David W. Wessel

David W. Wessel was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He graduated in 1973 from Concordia Lutheran Junior College in Milwaukee with honors. He then attended the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, graduating with honors in 1975. He attended the Master’s program in English literature at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, South Dakota.

In 1978, David Wessel enlisted in the United States Peace Corps, and through the Peace Corps he became a high school teacher in Liberia, West Africa. Liberia was, and still is, one of the poorest countries in the world. David Wessel lived in River Cess, Liberia, one of the more remote areas in Liberia. He was a teacher in Liberia for two years before returning to the United States in December 1980. He was admitted to the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1981, graduating from UW Law in December 1983. He was admitted to the Wisconsin Bar Association and practiced law in Wisconsin until June 1984. He was admitted to the California Bar Association in December 1984 and has practiced law in California since then.

David Wessel initially practiced bankruptcy law in San Francisco. Later he moved to Coddington, Hicks & Danforth in Palo Alto, California, an insurance defense firm that practiced aviation disaster law, personal injury, insurance coverage, property damage, business disputes, and other civil litigation throughout the United States. He tried many cases there and became a partner.

In 2011, David Wessel decided he wanted to represent real people instead of large institutions. He joined the Law Offices of Boris E. Efron that year. Since then he has represented injured and disadvantaged people, trying cases on their behalf and getting great settlements for them. His litigation specialties include insurance coverage, insurance bad faith, government entity liability, and construction defects. He has represented plaintiffs in all kinds of personal injury lawsuits. He has also served as a judicial arbitrator appointed by the San Mateo County and Santa Clara County Superior Courts.