About David L.
David L. Markel combines a liberal arts background with formal legal training. He earned a B.A. in History and Government from Franklin & Marshall College. He then went on to receive a J.D. from Tulane University School of Law. Those years in the classroom shaped his approach to facts and argument. He learned to weigh context and precedent before arriving at conclusions.
He is admitted to practice in Florida and Georgia, and he is also admitted to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. He holds current memberships in The Florida Bar and the State Bar of Georgia. Those admissions allow him to handle matters that move between state and federal forums in the Southeast.
Markel’s career includes a partnership at Gerson & Schwartz. He became a partner there in 2017. At the firm he has taken on responsibilities that include case preparation, courtroom appearances, and client counseling. Colleagues describe him as methodical in trial preparation and steady under the pressures of litigation timelines.
In practice he works on matters that require attention to both procedural detail and broader strategic choices. He prepares filings, argues motions and presents evidence when cases go to trial. He is comfortable in the faster pace of federal dockets and in the varied calendars of state courts. His work often requires coordinating filings and schedules across jurisdictions.
Outside the courtroom he maintains active participation in the professional bar organizations that license him. He keeps up with continuing legal education and the evolving rules that affect practice in Florida and Georgia. He also supervises more junior lawyers at his firm and contributes to internal case strategy sessions.
People who work with him say he prefers clarity over flourish and readiness over improvisation. He organizes a case around the issues that will matter most to judges and juries. He pays attention to the factual record and to trial mechanics, and he plans accordingly.
He continues to practice from Gerson & Schwartz and represents clients in state and federal courts in Florida and Georgia.
