Gary R. Blume, Esq. (gblume@blumelawfirm.com)  Mr. Blume attended the U.S. Naval Academy from 1972 until 1974 and received his Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Ohio State University in 1977.  While at Ohio State, he participated in the cooperative engineering program, acting as a design engineer for PPG Industries. Upon graduation from Ohio State he began working as an engineer with General Electric in the areas of Transportation Equipment Products, Major Appliances, OEM Sales and Marketing and Control System Engineering and Marketing. He then joined Leeds and Northrup and later J.R. McDermott as a Control System Engineer and Marketing and Sales Manager. During this time he obtained his Master of Business Administration from Whittier College in Whittier, California, specializing in Finance while simultaneously attending law school at Whittier College School of Law. While attending law school he studied in the former Soviet Union and in Poland with the University of San Diego School of Law, becoming familiar with socialist legal systems and joint venture transactions. After law school graduation in 1990 he began a law practice in Minneapolis, Minnesota, concentrating on small business representation. Mr. Blume then moved his practice to Phoenix, Arizona and continued his specialization in corporate matters. Mr. Blume represents public and private companies, does merger and acquisition work, is familiar with formation and corporate law matters in several states and does business sale and purchase agreements. In addition to the transaction items discussed above, he specializes in corporate litigation in matters involving covenants not to compete, trademarks, breach of contract and other general corporate litigation. Mr. Blume is a member of the Arizona State Bar, Minnesota State Bar, Maricopa County Bar, Hennepin County Bar, American Bar Association and Federal Bar Association and can appear before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the United States District Court for the District of Arizona and the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. He participates in the "Courthouse Experience," a program for youth in Maricopa County.