Sam Coppersmith is a director of Advancing Arizona, a left-of-center advocacy organization in Arizona. He is also a practicing attorney and a former Democratic politician, having served as U.S. Representative for Arizona’s 1^st district.

Career

Coppersmith received an A.B. in economics from Harvard and a J.D. from Yale Law School. He served as a U.S. Representative for Arizona’s 1^st district from 1993 to 1995 and chaired the Arizona Democratic Party from 1995 to 1997. During his time in Congress, Coppersmith served on the committees for Transportation and Science. ^{1 2}

From 2006 to 2007, he served as co-chair for the transition team of U.S. Representative Harry Mitchell (D-AZ). From 2005 to 2009, he served as a Public Member of the Arizona Governor’s Regulatory Review Council. ^{3 4}

Beginning in 1995 when Coopersmith returned to Phoenix after being voted out of Congress, Coopersmith and Andy Gordon launched a law firm, Coppersmith Brockelman. The two attracted more law partners, gradually established a reputation in the health care industry, and became a prominent employer of female attorneys in Arizona. As its staff expanded, it began encompassing new fields of law like employment law and employee benefits, as well as election and political law, the latter two earning it recognition throughout the state. ⁵

Coppersmith’s legal focus is on business and transaction, business organization, governance and compliance, tax-exempt organizations, contract negotiation, land use, and business planning. He worked as managing partner of the firm from 1995 until 2011. ⁶

Coppersmith’s partner, Andrew “Andy” Gordon, has 45 years of litigation experience in fields such as business, antitrust, health care, government contracting, and procurement and appeals. He is known throughout the state as an expert in election law and has represented several politicians and candidates, including former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano (D), Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon (D), and several campaigns for referendums and initiatives. Andy Gordon serves on the Maricopa County Superior Court as a Judge Pro Tem. Gordon worked at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as counsel to the general counsel between 2009 and 2010, advising on national security law related to Guantanamo Bay and the southwestern border. He teaches national security law an adjunct professor at Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University (ASU). ⁷

Activities

In his capacity as an attorney, Coppersmith helps activists launch or revive nonprofit organizations, aiding them in obtaining recognition from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and in developing their governance and oversight structures. He works as local counsel for several national nonprofits. ⁸

In addition to nonprofits, Coppersmith serves as local counsel for national corporations, helps small entrepreneurs complete their business plans and establish their healthcare programs, and counsels deals in real estate and other large purchases. He also counsels several hospital districts in Arizona in various legal matters pertaining to the facilities they own and lease and provides legal advice to the state’s nonprofit Maricopa County Regional Behavior Health Authority. The Authority began an integrated Medicaid program, which Coopersmith advises, for about one million citizens in 2014. ⁹

Coppersmith runs a blog called “Liberal Desert,” which he started in 2011. ¹⁰ While in recent years he has mainly used the page to post updates on his athletic hobbies, in the early 2000s he would weigh in on politics, criticizing then-President George W. Bush and defending the legacy of former President Bill Clinton. ¹¹

In 2007, Coppersmith received the Peggy Goldwater Award in recognition of the help he provided to Planned Parenthood of Arizona, a local chapter of the pro-abortion group Planned Parenthood Federation of America. ^{12 13}

Coppersmith is a director on the board of Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center, a director and secretary of the Safe Passage Project, and a trustee of the Harvard Band Foundation. ¹⁴

Coppersmith was listed as a director of Advancing Arizona, a nonprofit organization dedicated to defeating right-of-center candidates for congress in the state. ¹⁵

1. “Sam Coppersmith.” Coppersmith Brockelman. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://www.cblawyers.com/sam-coppersmith/.
2. “Sam Coppersmith.” LinkedIn. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-coppersmith.
3. “Sam Coppersmith.” Coppersmith Brockelman. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://www.cblawyers.com/sam-coppersmith/.
4. “Sam Coppersmith.” LinkedIn. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-coppersmith.
5. “Our Story.” Coppersmith Brockelman. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://www.cblawyers.com/our-story/.
6. “Sam Coppersmith.” Coppersmith Brockelman. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://www.cblawyers.com/sam-coppersmith/.
7. “Andrew Gordon.” Coppersmith Brockelman Lawyers. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://www.cblawyers.com/andrew-gordon/.
8. “Sam Coppersmith.” Coppersmith Brockelman. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://www.cblawyers.com/sam-coppersmith/.
9. “Sam Coppersmith.” Coppersmith Brockelman. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://www.cblawyers.com/sam-coppersmith/.
10. “LiberalDesert.” Liberal Desert – Blogspot. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://liberaldesert.blogspot.com/.
11. “July 2002.” Liberal Desert – Blogspot. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://liberaldesert.blogspot.com/2002/07/.
12. “Sam Coppersmith.” Coppersmith Brockelman. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://www.cblawyers.com/sam-coppersmith/.
13. “Best Lawyers – Samuel Coppersmith.” Best Lawyers. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://www.bestlawyers.com/lawyers/samuel-g-sam-coppersmith/219158.
14. “Sam Coppersmith.” Coppersmith Brockelman. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://www.cblawyers.com/sam-coppersmith/.
15. Evers-Hillstrom Karl. “New pop-up ‘dark money’ group targets Martha McSally with six-figure ad buy.” OpenSecrets, September 10, 2019. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/09/martha-mcsally-targeted-by-new-pop-up-dark-money-group/