Gary W. Schons

Of Counsel

As the chair of Best Best & Krieger’s Public Policy and Ethics Compliance practice, Gary W. Schons counsels public agencies, officials and private businesses who wish to promote public confidence in their decision-making processes by assuring that official conduct is above reproach. The group’s goals are to provide comprehensive and strategic compliance solutions to public agencies and corporations attempting to align with public scrutiny, standards and regulations; to advise and represent clients on public integrity issues involving political practices; and to inform clients of relevant federal, state and local legislation, including the Political Reform Act and the Public Records Act.

Prior to joining the firm, Gary served as a deputy district attorney and senior advisor for Law & Policy in the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office. In this role, he advised the District Attorney and her executive staff on legal, public integrity, legislative and policy issues and provided legal assistance to all 300 deputy district attorneys in the office.

From 2010-2014, Gary served as trial counsel for the Commission on Judicial Performance. He was responsible for conducting all formal proceedings initiated by the Commission seeking to, and resulting in, the discipline of judges and other judicial officers in California.

From 1976-2011, Gary was a member of the Criminal Division of the California Attorney General’s Office in San Diego. During his career there, he served as a deputy attorney general in the Appeals, Writs & Trial Section, in the Special Prosecutions Unit and as head of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Unit, which he established. Gary was cross-designated as a special assistant United States Attorney in the Central and Southern Districts of California. In 1991, the Attorney General promoted Gary to senior assistant attorney general and head of the Criminal Division in San Diego. In that role, he supervised 75 deputy attorneys general who handled felony appeals and habeas corpus and trial matters, including numerous public integrity-related prosecutions. The office handled some 1,500 cases annually and was responsible for more than 200 death penalty appeals.

Gary is an active member of the California District Attorneys Association, lecturing and authoring articles for the association. He is also active in the San Diego County Bar Association, where he has served on the Judicial Elections Evaluation Committee. Gary is a long time member of the University of San Diego School of Law Board of Visitors and past president of the Law Alumni Association.

Gary is married to Judy Hagar Schons, a San Diego native. They live in the Talmadge neighborhood of the city. Gary was raised in West Covina where he attended Bishop Amat High School, before moving to San Diego for college. Gary is an avid cook and diner and contributes a column to the local newspaper on dining. He also enjoys golf and sailing.

Education

• University of San Diego School of Law

Bar Admissions

• California

Awards

• The Best Lawyers in America®, Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law (2017)
• San Diego Magazine Top Lawyer (2015)
• Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent™ Rated

Memberships

• California District Attorneys Association
• San Diego County Bar Association
• University of San Diego School of Law Board of Visitors
• Law Alumni Association, past president

Gary W. Schons

Of Counsel

• “Corruption at the U.S. High Court,” Daily Journal, Sept. 29, 2016
• “Anti-SLAPP Ruling Distinguishes Individual Action, Public Entity Action,” Daily Journal, Aug. 11, 2016
• “Public Safety Technologies: Big Brother and the Fourth Amendment,” Municipal Lawyer, July/August 2016
• “High Court Clarifies Official Act in Former Gov. Bob McDonnell Decision,” PublicCEO, June 28, 2016
• “Body-Worn Cameras, the Prosecutor, and the Question of Public Access,” Prosecutor’s Brief, April 2016
• “Body-Worn Cameras, the Prosecutor, and the Question of Public Access,” California District Attorneys Association’s Prosecutor’s Brief, Winter/Spring 2016
• "Who Has Access to Police Footage," Daily Journal, Oct. 9, 2015
• “Police Officer Body Worn Cameras: The Future is Now,” PublicCEO, Oct. 7, 2014
• "Privacy And Police Body-Worn Cameras," Daily Journal, Sept. 24, 2014
• “Conflict law doesn’t apply to UC faculty,” Daily Journal, Sept. 8, 2014