ALAN H. SCHOEM
Professional Experience
January 1, 2012 – Present
The Law Office of Alan H. Schoem LLC
- Provides legal advice and guidance on a variety of product safety issues concerning consumer products subject to statutes and regulations administered by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
September 2004 – December 2011
Senior Vice President, Marsh USA
- Worked with companies to evaluate and establish procedures to minimize the potential for product recalls, to prepare for, implement and recover from product recalls and to understand and comply with statutory and regulatory requirements
October 1997 – September 2004
Director, Office of Compliance, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
- Effectively managed the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s compliance and administrative enforcement activities under all of the statutes administered by the Commission including initiating investigations of potentially defective or violative products and pursuing product recalls and penalties where appropriate
- Provided advice and guidance to industry on complying with all statutes and laws administered by the Commission
- Provided advice and guidance to CPSC Commissioners and staff on CPSC rules, regulations and ongoing enforcement activities
- Worked with the U.S. Department of Justice on specific CPSC investigations involving violations of CPSC statutes and regulations
October 1996 – October 1997
Executive Assistant, Office of Compliance, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
- Responsible for implementing key programs of the Office of Compliance including product investigations and product recalls
1992-1993
LEGIS Fellow to Senator Paul Wellstone
- Participated in legislative activities of Senator Wellstone including developing position papers and statements
October 1986 – October 1996
Director, Division of Administrative Litigation, Office of Compliance, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
- Successfully managed attorneys in the Office of Compliance in pursuing product recalls through administrative litigation and pursuing civil penalties for violations of CPSC rules and regulations
- Successfully coordinated administrative and civil penalty activities with CPSC Compliance Officers and the CPSC General Counsel and staff
September 1979 – October 1986
Assistant General Counsel, Office of the General Counsel, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
- Successfully managed CPSC’s federal court enforcement activities in coordination with the U.S. Department of Justice
- Successfully managed and implemented CPSC’s information disclosure activities and provided advice and guidance to the General Counsel, CPSC staff and Commission
June 1973 – September 1979
Attorney-Advisor, Office of the General Counsel, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
- Responsible for a variety of CPSC rulemaking and enforcement activities
- Responsible for developing CPSC jurisdictional opinions
- Responsible for working with the U.S. Department of Justice in defending in federal court CPSC activities
September 1972 – June 1973
Attorney Advisor, Office of the General Counsel, General Accounting Office
- Responsible for analyzing legal issues in the area of procurement law and resolving challenges to awards of government contracts
Bar Membership
Maryland Bar 1973
DC Bar 1973
Education
J.D., 1972, The American University, Washington, D.C.
B.A., 1968, University of Maryland College Park, MD
Publications
The civil penalty conundrum Part 3 Transparency at CPSC 2017
CPSC and Civil Penalties. 2012 Product Safety & Recall Directory.
Canada Consumer Product Safety Act. The New Canada
Consumer Product Safety Act—Are You Prepared? Marsh Insights, 2011
“New Consumer Product Complaint Database Could Pose
Challenges For Consumer Product Stakeholders.” – Marsh White Paper, 2011
The CPSA’s Information Disclosure Rules-Myths v. Reality, 39 PSLR 145,
2/27/2011
Beware of Increased Civil Penalties for Consumer Product Violations – Are You
Vulnerable” Product Safety Letter, July 19, 2009
When is a CPSC Civil Penalty Settlement Not a Settlement? Product Safety
Letter, June 19, 2009
New European Union Product Recall Rules and Regulations Follow U.S. Model;
Safety of European Consumers at the Core,” 33 PSLR 211, 2/21/2005
“Managing Product Recall and Defect Reporting with the
CPSC.” Marsh White Paper, 2005
Preparing For and Conducting a Product Recall, 33 PSLR 107, 1/24/2005.
Harvard Business Review Case Study – When No News is Good News, 79 HBR
No. 4 at 39 (April 2001)
Select Presentations
International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization (ICPHSO), March 2013
Panel Participant, ABA Law Day: Recalls Through Administrative Litigation: When Recalls are Not “Voluntary.”
International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization ICPHSO), March, 2012
Panel participant: CPSIA, CCPSA and European – Assembly of your Technical Files and Documentation Requirements.
Panel Participant: Risk Management: True Risk vs. Myth
DRI’s Strictly Retail Seminar, Chicago, IL May 12, 2011
International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization ICPHSO), February 23, 2011, “Product Recalls: Are They Necessary?” Orlando, FL
The Compliance and Practical Solutions for Industry Approach to the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (The CPSIA to the CPSIA), DRI Las Vegas, NV April 2010
Association of Corporate Counsel, The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, October 19, 2009 Boston, MA
Product Safety: Understanding the ‘Made in China’ Brand, The Asia Society, April 28, 2008
DRI Children’s Products SLG, Update on Increasing Civil and Criminal Penalties For Failure to Report Product Hazards: A View From Both Sides, April 16, 2005, Los Angeles, CA
Memberships
D.C. Bar
Maryland Bar
American Bar Association
International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization
ASTM