The Victim: Friends mourn man 'enthusiastic for life'

Saturday, November 18, 2006

During less than six months in the Seattle area, Matthew Ammon had such an effect that his co-workers at Microsoft, reeling at the young man's sudden death, described him in the same terms as those who had known the young patent lawyer for years.

"Hugely enthusiastic," said one after another. A bright spot.


	Ammon

The 31-year-old, who moved here in June at the behest of Microsoft's legal team, died from rib, pelvis and other fractures Thursday when a crane crashed into his Bellevue apartment building. Reached at home in Texas, Ammon's father, who had learned shortly before of his son's death, was too distraught to comment.But in photographs, online postings and interviews, a picture emerged of a man who grabbed life with gusto -- a race-car hobbyist who eagerly offered help to other automotive fans, and approached his work as a lawyer with equal zeal.

Born in Pittsburgh, Ammon received his bachelor's degree in computer science from Bethany College in West Virginia, and went on to earn a law degree from Duquesne University, concentrating on patent law.

He spent the next seven years moving into increasingly high-powered positions -- from firms in Pittsburgh to Austin, Texas, Washington, D.C., and Kansas City, Mo., -- before signing on with the legal division at Microsoft.

Back in Kansas City, where Ammon last worked at the intellectual property law firm Shook Hardy & Bacon, former colleagues were so upset at the news that many left the office early. Friends from the Audi Car Club grasped for ways to connect and commiserate.

For those who knew him, the young man's verve for life made the suddenness of his death all the more stunning.

"It's an incredibly tough day around here today," said Mike Gross, chairman of the intellectual property section at Shook Hardy & Bacon. "Just absolutely devastating. He was a fascinating guy -- enthusiastic for life. That's the one word to describe him."

In two years at the firm, Ammon made himself so indispensable as a Microsoft patent lawyer that Gross had shuddered to think of his leaving.

Apparently, Ammon knew it, and with typical wry humor long ago e-mailed the older lawyer with news that he was moving to a new office.

"It practically gave me a heart attack," Gross said.

"I thought he was leaving the firm. But he was just messing with me. He was going up one floor."

It surprised no one, however, when Ammon's contacts in Redmond finally did offer the fast-rising lawyer a position in the Northwest. To those who knew him, it seemed a no-brainer. Ammon loved the outdoors -- mountain biking, in particular -- and his taste for intellectual innovation made him an obvious match for the world's largest technology corporation.

"We were thrilled his past year when we were able to persuade him," said Brad Smith, senior vice president and general counsel at Microsoft. Though Ammon had been on campus only a short time, Smith added, "the impression he made was both a deep and lasting one."

P-I reporter Claudia Rowe can be reached at 206-448-8320 or claudiarowe@seattlepi.com.

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