Alan Schoenfeld has experience representing clients in a wide variety of civil matters before state and federal courts, at both the trial and appellate levels. His practice has focused on commercial disputes and defense of complex class actions, with a particular focus on financial institutions. He has represented a diverse group of clients in cases involving securities, antitrust, bankruptcy, RICO, FCRA, EFTA, FDCPA, UDAP, contract and tort claims, among others.

Mr. Schoenfeld also has extensive experience with appellate litigation in United States Courts of Appeals and the Supreme Court of the United States. He has been involved in briefing and oral argument for matters involving a wide range of issues of both federal and state law, including federal Indian law, intellectual property, antitrust, banking law, contract law, and criminal law and procedure. Mr. Schoenfeld has represented clients before the United States Courts of Appeals for the First, Second, Sixth, Ninth, Eleventh and Federal Circuits, and has presented oral arguments in the Second and Ninth Circuits.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Schoenfeld completed clerkships with the Honorable Sonia Sotomayor of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and the Honorable Denise Cote of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. He was a summer associate at WilmerHale in 2005 and 2006.

Community Involvement

Mr. Schoenfeld is vice chairman of the board of directors of Let's Get Ready.

Pro Bono

Mr. Schoenfeld has an extensive pro bono practice, with a particular focus on LGBT, immigration, special education and federal Indian law matters. He has acted as counsel or co-counsel to the ACLU LGBT & HIV Project, Immigration Equality, Planned Parenthood, Advocates for Children of New York, and the National Congress of American Indians in numerous matters.

Mr. Schoenfeld was a member of the WilmerHale team acting as co-counsel to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in its challenge to the constitutionality of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). He is currently representing a transgender inmate incarcerated in Virginia, in her Eighth Amendment challenge to the State's refusal to provide medically necessary treatment for her gender dysphoria.

Professional Activities

Mr. Schoenfeld is a member of the firm's Hiring Committee in New York.

Recognition

  • Named a Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer – independently rated and selected by clients
  • Recognized as a “Next Generation Partner” in the 2022 and 2023 editions of The Legal 500 United States
  • Named a "Rising Star" in 2017 by New York Super Lawyers for his business litigation practice
  • Selected as the 2014 recipient of the Federal Bar Council's inaugural Thurgood Marshall Award for Exceptional Pro Bono Service
  • Recognized by the National LGBT Bar Association in 2013 as one of the Best LGBT Lawyers Under 40

Insights & News

Credentials

  • Education

    • JD, Yale Law School, 2006

      Essays Editor, Yale Law Journal
    • MPhil, University of Cambridge, 2003

    • BA, Yale College, 2002

      summa cum laude Phi Beta Kappa
  • Admissions

    • New York

  • Clerkships

    • US District Court for the Southern District of New York, 2007 - 2008

    • The Hon. Sonia Sotomayor, US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 2006 - 2007

Credentials

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