Commercial Court

Commercial Court

Maricopa County Superior Court first established Commercial Court in 2015 as a pilot program initiated by the Arizona Supreme Court. Because of the success of the pilot program, as of January 1, 2019, Commercial Court became a permanent feature of the Superior Court. Commercial Court is a venue within the Civil Department to resolve controversies that arise in commercial settings expeditiously and to reduce the expense of litigation.  

Commercial Court cases are governed by Rule 8.1. The January 1, 2019 amendments to Rule 8.1 apply to all commercial cases commenced on or after January 1, 2019 and to all commercial cases pending before that date, except the $300,000 minimum in amended Rule 8.1 (c) does not apply to cases pending before January 1, 2019.

Any cases that were filed before July 1, 2015 will not be eligible for transfer to Commercial Court.

Commercial Court Rule and Forms

• Arizona Rules of Civil Procedure - Rule 8.1 (Revised and Effective as of January 1, 2019)
• Civil Cover Sheet
• Civil Cover Sheet - Spanish Version
• Electronically Stored Information Checklist
• Form 14(a) – Joint Report: Commercial Case (Revised and Effective as of July 1, 2018)
• Form 14(b) - Proposed Scheduling Order: Commercial Case
• Model Stipulated Order Re: Discovery of Electronically Stored Information
• Sample Notice of Assignment to Commercial Court

Judge's Biographies and Commercial Court Protocols

Honorable Roger Brodman

• Biography
• Protocol

Honorable Daniel Martin

• Biography
• Protocol

Honorable Timothy Thomason

• Biography
• Protocol

Honorable Christopher Whitten

• Biography
• Protocol

Pilot Project Report and Administrative Orders

• Supreme Court Rules Order No. R-18-0033 - Permanently Adopting and Amending Experimental Rule 8.1 
• Supreme Court Administrative Order 2018-64
• Commercial Court Review Committee Report 2018
• Supreme Court Rules Order No. R-17-0010
• Supreme Court Administrative Order 2017-17
• Supreme Court Administrative Order 2015-86
• Superior Court Administrative Order 2015-055
• Supreme Court Administrative Order 2015-15
• Commercial Court Advisory Committee Report

Other Documents and Information

• Commercial Court Decision Repository – Please note that you will need to have Westlaw access to use the repository. Also, several decisions predate the formation of the Commercial Court on July 1, 2015. The repository will be updated as decisions are issued by the Commercial Court judges.
• Please note that Commercial Court cases filed in the Court's Northeast and Southeast facilities will be assigned to one of the four Commercial judges, all of whom work downtown. If you file a Commercial Court case in either Northeast or Southeast and need an emergency hearing (e.g., a Temporary Restraining Order or a Preliminary Injunction), you will have to call 602-506-1497. The court staff who answers the call will give you the name of the assigned judge and direct you to the judicial officer's division assigned to your case.
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)