An attorney with the Phoenix law firm of Ballard Spahr will not stand trial for defamation because the subject of the contested comments waited about six weeks too long to file a lawsuit, the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled Thursday. Jeffrey Peterson sued Dennis K. Burke for defamation in Maricopa County Superior Court in May 2020 based on allegations contained in an April 2019 securities fraud complaint filed by a group of investors against Peterson and others. The Investors’ Complaint was amended in May 2020. Court records show Burke was identified in both complaints as the source of the investors’ misconduct allegations against Peterson.