Sean Healy Joins ‘The Geoholics’ Podcast to Discuss Career Path from Prosecution to Defense

Phoenix, Ariz. (April 13, 2023) – Phoenix Partner Sean P. Healy recently joined an episode of ‘The Geoholics’ podcast to discuss his career path to becoming an attorney. This podcast series features conversations with professionals in the surveying, geospatial, geomatics, and civil engineering-adjacent industries.

Mr. Healy discussed how his father was his inspiration for becoming an attorney, who became a criminal defense lawyer and tried numerous high-profile cases in Arizona after serving in the Air Force and the National Guard. 

“I followed a very similar career path to my father,” said Mr. Healy on the podcast. “I was a prosecutor in Tucson, and then I went to work for him for a year and a half. Very unfortunately, he passed away in 2001 unexpectedly at 68. It was tough at the time, but we decided to start over in Phoenix and it’s been phenomenal ever since. I’m with a great firm and love what I do.” 

Mr. Healy delved into his past work as a prosecutor and how being “thrown to the wolves” shaped his early career and helped him build a level of confidence being in a courtroom and leading legal proceedings. “The most rewarding thing is dealing with victims and helping them through difficult times and crimes,” he said. 

The episode goes into Mr. Healy’s pivot from a prosecutor to a defense attorney handling cases involving professional liability and general liability, among other areas, and his current role at Lewis Brisbois.

“The mothership of any job or project is the contract,” said Mr. Healy when asked about what companies or licensed professionals can do for preventative risk management. “Spending a little extra time or hiring counsel to help you hammer out a really good contract will save you a lot of headaches later on, and including terms in that contract that limit liability or shift liability.” 

Mr. Healy emphasized the importance of picking the right insurance coverage for business owners. “Start with a good broker. The more risk you’re willing to take on, the more money you save in premiums. You always want to make sure your limits are commensurate with the scope of the project, so if you have a massive project, a million dollars might not be enough if the exposure is $5 million.” 

Mr. Healy is chair of the Directors & Officers and Securities Litigation Practice and vice chair of the Professional Liability Practice. With more than 22 years of experience as a litigator, he has tried 46 jury trials and over 130 bench trials and arbitrations combined, and is a current member of ABOTA. 

Listen to the full episode on Spotify here.