Fifty Years at Law: The Local Legacy of Burch & Cracchiolo, P.A.
The Phoenix of 50 years ago—population 581,562—was a good place to start a law firm for founders Frank Haze Burch and Daniel F. Cracchiolo. The roots these men planted a half-century ago took hold and remain strong in 2020 as they celebrate an important anniversary. Everyone at Local First Arizona wishes Burch & Cracchiolo a happy golden anniversary!
ABOUT THE FOUNDERS
In 1970, Phoenix native and University of Arizona graduate Haze Burch was practicing zoning, planning and real estate law. Born in Detroit, Dan Cracchiolo arrived in Arizona as an infant and was raised as a native son. Like Burch, he received a law degree from the University of Arizona, but then honed skills as a commercial litigator and trial lawyer. Each man brought unique strengths built on their personal histories to the table where their law firm came to life.
Frank Haze Burch
Being the son of a police officer gave Burch a remarkable foundation for a career in law. In 1925, when the population of Phoenix was around 25,000, officer Haze Burch suffered severe injuries after a gunfire battle with a criminal. The incident occurred near his family’s home where his wife and three children were awakened by the sounds of gunfire. Within two days of the incident, officer Burch became the first Phoenix policeman killed in the line of duty. After completing law school and passing the Arizona bar in 1950, Burch served as a deputy attorney for Maricopa County. He met his future business partner in 1956, after Cracciolo had obtained his J.D., served as a first lieutenant in the Air Force, and found employment as an attorney for Maricopa County.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO COMMUNITY
In addition to building personal excellence into their careers as lawyers, each man dedicated thousands of hours of service to the betterment of their profession and community. Life in Arizona has improved due to their leadership skills and philanthropy. Haze Burch served as a board member of the Phoenix Union High School District and the Maricopa Community College District. He was on the advisory board of The Salvation Army, a founding member of the Phoenix Rotary 100 Club (which supports families of fallen police officers), and he was a national delegate to the American Kennel Club.
Burch passed away in 2005, but he is still celebrated for his dedication to his family, his law firm, and his community. In 1985, Dan Cracciolo’s long-standing clients, Horace and Ethel Steele, gave him an opportunity to create and grow a foundation with their legacy. To date, the Steele Foundation has awarded more than $50 million in grants to over 300 organizations. It provides approximately $5 million each year to various local beneficiaries.
As chairman and former CEO of The Steele Foundation, Cracciolo also serves as a regent of Brophy College Preparatory, and is a member of the Board of Directors of ChildHelp USA. He is a former member of the board and past president of Combined Metropolitan Phoenix Arts and Sciences (COMPAS), as well as a former member of the Advisory Board of Homebase Youth Services. In 2005, Cracchiolo received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the University of Arizona’s Colleges of Medicine, Humanities, and Law.
After 35 years in a building on the corner of Seventh Street and Osborn, Burch & Cracchiolo, P.A. will soon relocate. On June 1, 2020 their offices will take up the entire 17th floor of the BMO Tower at Central Avenue, north of McDowell Road. In addition to the Phoenix office, Burch & Cracchiolo has offices in Santa Ana, California and Las Vegas, Nevada. By July 2020, the population of Phoenix is predicted to reach 1.74 million people. Of that number, those who’ll utilize the legal services offered by Burch & Cracchiolo, P.A. can be grateful for this firm with an outstanding history, a robust practice in the present, and a positive outlook for solving problems in years to come. Congratulations to all 39 attorneys and to the legal professional employees at the Phoenix office of Burch & Cracchiolo, P.A.
ABOUT BURCH & CRACCHIOLO
In 2019, Burch & Cracchiolo joined Local First Arizona to form a strategic partnership to engage and support local business owners and their staff in developing business partnerships to encourage success in their desire to be profitable as well as be good community citizens. B&C attorneys have extensive experience in the business sector and are available to counsel business owners and assist in their legal needs when setting up and operating a business. B&C is a 50-year-old locally-owned law firm and we have always been a fierce advocate for our local community so it is a perfect collaboration.