Carolyn Oberholtzer
Carolyn Oberholtzer is a founding partner at Bergin, Frakes, Smalley & Oberholtzer in Phoenix, Arizona, where she has spent over 13 years guiding the firm in land use, zoning, and municipal law. With more than two decades of legal experience, Carolyn specializes in helping private developers navigate complex public processes, including rezoning, development agreements, and regulatory compliance across Arizona. She emphasizes negotiation, problem-solving, and community engagement, preferring collaborative solutions over adversarial litigation.
Carolyn began her legal career with a focus on construction-defect defense for homebuilders, but quickly realized her strengths lay in negotiation and facilitating outcomes that benefit both public and private stakeholders. She transitioned to serving as Assistant City/Town Attorney for Avondale and Fountain Hills, Arizona, gaining experience in municipal law and public-sector representation. Since 2004, she has concentrated on representing private developers, successfully handling rezoning of thousands of acres for major master-planned communities and commercial projects across the state.
Outside of her legal practice, Carolyn is actively involved in professional and community organizations, including the Urban Land Institute and Valley Partnership. She also contributes to charitable initiatives through HomeAid, helping match builders with nonprofits to reduce homelessness. Known for her hands-on approach, Carolyn balances office work with extensive community and neighborhood engagement, reflecting her commitment to building strong relationships and creating lasting impact in Arizona’s real estate and municipal landscape.
• Arizona State University College of Law
• University of Southern California- B.A.
• Urban Land Institute
• Valley Partnership
• HomeAid
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the strong mentorship I’ve received from employers and colleagues who invested time in me, along with a strengths-based approach to negotiation and problem-solving.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
I've had great bosses along the way that were not afraid to tell me everything they knew to help me succeed. Everybody has to take a chance on somebody when they're new, and you just hope you rise to meeting their expectations, and hopefully exceeding them. I had the mentorship of many people that I had worked with that helped to provide support and guidance. People in this industry are deal junkies and problem solvers, and I'm surrounded by really great people that are creative and usually very free with their advice and time, so I benefited from that tremendously.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell young women that there is plenty of room for them in this industry, and that it’s a rewarding way to shape the world around them while making a meaningful impact alongside both women and men.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The challenges are many because we're a rapidly growing place here in the Phoenix metro area. A lot of new people are here, and the cases are all very difficult because people have lots of opinions about what other people can do on their properties. That challenge is magnified with mass media tools and mass communication tools like Nextdoor and social media, where misinformation can spread really fast, so you've got to act quickly to get ahead of it and counter it. That's definitely a new challenge, and it's not going to get any better for us that practice in this space. But we're making a lot of strides too with things that had historically been challenges that are becoming less so, like the number of women that are in real estate development in general. It's still quite common that I'm the only female in a room, and that's fine, but we're really making a lot of strides. The decision makers - we are represented, so that's been fun to watch. It's just noticeable, but I don't think it negatively impacts a case, it's just noteworthy.