by Brett Lieberman
for Virginia Business December 2004
In
an age of increased specialization,
Arthur Schmalz is a generalist. Not
just any generalist, mind you, a very
good one. “He’s one of
the superstars who have come up,” says
Stephen Sayers, who heads the litigation
practice at Hunton & Williams’ Tysons
Corner office.
That’s
high praise coming from Sayers, who
is known for being a stickler for details,
working long hours and expecting nothing
but the best from those working for
him. Yet it’s no surprise given
the mutual respect that has developed
between two lawyers. Sayers has mentored
the 38-year-old Schmalz since hiring
him out of law school.
“He’s
a perfectionist and he expects that
anyone who works with him to perform
at an equally high standard,” says
Schmalz, adding that Sayers’ high
expectations challenged the younger
man to do his best work.
Sayers
says he took an immediate liking to
Schmalz, an Alexandria native. Schmalz
graduated first in his class at the
George Mason University School of Law,
where he served as editor-in-chief
of the law review. Since joining Hunton & Williams,
Schmalz has demonstrated his abilities
as a lawyer and a community leader. “I
frankly wonder whether he ever sleeps,” Sayers
says.
Despite
working 10- to 12-hour days at the
firm, Schmalz ran for a seat on the
Alexandria school board and won. Many
school board members seek office because
of concerns for their children’s
education. Schmalz has a son, age 7,
and a 5-year-old daughter, but his
motive for running was different. The
T.C. Williams High School graduate
says he wanted to give something back
to his hometown.
The
past year on the school board has been
especially difficult as it has dealt
with issues such as the arrest of the
superintendent for drunken driving. “It’s
a thankless job,” Schmalz says.
Nonetheless, he has found that his
experience as a litigator has helped
him analyze government-funding problems
and understand a myriad of federal
requirements.
Schmalz says that he has no plans — or time — to run for higher
office. “I’m pretty well taxed out,” he says. For now, at
least, work and family remain his top priorities.
Right
now, Schmalz doesn’t have time
to indulge in one of his favorite pastimes,
playing Steely Dan, John Hyatt or the
Sub Dudes’ tunes on the keyboard
as a member of a band. “Some
people go bowling or golfing. It’s
a great release,” Schmalz says.
At
work, Schmalz has gained a reputation
for his encyclopedic memory of state
Supreme Court cases. “He has
the ability to use his memory to retrieve
details and put them in context for
cases,” Sayers says.
As a general
practitioner in a large firm, Schmalz
often offers a fresh
perspective in deciding how cases should
be argued. He is able to draw on knowledge
gained
in handling a wide variety of cases during his career. “The general litigation
practice of the sort I have is sort of the last of its kind,” he says.
The
variety keeps him on his toes. He,
Sayers and fellow Hunton & Williams
lawyer Frank McDermott are the lead
attorneys of a litigation steering
committee representing Loudoun County
landowners in about 200 lawsuits filed
against the board of supervisors. The
supervisors rezoned property in the
county in a bid to rein in development.
Last
month, Schmalz was headed to Atlanta
to depose Michael Vick, the former
Virginia Tech quarterback who now plays
for the Atlanta Falcons. Schmalz represents
a Richmond sports management firm that
accuses an agent of interference and
conspiracy to break an endorsement
contract. The case is expected to go
to trial in January.
While
Schmalz finds the Vick case intriguing,
he doesn’t find it as rewarding
as the pro bono case he handled three years ago. He represented a teenage girl
who was rear-ended while riding a moped in Fairfax. Schmalz was able to obtain
a $15 million judgment for the girl, who was left a quadriplegic as a result
of the accident. “It meant a lot to this victim’s family to get
her day in court,” Schmalz says. “It was a very emotional, moving
story.”
