Mr. Schurz represents clients in federal court, state court, and a broad range of arbitration forums in complex civil actions. Mr. Schurz’s practice encompasses all manner of commercial transactions and intellectual property matters, including actions for breach of contract and business torts, including unfair competition, fraud, trade libel, products liability, and joint venture/distributor termination. Mr. Schurz has broad experience representing energy companies, resource companies, electronics manufacturers, and pharmaceutical companies. Mr. Schurz has served as trial counsel in jury trials, bench trials, and arbitrations. He has appeared extensively in courts throughout Northern California, and, in particular, San Francisco Superior Court, the United States District Courts for the Northern and Eastern Districts of California, and the California Courts of Appeal.

Mr. Schurz has deep experience with many of the world’s leading arbitration forums, including the International Chamber of Commerce, the American Arbitration Association, and UNCITRAL. He has handled arbitrations involving intellectual property, securities, distribution contracts, fuel contracts, joint ventures and the development of infrastructure projects. He also has broad experience litigating the enforceability of arbitration clauses in federal and state courts.

Mr. Schurz joined Morrison & Foerster in 1990.

• Represented Gilead Sciences, Inc. in an arbitration with Hoffman-La Roche Inc. relating to the parties’ development and license agreement for Tamiflu, an antiviral for the treatment and prevention of influenza A and B. The matter was resolved with a $80.7 million payment to Gilead and an amended agreement that (i) established joint committees to oversee manufacturing, commercial and pandemic planning for the product and (ii) eliminated the pre-existing contractual cost of goods adjustments from the royalty calculation.
• Represented a Fortune 500 U.S. utility/power developer in an international arbitration brought in New Delhi by an Indian business partner seeking $1.2 billion in damages after the U.S. developer withdrew from a large Indian power plant.
• Represented Kerr-McGee Corporation in multiple actions relating to mining activities at federal facilities and private sites in Oregon and South Dakota involving uranium mining.