DM Cantor is proud to announce that on March 1, 2021, we are celebrating our 25 year anniversary as a law firm! On March 1, 1996, David Michael Cantor formed the law firm with his then-partner, Phillip D. Hineman. That firm was known as Hineman and Cantor. Approximately one year later, Phil Hineman departed in order to form his own solo practice, and then David renamed the firm the Law Offices of David Michael Cantor. The firm later became DM Cantor in 2017.
The original 1996 office was located in Tempe, Arizona and only occupied 800 square feet. The office then moved to Mesa, Arizona, where it occupied 3,200 square feet before moving back to Tempe, where the offices eventually exceeded 10,000 square feet. Later, the decision was made to move to downtown Phoenix to correspond with the opening of the new Maricopa County Courthouse. Currently, DM Cantor occupies 25,000 square feet on the 23rd and 24th floors of the Renaissance II Tower in downtown Phoenix, Arizona.
DM Cantor consists of 10 lawyers who practice exclusively in the area of criminal defense. DM Cantor’s companion law firm, Cantor Law Group, consists of 11 lawyers who practice exclusively in the area of family and juvenile law. The firm has amassed over 150 complete jury trial acquittals – “not guilty” on all charges – over the last 25 years. The next closest law firm only lists 16 complete jury trial acquittals on their website. Partners David Cantor, Christine Whalin, and Joey Hamby, are all board-certified criminal law specialists – resulting in DM Cantor having the most criminal law specialists of any law firm in Arizona.
Currently, there are only 68 board-certified criminal law specialists in the state of Arizona. In addition to David, Christine and Joey, the firm has had the following board-certified criminal law specialists who were either produced by, or worked at, DM Cantor over the last 25 years: Barry Handler, Kristen Curry, Paul Ramos, Rachell Ferraro, Vicki Lopez, Todd Nolan, Elizabeth Mullins, Steve Garcia, Omer Gurion, Cindy Castillo, Todd Coolidge and Bob McWhirter. All of these fine lawyers helped make DM Cantor what it is today.
High profile cases handled by the firm include the dismissal of capital murder charges against Lisa Randall (a daycare provider falsely accused of murdering a child in her care); the turndown of all charges against Valinda Jo Elliott (accused of starting the Rodeo-Chediski fire, which burned over half a million acres and 440 homes); the dismissal of charges against Celebrity Fitness Expert Richard Simmons (who was accused of slapping an MMA fighter in the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport); the dismissal of charges against WNBA Star Brittany Griner (accused of a domestic dispute with her partner); and the turndown of all charges against NBA Star Michael Beasley (falsely accused of sexual assault).
DM Cantor’s high-profile cases have resulted in international media coverage. Members of the Firm have appeared on Good Morning America, Anderson Cooper Live, Inside Edition, CNN, Hannity & Colmes, the CBS Morning Show, along with every local news channel, Univision, and even Howard Stern.
DM Cantor will continue to provide the best defense possible for those facing criminal allegations. Eventually, the Firm will be led by managing partner Christine Whalin, and partner Joey Hamby, during the upcoming decades.