Arent Fox LLP is pleased to announce the addition of intellectual property litigation partner Arthur S. Beeman, counsel Joel T. Muchmore, and health care administrative law counsel Steven V. Schnier to its new San Francisco office and its nationally recognized Intellectual Property, Complex Litigation, and Health Care practices.

Mr. Beeman joins Arent Fox as the first major addition to the firm’s San Francisco office after serving as the Managing Partner of an international law firm’s Silicon Valley office. He will continue to focus his practice on complex intellectual property and commercial litigation matters. Mr. Schnier arrives from a leading Bay Area regional firm and health care practice, where he has deep and long experience advising hospitals, medical staffs, physicians, medical staff services professionals, ambulatory surgery centers, physician groups, and other health care organizations on the intricacies of credentialing, peer review, quality assurance, and enterprise risk management. Mr. Muchmore has extensive experience in intellectual property and complex litigation matters before state and federal courts.

“Adding talented lawyers to the San Francisco office who reinforce our strength in core practice areas is an important step in the firm’s growth in California and our continued commitment to provide clients with first-rate legal services,” said Chairman Mark M. Katz. “Art is a highly regarded patent litigation lawyer with exceptional leadership skills. We are confident he will be a valuable resource to clients and to the other attorneys in our world-class Intellectual Property and Litigation practices. Steve has been a widely recognized peer review lawyer for many years now and will be a major resource to our national health care law practice.”

In June, Arent Fox opened its San Francisco office, located in the KPMG Building in the city’s Financial District, with five attorneys from the firm’s Los Angeles, New York, and Washington offices.

Mr. Beeman was previously the Managing Partner of Dentons’ Silicon Valley office and chair of the firm’s legacy Patent Litigation practice. He focuses on the trial and management of complex intellectual property and commercial litigation matters filed in courtrooms across the country. Having tried more than 30 cases to jury verdict, Mr. Beeman has successfully represented clients in the telecommunications, Internet, software, medical device, and construction machinery industries. As lead trial counsel, Mr. Beeman secured a $47 million jury verdict in a patent infringement dispute for the inventor of a shock hazard protection device; a defense jury verdict in a patent infringement case; and an $8.5 million jury verdict, plus an award of attorneys’ fees and costs, for a web technology developer in a patent infringement and Lanham Act case.

“Art, Steve, and Joel are key additions, not only for the San Francisco office, but also for the firm’s leading IP and Health Care practices,” said California Managing Partner Robert C. O’Brien. “We look forward to them being an important asset to our team as we continue to strategically grow in the Bay Area.”

In 2008, the Daily Journal named Mr. Beeman among California’s “Top 10 Patent Lawyers.” Previously, Mr. Beeman’s trial work was recognized by The National Law Journal as one of the top 10 jury verdicts in 2002 and he was named in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business as an “outstandingly energetic and creative IP lawyer … (who) enjoys a national reputation.” He received his JD from the Northwestern University School of Law and graduated magna cum laude from The Ohio State University.

Mr. Schnier’s Health Care practice focuses on formal hearings and other proceedings on individual credentialing and peer review questions, as well as counsel concerning larger issues of medical staff and medical group structure and physician relations. He is often called upon to serve as a hearing officer or legal advisor for physician hearing committees and appellate review bodies. He is well-known as a speaker and author on all these subjects and more. Previously, Mr. Schnier served as president of the California Society for Healthcare Attorneys after a six-year stint as a member of its Board of Directors. Chambers USA has recognized Mr. Schnier as a “Leading Lawyer” and he has been listed by US News & World Report as among the “Best Lawyers” in America every year since 1995. He received his JD from Stanford Law School.

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