2024-2025 Global AI Trends Guide
David J. Hensler
Senior Counsel Litigation, Arbitration, and Employment
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Overview
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Experience
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Credentials
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Insights and events
<em>Chambers USA</em>"A 24-carat commercial litigator."
David Hensler practices complex commercial litigation. He has handled jury and non-jury trials for plaintiffs and defendants in a wide variety of cases. Currently, he focuses on securities fraud litigation, internal investigations, insurance coverage disputes, ERISA litigation, and many other types of general commercial litigation.
Following graduation from law school, David joined the General Counsel's Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission where he gained real-world experience working on securities fraud litigation. He was also an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center for eight years, where he taught a course on the use of economic analysis in litigation. David co-authored several articles on asset valuation in the context of corporate takeovers and divestitures.
David is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL), was Chair of the ACTL's State Committee for the District of Columbia (2004-2006), and also served as ACTL Regent (2010-2014). Legal Times included David in its article titled "Identifying 20 Leading Litigators." David is also listed as a leading Commercial Litigator in The Best Lawyers in America and Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers for Business.
<em>Legal Times</em>"The city's commercial litigator par excellence."
Representative experience
Represented the Audit Committees of multiple Fortune 500 companies in internal investigations.
Handled damages and valuation issues in more than 100 securities class actions and derivative actions on behalf of two major D&O insurers.
Successfully handled multiple jury trials relating to property damage allegedly caused by construction activities or design defects.
Represented the pension plan of a Fortune 50 company in ERISA litigation against a major asset manager and achieved a "make-whole" settlement.
Represented a major insurer in resolving over 40 "employer stock" ERISA claims filed on behalf of participants in employer-sponsored pension plans.
Represented a national homebuilder in successfully contesting a US$40m IRS deficiency notice involving the valuation of intellectual property.
Represented a major utility in defeating claims relating to the proposed conversion of an existing port facility to permit LNG exports.
Obtained the largest jury verdict ever paid on a wrongful discharge claim.
Credentials
Education
- J.D., Saint Louis University School of Law, cum laude
- A.B., Saint Louis University, cum laude
Bar admissions and qualifications
- District of Columbia
Court admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
Memberships
- Fellow and Regent, American College of Trial Lawyers
- Member, Litigation Section, American Bar Association