Education

Law School/Year: J.D., Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago-Kent College of Law, with distinction, 1973

Other Graduate School/Year: L.L.M., Northwestern University, 1974

College/Year: B.S., Psychology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1967

Bar Admissions

California, 1974; Wisconsin, 1973; Illinois, 1973

Practice Areas

Aviation, Civil Litigation, Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury & Property

Damage, Product Liability

Major Cases

Counsel in over 30 cases resulting in seven-figure or more settlements or verdicts, including Buell-Wilson v. Ford Motor Co. ($369 million verdict); Coughlin v. Tailhook Assn., Hilton Hotels Corp. ($7.2 million recovery); Alvarez v. County of Imperial (verdict for $3.25 million); Adler v. Caffray (verdict for $6.4 million); Frank v. Volvo of San Diego (multimillion-dollar confidential recovery after four days of trial); Shohet v. Paul Revere ($4.8 million recovery).

Professional Background

From 1974 to February 1997, I was an associate and then a partner with Gray, Cary, Ames & Frye and Gray, Cary, Ware & Friedenrich in San Diego, specializing in litigation. In February 1997, I founded the firm of Schoville & Arnell LLP, specializing primarily in the areas of personal injury, products liability, aviation, insurance bad faith and wrongful termination cases.

Professional Affiliations

I am a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a Senior Master in the American Inns of Court, and a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and its National board of directors. I am a past chair of the San Diego County Bar Judicial Evaluation Committee, and am a member of the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego, Consumer Attorneys of California, the American Association for Justice and the American Bar Association. In 1995 and 1999, the Consumers Attorneys of San Diego awarded me the "Trial Lawyer of the Year Award." In 2005 I received the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego - Consumer Advocate of the Year Award, and in 2009 I was Cal-ABOTA Trial Lawyer of The Year for the state of California.

Personal Affiliations

I have served as a member of the board of trustees of the Jamul-Dulzura School District for more than 12years, including three terms as president. I have also served as a Superior Court Judge Pro Tem for the San Diego County Superior Court. I am listed in The Best Lawyers in America publication for three categories: personal injury, product liability and medical malpractice. In 2004 I was voted one of the "Top 100 Most Influential Attorneys in California" by the Los Angeles Daily Journal. For the past three years I was voted by my peers in the survey conducted by Southern California Super Lawyers as one of the top 10 attorneys in San Diego County and the "top point getter” in each of those three years.

I have served as secretary and general counsel for the Distinguished Flying Cross Society, consisting of more than 3,000 members nationwide. I am currently a member of the board of directors for the Veterans Museum and Memorial Center in San Diego.

Personal Background

I was born and raised in the small rural community of Richland Center, Wis. After graduating from college, I entered active duty for the U.S. Army as a helicopter pilot and served in Vietnam. I was awarded two Silver Stars, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, multiple air medals for valor and three Purple Hearts, in addition to other meritorious service medals. I was medically retired as a captain at the age of 26. While still a patient at Great Lakes Naval Hospital, I was accepted into law school.

I have been married to my wife Michele for 39 years, and we have two adult children, Stephanie and Sean. As a family, we love and enjoy the outdoors, hiking, natural studies and traveling.