Reviews

I contacted Dave when my former employer violated my severance agreement. Dave helped guide me through a difficult negotiation, one in which I was forced to accept a "less bad" outcome for the sake of moving on with my life. David quickly assimilated the facts, worked with me in thinking through the trade-offs between litigating and settling, and helped me get the matter resolved through settlement before I incurred large-scale fees.

Dave negotiated a settlement in a wrongful termination matter involving a family member. He quickly achieved an acceptable resolution and avoided legal proceedings. Dave was always available and responsive to questions, always thoughtful, always planning ahead. He is exceptionally good at explaining legal issues in plain language, and asking questions. Dave was always focused on getting a good result, and he did just that.

Dave represented me in a complex and distressing issue and I am very grateful that I found him. Throughout the process, he listened to my concerns and always kept my goals at the forefront of the discussion. He was patient and responsive during a stressful and emotional time and this was a great comfort. He always gave me a clear picture of next steps and a realistic understanding of possible outcomes. Thanks to him, a difficult situation was resolved successfully. I would recommend him to others without reservations.

David helped me navigate the difficult process of separating from an employer that I had worked with for many years. While it was an amicable separation, it was also rather complex given certain unique aspects of my compensation structure. Throughout the negotiation process, David helped me focus on what was important and ultimately craft an agreement that all parties were pleased with. I highly recommend David to any executive facing a complex separation process.

I do not have enough words to describe the type of top notch lawyer Dave is, if he takes your case. I was in the unfortunate situation of facing consistent and cruel retaliation for having complained of discrimination. Someone told me Dave was the best lawyer I could get. I went through intense trauma, panic attacks, sleepless nights, and was even diagnosed as a result, with PTSD. I felt trapped. Stuck. My situation at times felt hopeless. Throughout this agony, Dave never failed to believe in me. He supported me. He also wrote the best briefs, researched the laws, updated what needed to be updated. He gave me hope when I had lost all hope. He went beyond the call of duty and even once, shortened his vacation to deal with a matter in my case. In the end, just as the agency was once again trying to terminate me wrongly, under the most adverse conditions for me, when I was literally at the end of my rope, Dave calmly and very smoothly, negotiated a miraculous settlement for me, identified future needs even I did not know I would have, which allowed me to leave under the utmost favorable conditions, regain my health, and start afresh somewhere else. Dave saved my life. If he takes your case, consider that you won the lottery. One way or the other, Dave will come through for you. You cannot find a better attorney: compassionate, calm with his client, knowledgeable about the law, supportive, and calmly aggressive with the other side when it comes to his client’s interests. The minute he steps, you finally get respect. I cannot recommend Dave enough.

Dave Wachtel was a saving grace to me and my family during the most difficult time in our lives. He represented us in a highly complex case that was wrought with emotion; his earnest belief in the law, his patience, and work ethic were inspiring during a time of doubt and real despair. He not only achieved a victory for us in our lawsuit, but, more importantly, he inspired us as a person. It was a privilege to have him represent us. We will be thankful for the rest of our lives.

Dave is extremely smart, responsive, has a good sense of humor, and a good bedside manner dealing with people that, by definition, have had something bad happen to them. He's never condescending, actively solicited my input, and has an amazing way with words when negotiating with my ex-employer to achieve a just solution (for both parties) while politely laying out various bad scenarios that will occur without a just resolution. I felt afterwards that I achieved the best possible resolution, that we didn't leave a penny on the table, and we avoided a messy lawsuit. In my opinion, Dave Wachtel is a rock star and my ex-employer had to be impressed by his stature, his ability, and this positively impacted the end result. Hiring Dave Wachtel tells your ex-employer that you mean business, and he gives you the best chance to quickly achieve a fair solution for the employee without unnecessarily antagonizing the employer. It's a small world. Finally, Dave is fair with his billing, he's definitely not inflating his billable hours, he's a good human being.

The letter you wrote is perfect. It sounds like me and is clear and reasonable - and not manipulative. You may consider yourself to be cynical but you have heart and humor and you've made a rough week feel like a victory. Send me your bill. It will be the first time in my life I've paid a lawyer and what you did for me and our family is priceless. Peace of mind is unquantifiable.

Mr. Wachtel is an extraordinary attorney. He understands all of the nuanced details that matter in a case. His superb negotiating abilities and strategic skills make him a leading attorney. I would refer him to family and friends alike. Both my husband and I have hired him to manage complex legal issues.

I hired Dave to represent me in a dispute with my employer dealing with discrimination. As is the case with these kinds of disputes, I was emotionally drained and coming to terms with what it meant for me, as a person, to be in this situation. Dave was recommended to me by a friend who simply said, "Dave is the best. You can't get any better than that." My friend was right. Dave was extremely efficient with his time (and my money), he was professional and objective, he always considered my opinion and my feelings, and he was clear with me about his recommendations. Aside from his wealth of experience in tough negotiations, he has a gift for seeing through the noise, reading the opposition's position, and using it to his client's advantage. Because of Dave, we had a successful negotiation with my employer. What's more, I felt that I was supported by Dave through the whole process; he was always available when I needed him to be, he was ready with a quick joke or success story if I needed some cheerleading, and he was always thinking one step ahead about how he could get the best deal for me. Dave will not be your best friend but he will be your best advocate, no matter what, and that's priceless.

I hired David after I faced a retaliatory dismissal. He was diligent in learning the complex facts of the case and laying out a strategy to achieve my goals. He asked the right questions and knew the case law extremely well. He conducted himself in a very professional manner, advocating for me with my former employer and keeping me in the loop every step of the way. In the end, we reached an agreement that met my initial goals, and considering the inherent tensions in the matter it all went smoothly. I would definitely recommend working with him in similar situations.

I was in an unfortunate situation on two occasions and needed a good attorney to go up against a bias filled agency in the powerful machine of the US government. I was a overachiever for decades and was viewed as a threat. David was assertive in landing a good settlement the first time and spoke truth to power. On the second settlement breach, David went after the agency with vigor and they wanted to quickly settle because they knew they were wrong and would lose. David would consult with me on each item and we had a understanding before he went back to the agency. The agency settled within 2 months unheard of. This largely due to his extensive negotiation experience in specializing in eeo discrimination and contract violation. I received a very good settlement and I retired because I didn't want to work for a backward organization anymore. David has an excellent reputation delivering for his clients. If you need a lawyer hire David because the government attorneys fear him.