David Newton Webster

David Newton Webster died peacefully in Easton, MD, on Tuesday, January 28, 2020. He was eighty-five years old. As a trial lawyer whose practice spanned sixty years, Mr. Webster conducted a broad range of civil and criminal trials in 16 states and the District of Columbia. He was listed in Best Lawyers in America since its first edition in 1983 and was ultimately listed in the practice areas of Commercial Litigation, Legal Malpractice, Personal Injury, Products Liability, and White Collar Criminal Defense. Mr. Webster was a member of the bars of the District of Columbia and Maryland and served the D.C. Bar as Chairman of its Legal Ethics Committee, Member of its Board of Directors, and President. He was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers in 1982, and was a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, a member of the American Judicature Society, The Barristers (Past President), and The Counsellors. He also served as Adjunct Professor of Criminal Law at Georgetown University Law Center and as an instructor in Trial Practice at Catholic University Law School. Among many notable cases, Mr. Webster served as lead trial counsel for over 1,000 flood victims of the Buffalo Creek, WV, mining disaster. Mr. Webster was born in Providence, RI, on March 31, 1934, and attended St. Paul's parish school and La Salle Academy. He received a Bachelor's degree in 1955 from Providence College, where he served two four-year terms on its Board of Trustees and later as Trustee Emeritus, and a Juris Doctor in 1958 from Georgetown University Law Center, where he graduated first in his class. He was honored with the Providence College Faithful Friar award and the Georgetown University Alumni Achievement Award. Mr. Webster was admitted to the District of Columbia Bar in 1958 and he joined the law firm of Hogan & Hartson in 1959, where he remained until 1967. He was a founding partner in the law firm of Williams & Connolly until 1981 when he joined Nussbaum, Owen & Webster. In 1989, he joined Caplin & Drysdale, Chartered, where he practiced until 2009, when he joined Webster Book LLP. He retired to Oxford, MD, where he enjoyed boating, entertaining family and friends, and socializing with members of the Oxford community. He was grateful for their friendship and support. Mr. Webster was predeceased by his loving wife Marguerite, to whom he was married for forty years. He is survived by his sisters, Margaret Cooney and Mary Ann Torgen; his childre, Lois, David, Steven (Lora), and Paul (Rachel); his eight grandchildren; and his nieces and nephews. His daughter, Devlin, passed away in 2016. A service will be held on Saturday, February 15, at 11:00 a.m., at the Church of The Holy Trinity, 502 S. Morris Street, Oxford, MD 21654. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, if desired, donations may be made to the David N. Webster Scholarship Fund at Providence College c/o Advancement Office, 1 Cunningham Sq., Providence, RI 02918.

David Newton Webster

March 31, 1934 - January 28, 2020