David R. Struwe is a commercial litigator at Sirlin Lesser & Benson, P.C., where he regularly represents commercial property owners, real estate developers, and private equity firms in wide ranging real estate and contractual disputes. David also has had success in litigating insurance coverage disputes, as well as legal malpractice claims. David represents clients and litigates cases throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, where he is admitted to practice. David’s litigation success has been recognized by the Legal Intelligencer as one of the area’s Lawyers on the Fast Track, which recognizes top performing attorneys under the age of 40.
Prior to joining Sirlin Lesser & Benson, David began his legal career as an Army officer in the United States Army Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps. David deployed to Afghanistan, where he advised commanders on Rule of Law and Escalation of Force measures. David also gained extensive courtroom experience as an Army Special Victim Prosecutor – prosecuting complex cases throughout the United States and Afghanistan.
After serving in the Army, David worked for two other well-respected firms in the region. While working for the first firm, David was a member of the firm’s acclaimed aviation practice group, which defended complex wrongful death suits that arose from tragic aviation accidents. David also focused his practice on commercial real estate litigation, frequently representing commercial real estate owners in lease disputes.
David then worked at an energy and environmental law firm, where he represented business clients in a variety of environmental disputes. These representations included litigation under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and related state environmental statutes. While at this firm, David also defended businesses in toxic tort cases.
While at Penn State and Temple University – Beasley School of Law, David achieved notable academic success. He was selected for the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa honor society and graduated from Penn State with highest honors. In law school, David earned numerous recognitions for his classroom performance and was selected for the Temple Honors Clerkship Program, through which he worked for the Honorable Marjorie Rendell of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Education:
- Temple University – Beasley School of Law (2011); graduated Cum Laude; Honors: (1) Technical Advisory Service for Attorneys Prize for Outstanding Performance in Field of Evidence; (2) The Nat N. Wolfsohn Memorial Award in Real Property; (3) Integrated Trial Advocacy Award; (4) Barrister Award (Presented to the Best Oral Advocate in Trial Advocacy): Fall 2009 and Spring 2010; and, (5) Best Examination Citations: Property, Criminal Procedure, International Law, Evidence, and Corporations.
- Pennsylvania State University (2008); graduated with Highest Honors – Phi Beta Kappa; Awards: (1) Merit Scholarship Awardee; (2) Ranked 41st out of 4100 ROTC Commissioning 2nd Lieutenants on National Order Merit List (Top 1%); (3) George C. Marshall ROTC Award – presented to top senior US Army ROTC member at each institution.
Awards:
- Recognized as a “Lawyer on the Fast Track” at The Legal Intelligencer’s 2020 Pennsylvania Legal Awards’ ceremony.
Community Involvement:
- Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence Region
- Volunteer Big Brother, October 2020 – Present
- University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School / United States Army War College
- Facilitator – International Strategic Crisis Negotiation Exercise (ISCNE), 2020 – 2022
- Member, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
Admissions:
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- New York
Contact:
- DStruwe@sirlinlaw.com