PRESSLER SENFTLE & WILHITE - Key Persons
Marc Wilhite is a principal of the firm and an expert in public and private sector labor and employment issues. He has built an active practice advising local, national, and international unions in the public and private sector on a wide array of labor, employment benefits, and administrative issues.
Mr. Wilhite joined the former Pressler & Senftle, P.C. in 2007, as a senior associate, becoming a named partner of the firm in 2017. Prior to joining Pressler Senftle & Wilhite, P.C., Mr. Wilhite was an associate with Mooney, Green, Baker and Saindon in Washington, D.C., where he represented numerous union members affiliated with various locals of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Mr. Wilhite handled dozens of cases defending the employment of union members, successfully litigating the majority of cases he handled.
Experience
Mr. Wilhite has extensive experience working with Metropolitan Police Department Officers represented by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) in Washington, D.C. He has successfully represented FOP members in hundreds of adverse action hearings, including suspension and termination cases. Additionally, he has appeared as counsel before numerous citizen complaint boards, the Public Employee Relations Board (PERB) and the Superior Court of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, including successful cases on the subject of employee rights and overtime compensation.
At prior firms, Mr. Wilhite developed an active employment-law practice litigating numerous local and national cases dealing with complex issues such as employment discrimination and gender discrimination. At Feder Semo & Bard in Washington, D.C., Mr. Wilhite specialized in representing employees of Tart-Hartley pplans to protect the employee retirement benefits earned under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). He appeared in federal courts throughout the country arguing cases on the subject of employment discrimination, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). At Mell, Brownwell, & Baker in Washington, D.C., he specialized in workers compensation law, arguing cases before the D.C. Superior Court and the Office of Hearings and Adjudication and development of a thriving personal injury practice, developing a particular expertise in workplace accidents.
In addition to his vast labor and employment law experience, Mr. Wilhite also practices law in the area of personal injury and negligence. His practice includes the representation of victims of major car accidents, motorcycle crashes, slip and fall injuries and wrongful death cases. He is a tireless advocate for clients who have been injured, ensuring they receive adequate and due compensation for their injuries, suffering and loss of income.
Education
Mr. Wilhite received his law degree from the George Washington Univerty Law School, with high honors, in 1999. While attending law school, he participated in the Vaccine Injury Clinic, where he researched issues involving the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act and argued cases before the Court of Federal Claims. He received his undergraduate degree from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, where he was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society for his scholastic achievement.
Mr. Focht is a principal of the firm with more than 20 years of experience in personal injury law. He litigates high-stakes personal injury matters for victims and surviving family members - fighting to recover the compensation they deserve. He handles a wide variety of cases including automobile accidents, slip and falls, professional negligence, wrongful death, and other serious matters caused by avoidable negligence.