A native of northwest Iowa, Max Schott founded the firm Max Schott & Associates, PC in 1997, with a focus on disability law, including social security disability, workers’ compensation and veterans benefits.

In that same year, Schott took a leadership role in establishing the now-annual 8th Circuit Conference on Social Security Law. The conference helps educate lawyers and advocates on social security disability in order to strengthen the law for individual rights. In the last 10 years, Schott and the attorneys working with him have successfully handled thousands of social security disability cases.

In 1998, Schott was a charter member of the Iowa Workers’ Compensation Core Group and was formally inducted into the national College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers in 2010, in recognition of his "long and distinguished career".

In 2009, the National Association of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (NOSCCR) presented Mr. Schott with the Eileen P. Sweeney Distinguished Service Award for his contribution towards ensuring "the availability of advocacy for social security claimants".

In 2010, Mr. Schott served as president of the Iowa Association of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers (IWAC).