Arnold Brown has been a successful technology entrepreneur, in-house and outside counsel, and leader of technology standards-setting organizations. Before joining Schwabe in 2016, Arnold worked in-house at various semiconductor firms, including chipmaker Silicon Image, and counseled technology clients at two prominent Silicon Valley law firms.

Setting industry standards

Arnold is a former Chair of the HDMI Forum, the standards group responsible for HDMI connectivity, and has a deep understanding of how technology standards are developed and applied. During his career, he has represented companies in connection with more than 20 technology standards.

Leveraging IP assets

As the founder (and later, seller) of a venture-backed digital music company, Arnold has extensive experience with the intellectual property transactions that help companies grow. He has handled numerous patent sales and licensing, patent pooling and joint IP licensing transactions for companies in the semiconductor, consumer electronics, communications, and software industries.

Guiding tech companies from start-up to IPO

In addition to his IP licensing and technology standards work, Arnold has represented technology clients in venture capital financings, IPOs, joint ventures, strategic investments and mergers and acquisitions, as well as 1934 Act reporting for public company clients in over a dozen significant financings or liquidity events. 

Bar Admissions

• California State Courts

Education

• University of California-Berkeley, School of Law, Juris Doctor degree (1993)
• Harvard University, A.B., cum laude, in Government (1989)

Significant Accomplishments

• Served as Chairman of the Board of a worldwide wired connectivity standard ?organization.?
• Served as President of a wireless connectivity standards organization.?
• Established a royalty-bearing patent pool with industry leading consumer ?electronics companies for a worldwide connectivity standard.?
• Negotiated patent licensing transactions resulting in significant revenue for ?publicly traded technology companies.?
• Advised start-up technology companies in greater than 20 private financings ?with venture capital and angel investors.?
• Established inbound licensing program at a leading technology company.?
• Served as General Counsel at private and public semiconductor corporations, ?where he advised the Board of Directors on matters ranging from litigation to ?corporate securities.
• Served as in-house Corporate Secretary for a publicly traded mid-size ?Semiconductor company?, specializing in music and video applications ?processors.?
• Served as lead in-house counsel and outside legal counsel on multiple ?acquisitions (public-public, and private-public deals).?
• Effectively managed compliance transition from private to public company by ?developing SOX legal compliance systems. ?
• Successfully negotiated music subscription service deals with major record ?labels to permit development of a streaming music subscription service. ?
• Advised companies on key encryption security compliance required by ?Hollywood studios and security enablement programs.?