David C. Shonka

Partner | Washington, D.C.

Industry Experience:

David is widely recognized and respected in both the government and private sector as an authority on all things Information Law. Clients seek his extensive subject matter knowledge as they manage issues related to privacy, security, eDiscovery, cross-border data transfers, government civil law enforcement investigations, and information governance. At the Firm, David focuses on developing solutions and strategies for needs concerning the evolving data privacy and cybersecurity space and using his detailed eDiscovery background to support privilege projects. In addition to his work on client matters, David serves as Redgrave LLP’s General Counsel. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing and reviewing legal, risk, and compliance issues for the Firm. With his outstanding record as a trial and appellate litigator and legal strategist, David is also considered a dynamic and innovative thought leader in the broader legal community.

David’s work experience includes:

Advising on litigated competition and consumer protection cases in the federal district courts
Trying cases in administrative proceedings
Representing clients in appellate cases
Overseeing the revision of the FTC’s Rules of Practice pertaining to investigations and administrative litigation
Speaking frequently on consumer finance, competition, privacy, data security, and eDiscovery topics both in the U.S. and abroad
Serving as an instructor in trial advocacy courses and introducing legal and technology training programs to personnel
Serving as a key team member in In re McDermott International, Inc. (Bankr. S.D.Tex.), where Redgrave LLP acted as Discovery counsel for debtor, energy industry provider of engineering, construction, and installation services, restructuring $9.2 billion in prepetition debt

Prior to joining Redgrave LLP, David served three terms as the Acting General Counsel at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and ten years as the agency’s Principal Deputy General Counsel. In both roles, he oversaw the Office’s Litigation, Legal Counsel, and Opinions and Analysis Groups, as well as FOIA, Employment Law, and Energy Counsel Staff. Prior to becoming the Principal Deputy General Counsel, David was the agency’s Assistant General Counsel for Litigation. Before joining the FTC, David was an associate at a Washington, DC law firm and a litigator in the Civil Division of the United States Department of Justice.

Honors and Recognition:

David has received the Louis D. Brandeis Award for Outstanding Litigator (1988), Award for Excellence in Supervision (2000), Award for Contribution to Equal Employment Opportunity (2007), Electronic Discovery Institute (EDI) Leadership Award (2014), and the Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive (2015).

Organizational Involvement & Memberships:

David is a Senior Fellow of the Administrative Conference of the United States, providing informed and objective assessments about best practices throughout the government. David is currently a member of the Advisory Council for the Institute for Advertising Ethics, a member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), and a Journal of Law and Cyberwarfare editorial board member. He is active in The Sedona Conference® and is a member of Working Group 11 (Data Security and Privacy Liability) and the Steering Committee for Working Group 6 (International Electronic Information Management, Discovery, and Disclosure ), along with having served as a former member of the Steering Committee for Electronic Document Retention and Production (WG1). He has previously chaired the FTC’s eDiscovery Steering Committee.

Education:

David received his J.D. with honors from the University of Maine Law School and a B.A. from the University of Nebraska. David is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, Connecticut, the United States Supreme Court, and the United States Courts of Appeals for several Circuits.

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