Shartsis Friese LLP was built on a simple but enduring vision: to provide sophisticated legal counsel, exceptional client service, and practical business advice at the highest level. Founded in 1975 by Art Shartsis and Bob Friese, both of whom believed that a law firm could deliver exceptional legal services while maintaining a collegial and client-focused culture, Shartsis Friese continues to honor their vision today. We have grown into one of California’s most respected midsize law firms, earning a reputation for combining the capabilities of a large firm with the responsiveness, efficiency, and personal attention that clients value most.
Over the past half century, Shartsis Friese developed nationally recognized strengths in business litigation, securities enforcement defense, investment management, corporate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, tax, real estate, intellectual property, venture capital, family wealth planning, and private client services. Our attorneys are known for delivering strategic, practical solutions grounded in a deep understanding of both legal and business realities.
Equally important to the firm’s history has been our commitment to community involvement and public service. Art and Bob believed that a successful law practice carries with it a responsibility to support the communities it serves. That tradition continues today through pro bono work, charitable initiatives, professional leadership, and civic engagement.
Throughout our history, Shartsis Friese has remained intentionally focused on maintaining a collegial and collaborative culture. We built long-standing relationships with clients who value direct access to experienced attorneys, practical advice, and relationship continuity – sometimes over decades. This client-centered approach has enabled the firm to serve multiple generations of businesses and families while adapting to changing legal and economic landscapes.
The firm built out its litigation, corporate, real estate, bankruptcy, and tax practices through the 1980s and 1990s, adding partners and associates drawn from other San Francisco firms, from federal clerkships, and from government service. By 1997, the firm had 39 attorneys and enjoyed a growing reputation for handling complex transactions and disputes for sophisticated clients. The firm continued to expand in the new century with the addition of a sophisticated estate planning and trust administration practice.
Today, Shartsis Friese continues to build on the legacy established by its founders. The firm combines its five decades of institutional knowledge with a forward-looking perspective, helping clients navigate complex legal issues in an increasingly dynamic world. Guided by the entrepreneurial spirit and professional standards that have defined the firm since its inception, Shartsis Friese remains proud of its San Francisco roots and its longstanding tradition of delivering exceptional legal counsel across generations.
Continuing its commitment to excellent service and top-quality legal guidance, Shartsis Friese celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2025 and is looking forward to a bright future.
Our Founders
Robert C. Friese: Co-Founder of Shartsis Friese LLP
From the firm’s earliest days, Bob Friese played an instrumental role in building Shartsis Friese into one of the country’s premier midsize law firms.
Bob brought a rare combination of legal skill, business judgment, and civic commitment to his work. Having founded or co-founded three operating companies, including a public company, in addition to the firm, he brought practical business understanding to his representation of clients and to his approach to litigation. His professional background also included service as a lawyer at the Securities and Exchange Commission, where he later taught at the SEC’s in-house training sessions in Washington, D.C., served as claims administrator at the Commission’s request, and became President of the Association of SEC Alumni.
Bob focused on business litigation, including securities, real estate, unfair competition, officer and director liability, fraud, and breach of contract matters. He represented claimants and defendants in investment-related disputes and successfully handled a wide range of tort and contract-based matters for companies, individuals, investment advisers, banks, brokerage firms, executives, and board members.
Bob was deeply engaged in the legal profession. He served as Chair of the Business Litigation Committee and the State Court Civil Litigation Committee of the Bar Association of San Francisco, served as a board member of that Association, and was active in the American Bar Association’s Securities Litigation Committee, including as co-chair of the SEC Enforcement Subcommittee of the ABA Litigation Section.
With a commitment to the community that extended well beyond the practice of law, Bob was a champion of public interest causes and devoted substantial time and energy to environmental and civic organizations. He was the moving force behind San Francisco Beautiful, a civic organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in San Francisco and preserving the city’s cultural heritage. He was also committed to supporting organizations that improved the lives of disadvantaged people.
Bob received his A.B. from Stanford University in 1964 and his J.D. from Northwestern University in 1970. He also studied at the Graduate Institute for International Studies in Geneva, Switzerland, and the School of Law of Freie Universitaet in Berlin, Germany.
Bob retired from the firm in 2017. He passed away on May 13, 2021. His legacy remains deeply woven into the firm’s history, values, and continued success. As Art Shartsis said, Bob “helped build the firm from the ground up” and made “an incredible contribution to his firm, the profession, and the city that he loved.”
Arthur J. Shartsis: Co-Founder of Shartsis Friese LLP
For more than five decades, Art Shartsis was widely regarded as one of California’s premier trial lawyers and a trusted counselor to businesses, entrepreneurs, and individuals facing their most significant legal challenges. As a litigator, mentor, and firm leader, he earned a reputation for exceptional intellect, unwavering integrity, strategic judgment, and fierce dedication to his clients.
Together with Bob Friese, Art built a law practice that competed with the largest firms in the country while never losing the personal touch and deep client relationships he believed in. His legacy lives on at the firm, with the lawyers he mentored, the clients he served, and the principles of excellence, integrity, and collegiality that he championed throughout his life. Under his leadership, the firm grew into one of Northern California’s most respected law firms, recognized for excellence in complex business litigation, corporate matters, real estate, securities, estate planning, and tax law.
As one of San Francisco’s best-known and most sought-after litigators, Art represented corporations, partnerships, and individuals in high-stakes litigation, including complex business disputes, securities matters, fiduciary duty claims, intellectual property controversies, and appellate proceedings. His work earned the respect of judges, adversaries, and clients alike.
Beyond his law practice, Art was deeply committed to public service and civic leadership. His distinguished service included roles as a director and later President of the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART), as President of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers of Northern California, and as a coach of UC Berkeley’s Cal Mock Trial program. Throughout his career, he contributed to legal scholarship, professional organizations, and the development of generations of young attorneys.
Art graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, and earned his law degree from Boalt Hall School of Law.
Art retired from the Shartsis Friese partnership at the end of 2022 and assumed the role of Senior Counsel. He passed away on July 14, 2026. Art will be remembered not only for his remarkable professional accomplishments but also his warmth, generosity, wit, humility, and steadfast loyalty to family, friends, colleagues, and clients. His influence on the legal profession and on the culture and success of Shartsis Friese will endure for generations.