A great lawyer with a niche insurance practice, and is probably the best in the USA.
Chambers USA

Pillsbury Litigation partner and Firm Chair David Dekker is recognized as one of the leading construction lawyers in the U.S., and was identified by BTI as among the “most valuable” practitioners to corporate counsel worldwide, in any practice area.

Dave has extensive experience in all phases of civil litigation and dispute resolution. He has achieved winning results in complex insurance coverage, construction and other commercial disputes, both at trial and on appeal. Beyond the courtroom, he routinely advises clients on insurance and risk management issues, corporate risk transfer programs, individual projects and other nonlitigation matters.

Representative Experience

  • Handles complex insurance coverage claims arising from construction projects or damage to business operations, including general liability, builder’s risk, professional, pollution, commercial property, EPL and business interruption, as well as claims involving subcontractor default insurance and payment and performance bonds.
  • Counsels clients concerning crisis management, particularly in the face of catastrophic occurrences arising from construction projects or operating businesses.
  • Advises on risk management programs for numerous companies on Engineering News Record's list of the country’s 100 largest contractors, as well as real estate developers, private equity funds, utilities, engineering firms and homebuilders.

Professional Highlights

  • Pillsbury’s firm chair since January 1, 2017, and member of its managing board since 2014.
  • On the team that earned the “2018 Construction Law Firm of the Year” and the “2017 Construction Litigation Law Firm of the Year” distinctions from US News & World Report.
  • Among The Legal 500’s eight leading Real Estate and Construction practitioners in the country in 2010.

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  • Honors & Awards
    • Best Lawyers, Lawyer of the Year, Construction Law – Washington, DC (2016)
    • Chambers USA, DC Construction, Tier 1 (2007 – 2018); Eminent Practitioner (2019 – 2021, 2023)
    • Best Lawyers (published by BL Rankings LLC), Construction Law (2010 – 2024), Litigation – Construction (2011 – 2024)
    • The Legal 500 U.S., Construction (2011, 2013 – 2016)
    • BTI Client Service MVP (2013), BTI Client Service All-Star (2013, 2015)
    • PLC Which Lawyer?, Construction – DC
    • Guide to the World’s Leading Construction Litigation Lawyers, Euromoney/Legal Media Group
    • Washington, DC’s Best Lawyers, The Washington Post
    • Super Lawyers
  • Associations
    • Fellow, American College of Coverage and Extracontractual Counsel

Education

  • J.D., Cornell Law School, 1981

    B.A., Denison University, 1978

Admissions

  • District of Columbia

    Registered Foreign Lawyer, The Law Society of Hong Kong

Courts

  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia

    U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

    U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

    U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit

    U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit

    U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

    U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland