American College of Estate and Trust Counsel (ACTEC)
Associations & Memberships
• State Bar of Arizona, Probate &Trust Section and Elder Law, Mental Health & Special Needs Planning Section
• Director, Board of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA)
• Secretary, Board of the Area Agency on Aging, Region One
• Director, Board of Legal Specialization of the State Bar of Arizona
• Former President, Special Needs Alliance (SNA)
• Arizona Chapter of NAELA (former Officer)
• Former Executive Editor of the NAELA Journal
• Director, Professional Advisory Board (PAB) of the Catholic Community Foundation (CCF)
