Thomas C. Arendt

Thomas C. Arendt is a shareholder at Gallagher & Kennedy and a senior member of the firm’s real estate department. With over four decades of experience, he focuses on acquisition and development, leasing, real estate workouts, and foreclosures. His clients include developers, banks, and investors involved in commercial and retail projects across the Western United States.

Thomas earned his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Arizona State University in 1982, where he served as Managing Editor of the Law Review. He holds a B.A. with high distinction from the University of Arizona and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Admitted to practice in Arizona the same year, Thomas became a Certified Real Estate Specialist through the Arizona State Bar in 1992.

Thomas advises clients on a broad spectrum of real estate transactions, including deed of trust and mezzanine financing, foreclosures, and complex real estate workouts. His experience includes representing a Phoenix-based developer in building more than five million square feet of retail and commercial space and leading the redevelopment of a multi-block downtown city center. He has guided the ground-up development of nine power centers—among them the largest in Arizona—and handles high-value leasing matters in tribal jurisdictions, including the Salt River, Gila River, and Navajo Nation communities.

Thomas C. Arendt has earned ongoing recognition for his legal excellence. He has been listed in Best Lawyers in America® for Real Estate Law from 2003 to 2025 and in Southwest Super Lawyers® from 2007 to 2019. He also holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell and was named a Top Lawyer by Phoenix Magazine in 2022. He currently serves on the State Bar of Arizona’s Real Estate Advisory Commission.

Law Office Affiliations

• Shareholder, Gallagher & Kennedy
• Member, State Bar of Arizona

Licensed State

• Arizona

Education

• Arizona State University
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• University of Arizona
  Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Awards & Badges