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Christian C. M. Beams

Member

Chris Beams has been helping his clients improve their bottom lines for over two decades. His clients range from small startups in hyper-regulated industries to Fortune 100, publicly traded companies. He has extensive directorship experience, having served on the boards of nonprofit companies, community organizations, elected school organizations, and for-profit institutions. In these roles, he has recruited and hired high-level executives, successfully built and managed effective teams, and interacted and developed credibility with regulatory authorities. His perspective is not just one of an experienced attorney, but of a seasoned business professional.

He has litigated and resolved, whether through negotiated settlement or trial, hundreds of commercial cases in a wide variety of areas, from contract breaches to fraud, intellectual property to employment, trade secret misappropriation to collections and bankruptcy. He also actively works with his clients in avoiding litigation through calculated risk analysis, and otherwise assists businesses and individuals in resolving disputes and making business deals happen. Over the years, he has represented lenders, real estate brokerages and property owners, healthcare companies, hospitals, nursing homes, franchisors, mining companies, title companies, manufacturers, and business executives. In addition, Chris serves as outside general counsel to various organizations, and his clients rely on him for corporate governance, regulatory compliance, contract drafting, and internal dispute resolution advice and guidance.

Chris also is an accomplished neutral who has resolved countless disputes through the mediation and arbitration processes. He has served as a Judge Pro Tempore for the Maricopa County Superior Court, and is routinely hired by peers at other firms to resolve disputes as a private mediator. He has been hired to arbitrate disputes, when parties request that he decide the issue.

Finally, Chris is a skilled writer who has been published extensively in law reviews, trade journals, and business publications, and speaks extensively to business leaders on how to effectively manage outside counsel.

Education

J.D., Indiana University Maurer School of Law, 1999
B.S., magna cum laude, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, 1995

Recognitions

  • Named by AZ Business magazine to the “Top Lawyers List” for alternative dispute resolution and bankruptcy
  • AV Rating, Martindale Hubbell
  • Southwest Superlawyers, 2020 – present
  • AZ Business Leaders, 2021-2023

Memberships

  • Board Member, Republic Bank of Arizona
  • Moon Valley Country Club

State Bar Licenses

Arizona

Court Admissions

U.S. District Ct., District of Arizona
U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit