David J. Hommel, Esq.

A seasoned trial and appellate attorney, David achieves outstanding results in the courtroom and at the negotiation table. He practices primarily in civil rights litigation involving disability discrimination, sexual-abuse cases, and fair-housing matters. Clients praise him for his sharp advocacy and effective advice, as he navigates high-stakes, emotionally charged disputes with compassion and grace.

David has served as first chair in federal trials, managing all aspects from motions and witness examinations to opening and closing arguments. In addition, he has argued several cases before federal appellate courts and led the briefing in many other state and federal appeals. He also advocates on behalf of various disability-rights organizations. For example, he has presented on behalf of the National Celiac Association and answered reader questions for the Gluten-Free Nation Magazine.

In cases where settlement is not an option, his track record spans a broad spectrum of litigation:

• Won a federal jury trial involving disability discrimination on behalf of a Deaf plaintiff, which helped to expand the availability of financial compensation for plaintiffs who are discriminated against on the basis of race, sex, or disability. Specifically, on the heels of intervening authority by the U.S. Supreme Court, David successfully argued that a plaintiff was entitled to the reasonable value of his or her expectation of equal treatment.
• Obtained a reversal before the Second Circuit and revived an employee’s lawsuit when she failed to receive accommodations months after her employment started.
• Convinced the Sixth Circuit to reverse a trial-court ruling and remand for further discovery despite a U.S. Supreme Court decision—decided after briefing but before oral argument—created questions on a fair-housing organization’s right to maintain a lawsuit.
• Persuaded the Fourth Circuit to reinstate a Deaf father’s lawsuit against a hospital for failing to provide sign-language interpreters for his child’s birth. The case rejected the requirement that a plaintiff must show a longstanding pattern of discrimination to maintain a lawsuit.
• Convinced a Florida appellate court to deny a petition for writ of certiorari that would have stayed a civil matter during the pendency of a related criminal matter, allowing the plaintiff to continue to pursue her lawsuit. 
• Drafted briefs in appeals before the Second and Sixth Circuits that expanded the statute of limitations for plaintiffs.
• Coordinated briefing in an appeal before the Ninth Circuit that reaffirmed a jury verdict in a fair-housing case.

Previously, before joining the firm, David clerked for Judge Joanna Seybert in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York and then served as a Court Law Clerk in the same district. Before and after his clerkship, he was in private practice managing and litigating insurance disputes. David earned his degrees from New York University and St. John’s University School of Law. At NYU, he captured the National Mock Trial Championship, receiving All-American honors. In law school, he served as the chief officer of the Moot Court Honor Society and won the National First Amendment Moot Court Competition.

David lives in Queens with his wife, their children, and the family’s four-legged sidekick, Winnie. In his spare time, David is learning American Sign Language (to better engage with the Deaf community) and German (to cheer on his beloved Bayern Munich).