David I. Lefkowitz is an attorney specializing in complex business litigation. He has special expertise in class actions and securities law.
Mr. Lefkowitz has served as lead plaintiff and defense counsel in numerous complex business and securities litigations. Among his successes are:
Lead counsel in 2-week binding international arbitration, where he achieved a successful defense award on a $1 million claim and a $1.97 million award on the client's counterclaim.
Co-lead counsel in lawsuit against a national broker-dealer, certified on behalf of investors who purchased stocks under a commission-free trading program during the years of 1993 to 1997. After a three-week trial, the case settled during the jury deliberations for $21 million, which represented a recovery of over 115% of the investor's out-of-pocket losses.
Counsel on behalf of investor in NASD securities arbitration, obtaining recovery of 80% of client's trading losses.
Chief class action counsel on behalf of investors who bought stock in a private placement. The case settled before trial for a recovery of over 80% of investors' out-of-pocket losses.
Successful defense of a securities class action on behalf of an individual director of a publicly-traded company, in an action filed in San Diego Superior Court. Served as lead defense counsel in defeating plaintiffs' motion for class certification.
Mr. Lefkowitz formerly was a litigation partner with the national law firm of Beigel Schy & White, where he successfully handled numerous complex litigation of business and securities-related disputes. Immediately before that, he was associated with the Proskauer Rose law firm. At the Proskauer firm, Mr. Lefkowitz had substantial responsibility in the representation of a plaintiff in a lender liability action which resulted in a $100 million settlement for plaintiff.
Prior to entering the private sector, Mr. Lefkowitz was a law clerk to the Honorable Laughlin E. Waters, United States District Judge for the Central District of California. As a law clerk, Mr. Lefkowitz worked with Judge Waters on several written judicial opinions, including, for example, Chalmers v. City of Los Angeles, published at 676 F.Supp. 1515 (C.D. Cal. 1987).
Mr. Lefkowitz received his Bachelor of Arts in History from Brandeis University, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude, was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and received a university scholarship prize. He received his Juris Doctorate from New York University School of Law in 1986, having received a Moot Court Advocacy Award for excellence in the moot court competition.
Mr. Lefkowitz was admitted to the State Bar of California and the Bar of the United States District Court for the Central District of California in 1986.
