Richard H. Schoenberger

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Richard H. Schoenberger has enjoyed remarkable success in his 33 year legal career. His outstanding skills and presence in the courtroom have made him one of the most highly respected trial lawyers in California.

In an article printed in the Los Angeles Daily Journal, an opponent was quoted as follows: “Schoenberger is everything that a good plaintiff’s lawyer should be: ethical, professional and smart, and he works hard.”

At various times he has held or shared the record for the largest verdict in particular case types in San Francisco, Sacramento, Santa Clara, San Luis Obispo and San Mateo Counties. Eleven of his many jury verdicts have been for at least a million dollars and most have been for multiple millions, including eight figures. In the past five years alone, Rich has achieved results, either through verdict or settlement, that total more than $325,000,000, including more than 35 million and multi-million dollar recoveries. He has tried to verdict or settled well over 100 cases for a million dollars or more.

Rich was selected as the 2016 and 2019 Best Lawyers in America “Lawyer of the Year” for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs in the San Francisco area. Only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is honored as the “Lawyer of the Year”. Rich has been recognized as one of the “Top 100” lawyers in Northern California for the past ten years, is “AV” peer review rated by Martindale-Hubbell, has been included in the national publication The Best Lawyers in America for the past twelve years and has been a Super Lawyer in Northern California for every year the designation has existed. For the past two years, he has been selected as one of the top 500 lawyers in America by Lawdragon.

Owing to his many achievements in the courtroom, Rich is an invited member of the most prestigious trial lawyer organizations in the country: The International Academy of Trial Lawyers; The American College of Trial Lawyers, where he serves as the Northern California State Committee’s Chair; the International Society of Barristers, where he serves on the Foundation Board; and the American Board of Trial Advocates, where he served as President for the San Francisco Chapter during its 50th Anniversary year.

As a highly sought after trial advocacy teacher on a national and international level since the early 1990s, a partial list of where Rich has been invited to teach includes the UC Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall); the Judicial Council of California’s Judicial Studies Program; dozens of programs for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy; Emory Law School’s renowned Kessler-Eidson Trial Techniques Program in Atlanta, Georgia; the Republic of Georgia where he taught advocacy to 24 selected attorneys whose government had only recently allowed the right to a jury trial; Northern Ireland solicitors in Belfast; and trial lawyers in Sarajevo.

After graduating from Santa Clara University in 1982, Rich attended the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. He began practice in 1985 as a Deputy District Attorney in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, where he prosecuted serious felonies. He joined the Walkup office in August of 1987, became a partner in 1995 and a named partner in 2005.

Since 2013, Rich has taught Mock Trial and other subjects at Bridge the Gap, a wonderful Marin City school designed to prepare at-risk youths for high school and college. For years before that, Rich served as CYO Athletic Director at St. Patrick’s in Larkspur and as Minor League Rep for the Twin Cities’ Little League Board of Directors. Rich also used to be found on some field or court, having coached more than 30 of his three kids’ teams. All three went on to play four years of Division I volleyball or baseball where they were coached by people who, unlike their dad, knew what they were talking about.

Noteworthy Verdicts and Settlements

Urban Tenant v. Real Estate Manager – Settlement – Property Defect / Traumatic Brain Injury, $26,662,000
Goodloe v. Bell Sports, Inc. – Jury Verdict – Defective Consumer Product, $17,000,000
Guest v. Hotel Chain – Settlement – Carbon Monoxide Poisoning, $13,500,000
Liou v. State of California – Jury Verdict- Dangerous Condition of Public Property, $12,200,000
Bicyclist v. Road Contractor – Settlement – Dangerous Condition / Paralysis, $12,000,000
Van Fleet v. City of Oakland – Settlement – Motorcycle Collision, $12,000,000
Patient v. Doctor – Settlement – Medical Negligence, $12,000,000
Driver v. Trucking Company – Settlement – Paralysis in Truck Collision, $11,000,000
City v. Pedestrian – Settlement – Dangerous Condition of Property, $11,000,000
Loh v. County of Alameda – Settlement – Bicycle Accident, $9,500,000
Perry v. Budget – Jury Verdict – Automobile Accident, $8,765,000
Hotel Worker v. Parking Garage – Settlement – Traumatic Brain Injury, $8,750,000
Kammerer v. Alimak Hek AB – Jury Verdict – Construction Accident/Product Liability, $8,340,000
Law Student v. County – Settlement – Dangerous Condition of Public Property, $8,250,000
Patient v. Hospital – Settlement – Medical Malpractice, $8,000,000
Driver/Passenger v. Chip Seal/Paving Company – Settlement during jury selection – Traumatic Brain Injury, $7,900,000
Widow v. National Package Delivery – Settlement – Truck v. Auto Collision, $7,750,000 Settlement
Truck Driver v. General Contractor – Settlement – Work Place Accident, $7,000,000
Wrongful Death Heirs v. Car Company – Settlement – Negligent Operation of a Vehicle, $6,500,000
Window Contractor v. Scaffolding Company – Settlement – Dangerous Workplace, $6,000,000
Motorcycle Driver v. State Employee – Settlement – Roadway Collision, $5,750,000
Bruce v. Telfer Highway Technologies, Inc. et al. – Jury Verdict – Motorcycle Collision/Construction Zone, $5,510,000
Kim v. Zarour – Jury Verdict – Wrongful Death, $5,300,000
Driver v. Vineyard – Settlement – Course and Scope of Vineyard Worker, $4,750,000
Minor v. Valley Unified School District – Settlement – Negligent School Supervision, $4,500,000
Receptionist v. Elevator Company – Settlement – Premises Liability, $4,500,000
Machinist v. Industrial Machine Design – Settlement – Product Liability, $4,000,000
Thornburgh v. City of Auburn – Settlement – Dangerous Condition of Public Property, $3,000,000
Perez v. CCSF – Settlement – Public Transit Liability, $3,000,000
Quackenbush v. CSAA – Jury Verdict – General Negligence, $2,500,000
Lown v. Mildenberger – Jury Verdict – Premises Liability, $1,072,000
Chu v. Bay Area Community Services – Jury Verdict – Psychiatric Malpractice/Premises Liability, $1,000,000
O’Cain v. Basu – Jury Verdict – Medical Malpractice, $1,000,000