Thoughtful Enough To See It Through, We Provide Answers.

Buddy Rake
- Attorney
Contact
Practice Areas
- Product Liability
- Aviation
- Medical Malpractice
- Education Law
Biography
Married to Julie, a Physician Assistant. Two children: Chris and Mandy. Chris is a Captain/paramedic for Tempe Fire, Medical, and Rescue. Mandy is a special education teacher in Hawaii.
Although practicing primarily for plaintiffs in the area of personal injury for the past 27 years, I have over 21 years of defense experience representing several insurance companies, including: Hartford, Liberty Mutual, MICA, State Farm and St. Paul.
I am a Vietnam Veteran of the United States Navy and a former private pilot.
I have been the Head Coach for the Boys Basketball team at Thunderbird High School since 1994. I am the recipient of three (3) Coach of the Year awards, and selected by Arizona State Coaches Association as the 4A-5A All-Star Coach (1999 and 2003) and 4A Arizona State Basketball Coach of the Year (2003).
On January 18, 2013, I celebrated my 300th career win.
President of HiCoPro Performance Athletics.
Education
- Texas Tech University School of Law, Lubbock, Texas
- J.D. - 1972
- University of Texas
- B.A. - 1970
Bar Admissions
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit
- U.S. District Court District of Arizona
- Arizona
- Texas
- California
- Utah
- U.S. Court of Appeals 10th Circuit
Published Works
- Auto Seat Systems
- Dangerous Safety Restraints? Trial (1990)
- Medical Malpractice Myths, Truths and Solutions, Arizona Attorney, March 1996
Professional Associations
- Maricopa County Bar Association
- Arizona Bar Association
- State Bar of Texas
- State Bar of Arizona (Chairman, Trial Section, 1987-88)
- Arizona Trial Lawyers Association
- Arizona Bar Foundation, Fellow
- Certification Board of Legal Specialization Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Law, March of 1991
- American Association for Justice (AAJ)
- Attorneys Information Exchange Group (AIEG)
Honors
- 2016 Client Satisfaction Award presented by the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys
- Selected by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel as one of the Nation’s Top One Percent
- Selected as one of the Southwest Super Lawyers for 2007- 2018
- Selected as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers
- Selected as one of Arizona’s Finest Lawyers
Past Positions
- Rake Law Group, P.C., 2011 to Present
- Rake Petti, P.C., 2009 to 2010
- Rake Petti & Collins, P.C., 2008
- Rake & Catanese, P.C., 1994 to 2007
- Rake & Downey, P.C., 1993 to 1994
- Rake, Copple, Downey & Black, P.C., 1989 to 1993
- O’Connor Cavanagh et al., 1973 to 1989