Wendy Riddell, founding and managing partner at Berry Riddell, shares how saying yes changed everything. From an aspiring architect to a powerhouse attorney with her name on the door, her journey is packed with lessons on grit, growth, and trusting your gut. You’ll hear how one bold decision led to night-after-night courtroom wins—and how the smallest “yes” can open doors you never imagined. If you're at a crossroads or waiting for a sign, this is it. From building a powerhouse law firm to leading with purpose, Wendy lives the advice she shares. Want to know her secret? Listen in, she's proof that trusting the process and doing the work pays off. - Wendy Riddell, founding and managing partner with the law firm of Berry Riddell, focuses on land use law and lobbying. She represents a multitude of development clients throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area from major national home-builders, Fortune 500 retailers, multi-family developers, resort, hospital, office, and industrial builders, advising and guiding such diverse and significant projects as Fiesta Mall and the Mesa Gateway Airport, the IDEA (Innovation, Discovery, Education & Arts) Campus at the Tempe Center for the Arts, the redevelopment of the old trotter track into the Innovation Centre (now known as 10 Goodyear) Honor Health campuses valley-wide, and campuses for the Diocese of Phoenix, including Xavier College Preparatory. Riddell has been vital in getting many of the high-rises that dot the Phoenix and Tempe skyline approved. In May 2015, she was awarded the Xavier College Preparatory Women of Achievement Award for Service to the School. Riddell, featured in the 2000 Phoenix Business Journal’s Top Guns Under 30, has continued her commitment to both career and community. As a member of the Scottsdale Leadership Class of XVII, she chaired Business Community Day. She worked on the City of Scottsdale District Advisory Task Force, advising the City Council on a districting system, and served as the Recorder for Arizona Town Hall. She also chaired the Maricopa County Board of Adjustment for two terms, working to promote positive development within the community. Riddell is a past chair of the Xavier Board of Trustees and past chair the Facilities Committee. She is a past Board President of Christ Church School, where she oversaw their expansion from a pre-school to an elementary school and advocated for a primary school curriculum that advances the development and education of young children, receiving the Christ Church School Outstanding Leadership Award. Riddell is a current Board member of Home Arizona, where she advocates with other top business leaders for much needed housing. Riddell was recognized as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Arizona by AZ Business Magazine in 2018 and 2024. Riddell was also listed as one of The Best Lawyers In America©, 2019-2024. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts in English and Fine Art from Colgate University, she earned a Juris Doctor as a Pedrick Scholar from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.
