SAN DIEGO – The Schenk Law Firm is celebrating its first-year anniversary by adding a new parter and expanding its capabilities.
The plaintiff’s litigation firm was launched in February 2025 by managing partner Frederick Schenk, his son and trial lawyer Benjamin Schenk and Frederick’s sister and former Congresswoman, Lynn Schenk. On Feb. 3 this year the firm officially merged with transactional business law firm Lizerbram Law, adding David Lizerbram as partner.
Frederick Schenk is a former CaseyGerry letterhead partner with 45 years of trial experience, including winning the largest verdict ever in San Diego against an asbestos manufacturer. In total, the Schenk family lawyers throughout their careers have helped recover over $25 billion through verdicts, arbitration, and settlements for their clients nationwide.
According to Frederick, adding Lizerbram will provide the trial attorneys in the new firm with a business perspective he never had before in his career.
“There would be countless times we’d have conversations about a case and wonder what’s going on inside the boardroom, in the decision making,” he said. “I’ve come to appreciate that we’re quite good as trial lawyers in the courtroom, but we had no experience in the boardroom and David brings that level of experience and knowledge.”
Lizerbram, a longtime family friend of the Schencks who also served as their business attorney in setting up the new firm, described the merger as “unique.”
“Few, if any, plaintiff’s litigation law practices have a business law transactional component and vice versa. Usually, those types of businesses are on their own tracks,” he said, noting that even very large firms that have both transactional business and plaintiff’s litigation departments are still unlikely to have them work closely together.
Lizerbram also sees an advantage for his business clients, by bringing a perspective of attorneys “who have been on the other side of the table.”
That perspective, he argued, can help businesses, especially startups, create best practices and understand “how this looks from the other side. How [they] could stay out of trouble.
How to do the right thing and not put ourselves in a position where a plaintiff’s litigator would see us as a target.”
Lizerbram’s business law background adds to The Schenk Law Firm’s already deep wealth of experience, which includes expertise in regulatory law from Lynn Schenk, a former congresswoman who has also served on major corporate boards, who serves the new firm in advisory role as Of Counsel.
“What I hope to bring is the gray hair experience of over 50 years in business, corporate governance and law,” she said. “There’s always a balance, in my view, between the overall big picture strategy and the day-to-day of the practice.”
‘Cutting Edge’ in New Areas
The day-to-day at The Shenck Law Firm has been busy since its launch, which garnered an “immediate fantastic response,” Lizerbram said.
Driving the firm’s success are two new areas in the technology space that have prompted litigation. One is underage gambling addiction, of which trial attorney Benjamin Schenk has become a recognized voice for, appearing as a source in publications such as the New York Post.
“Unfortunately, it’s a huge marketplace for teenage boys who don’t quite understand the impact both financial and emotional losing has,” Frederick Schenck said.
“There’s no check and balance on losses,” he continued, explaining if a teen finds a way to get around ID checks and loses a bet, the online gambling company does not check if he or she is of age. “But on the off chance they win, they’re going to have to prove who they are.”
In addition to underage online gambling, The Schenk Law Firm also filed the only lawsuit in San Diego against OpenAI seeking damages for alleged AI-induced psychosis caused by the company’s ChatGPT chatbot. The lawsuit is one of just 12 nationwide.
The lawsuits against online gambling and chatbot companies are an extension of Frederick Schenk’s prior experience leading lawsuits against social media companies for possible detrimental effects, including addiction, of their products.
“I do all kinds of plaintiffs work, but these are areas that are unique and we are on the cutting-edge and forefront of these two,” he said of his new firm’s latest law actions. “We take pride in being on the cutting edge in areas that impact and affect primarily young people.”
The Schenk Law Firm
FOUNDED: 2025
HEADQUARTERS: Downtown and North Park
PARTNERS, ATTORNEYS: Frederick Schenk (managing), Benjamin Schenk, David Lizerbram and Lynn Schenk (Of Counsel)
BUSINESS: Plaintiff’s litigation and transactional business law
CONTACT: (858) 424 – 4444
WEBSITE: www.schenklawfirm.com
NOTABLE: Schenk family lawyers throughout their careers have helped recover over $25 billion through verdicts, arbitration and settlements for their clients nationwide.
