An esteemed Phoenix lawyer named Leo Beus passed away on Monday. He was 78. Beus co-founded the law firm Beus Gilbert in Phoenix, where he oversaw the litigation division. U.S. News & World Report named the law firm as one of the top firms in the nation for land use and zoning law.
When they were both 19 years old and on their missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Netherlands, Beus and Paul Gilbert, his law firm partner, first met. The men established the business in 1982 after maintaining their friendship throughout college and the workforce.
Beus and Gilbert were referred to as a “legal odd couple” by the Phoenix Business Journal.
“Beus is a prominent, aggressive, not-always-liked litigator taking on the likes of Pfizer and big accounting firms,” the Business Journal wrote.
The Arizona Republic was informed by Gilbert that Beus’ passing on Monday came as a surprise.
“He had some medical struggles, but he seemed to be making progress,” Gilbert said. “We all felt that he had some good years left.”
Gilbert praised Beus as a skilled lawyer who handled a number of well-known cases that resulted in significant payments for his clients.
Brigham Young University
He defended his alma university Brigham Young University in a dispute with Pfizer over who invented the drug Celebrex. $450 million was awarded to BYU in the case.
Gilbert added that while Beus represented big businesses, he also accepted pro bono cases from people suing small businesses who had wronged them but couldn’t afford to take on their defense team.
Gilbert claimed that Beus was a man of great compassion who worked hard to help others and paid off numerous medical debts that others had accrued.
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“The Valley has lost a great lawyer, but also a great humanitarian,” Gilbert said. “His legal work will be greatly missed, but equally his humanitarian work will be greatly missed.”
“Leo is a tough, aggressive, occasionally nasty, hard-core litigator,” attorney Grady Gammage told the Business Journal.
Beus was a significant donor to Arizona State University in addition to the law firm, and many university properties bear his name.
Beus served as co-chair of the President’s Club at ASU with his wife, Annette.
Leo Beus’s Career.
Beus Gilbert PLLC, a prestigious boutique law company that specializes in high-stakes litigation, real estate, and zoning law, was co-founded by Leo Beus. Mr. Beus is the head of the firm’s litigation division and focuses on defending plaintiffs in high-stakes cases including securities, real estate, investment fraud, lender liability, legal malpractice, antitrust, trademark, intellectual property, and director responsibility.
In plaintiffs’ cases where Mr. Beus served as the lead attorney, his clients received verdicts and settlements totaling more than $4 billion. Additionally, Mr. Beus has successfully defended defendants in shareholder derivative and antitrust claims with up to $1 billion in stakes.
In both his profession and his community, Mr. Beus has won countless accolades. The President’s Club at Arizona State University is co-chaired by Mr. Beus and his wife Annette. His peers have awarded him the highest rating of AV® Preeminent Lawyer in Martindale-Hubbell, and he is also listed among the top attorneys in America in Best Lawyers in America, Chambers & Partners USA Guide, and Southwest Super Lawyers.
Mr. Beus was selected Benchmark Litigation Star in the upcoming 2016 edition as well as Litigator of the Week by Litigation Daily. The Wall Street Journal, New York Post, Crain’s New York Business, Litigation Daily, Benchmark, and Law360 are just a few of the national business and industry publications that have featured him.
Leo Beus’s educational background.
He was a devoted graduate of the University of Michigan Law School and Brigham Young University.
Leo Beus’s wife.
Leo Beus was married to his wife Annette. The couple stayed and worked together as one. Annette and Leo recently served as co-chairs for the President’s Club of Arizona State University
