Experience

David M. Schoenfeld is the Senior Workers' Compensation Partner in the Washington, D.C. office. For more than three decades, he has represented national and regional insurance carriers, self-insured employers, and businesses in workers' compensation and related litigation throughout Maryland and the District of Columbia.

As an experienced trial and appellate advocate, David has appeared before administrative agencies, trial courts, and appellate courts in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Several of his appellate matters have helped shape the interpretation of workers' compensation law in the District of Columbia. While he enjoys litigation and advocacy, his primary focus is understanding the needs and objectives of his clients. He believes effective representation requires more than legal analysis. Understanding his clients' culture, priorities, and business concerns often leads to practical and creative solutions that others may overlook. He is known for thorough preparation, practical problem solving, and the ability to explain complex legal issues in a clear and accessible manner.

Beyond his litigation practice, David has been deeply involved in service to the legal community. He served as President of the Association of Compensation Insurance Attorneys, co-chaired the Workers' Compensation Section of the Montgomery County Bar Association, and served for three years as Chair of the Bar Association's Law Firm Management Section. He was also recognized as a Montgomery County Bar Leader. In addition, he served for many years as a volunteer judge for Montgomery County Teen Court and as a host of Law School for the Public, a public television program dedicated to legal education.

David is a frequent lecturer and presenter on workers' compensation and litigation-related topics. His professional accomplishments have been recognized through numerous honors, including Martindale-Hubbell's AV Preeminent rating, AVVO's Superb 10/10 rating, selection as a Washington, D.C. Super Lawyer, recognition by Global Law Experts as Workers' Compensation Insurance Defense Lawyer of the Year in Washington, D.C. for multiple years, the William Neal Award for Volunteerism, and the Montgomery County Bar Foundation Community Service Award. In 2026, he was inducted into the College of Workers' Compensation Lawyers, a national organization whose Fellows are selected in recognition of their sustained excellence, professionalism, and contributions to the field of workers' compensation law.

David graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1987 and earned his law degree, with Honors, from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1990. While in law school, he served as an Asper Fellow to the Honorable Joseph Howard of the United States District Court. He is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States, the Maryland Supreme Court, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, and the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.