James Schaefer is a counsel in the firm’s San Francisco office and a member of the firm’s Commercial Litigation Group. He represents clients in high-stakes commercial disputes across the United States, leveraging his extensive experience in civil litigation to deliver strategic and effective solutions.
Mr. Schaefer brings over two decades of legal experience to the firm. Most recently, he served as the Civil Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho, where he oversaw all civil litigation for the district and managed attorneys and staff in the Civil Division. As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, he handled complex cases involving the False Claims Act, the Controlled Substances Act, bid-rigging, torts, and common law fraud. Prior to his public service, Mr. Schaefer spent nine years in private practice, leading a wide array of civil and criminal matters, including antitrust, unfair competition, intellectual property, breach of contract, defamation, and civil rights cases. He also served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2002 to 2005 as a defense counsel.
His civilian legal career began with clerkships for the Hon. Carlos T. Bea at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (2006–2007) and the Hon. Susan G. Braden at the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (2005–2006).
Mr. Schaefer earned his J.D. from George Mason University School of Law in 2002 and his B.A. from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1996.