David is the Chairman of Boies Schiller Flexner, a founding partner, and a permanent member of the firm’s Executive Committee.

David has been selected as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time Magazine (2010). He has been named Global International Litigator of the Year by Who’s Who Legal an unprecedented seven times. David has been named the Litigator of the Year by The American Lawyer; the Lawyer of the Year by The National Law Journal (twice); the Antitrust Lawyer of the Year by the New York Bar Association; Best Lawyers in America from 1987-2024; Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers; and an Eminent Practitioner by Chambers USA. He was named one of the Top 50 Big Law Innovators of the Last 50 Years by The American Lawyer in 2013.

David is the recipient of Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Redlands (2000), New York Law School (2007), University of New Hampshire School of Law (2013), and New York University (2013) and an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the Chicago Theological Seminary (2011). His awards include the Award of Merit from the Yale Law School, the ABA Medal from the American Bar Association, the Vanderbilt Medal from New York University Law School, the Pinnacle Award from the International Dyslexia Association, the William Brennan Award from the University of Virginia, the Role Model Award from Equality Forum, the Lead by Example Award from the National Association of Women Lawyers, the Torch of Learning Award from the American Friends of Hebrew University, the Eisendrath Bearer of Light Award from the Union for Reform Judaism, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Mississippi Center for Justice.

David served as Chief Counsel and Staff Director of the United States Senate Antitrust Subcommittee in 1978 and Chief Counsel and Staff Director of the United States Senate Judiciary Committee in 1979.

In 1991-1993, he was counsel to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, recovering $1.2 billion from companies who sold junk bonds to failed savings and loan associations.

In 1998-2000, he served as Special Trial Counsel for the United States Department of Justice in its antitrust suit against Microsoft. David also served as the lead counsel for former Vice-President Al Gore in connection with litigation relating to the 2000 election Florida vote count. As co-lead counsel for the plaintiffs in Perry v. Brown, he won the first judgment establishing the right to marry for gay and lesbian citizens under the U.S. Constitution.

David was born in Sycamore, Illinois on March 11, 1941. He attended the University of Redlands (1960-62), and received a B.S. from Northwestern University (1964), an LL.B., magna cum laude from Yale University (1966), and an LL.M. from New York University (1967).

He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers; and a Trustee of the National Constitution Center, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York University Law School Foundation and St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center. He is the author of numerous publications including Courting Justice (2004), Redeeming the Dream (with Ted Olson), and Public Control of Business (with Paul Verkuil), published by Little Brown in 1977. He has taught courses at New York University Law School and Cardozo Law School.

Redeeming the Dream (2014)

Courting Justice (2004)

Public Control of Business (1977)

  • New York University School of Law, LL.M.
  • Yale Law School, LL.B., magna cum laude
  • Northwestern University, B.S.
  • University of Redlands; Phi Beta Kappa

Bars

  • New York
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals: First Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals: Second Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals: Third Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals: Fourth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals: Fifth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals: Sixth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals: Seventh Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals: Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals: Tenth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals: Eleventh Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals: Federal Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals: D.C. Circuit
  • U.S. District Court: Southern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court: District of Colorado
  • U.S. Court of International Trade
  • London Court of International Arbitration

American Bar Association

American Bar Foundation

New York State Bar Association

New York City Bar Association

New York Bar Foundation

Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers

Fellow, International Academy of Trial Lawyers

Honorary Board, National Association of Urban Debate Leagues

Special Trial Counsel, United States Department of Justice, United States v. Microsoft

Counsel to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Chief Counsel and Staff Director, of the United States Senate Judiciary Committee

Chief Counsel and Staff Director, United States Senate Antitrust Subcommittee

Global International Litigator of the Year, Who's Who Legal (seven times)

Litigator of the Year, American Lawyer

Lawyer of the Year, National Law Journal (twice)

Antitrust Lawyer of the Year, New York Bar Association

Best Lawyers in America (1987-2024)

Lawdragon's 500 Leading Lawyers

Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers

Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Litigators

Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America

Star Individual, Chambers USA

Top 50 Big Law Innovators, American Lawyer (2013)

Honorary Doctor of Laws, New York University

Honorary Doctor of Letters, Chicago Theological Seminary

Honorary Doctor of Laws, University of Redlands

Honorary Doctor of Laws, New York Law School

Honorary Doctor of Laws, New Hampshire School of Law

Award of Merit, Yale Law School

ABA Medal, American Bar Association

Vanderbilt Medal, New York University Law School

Pinnacle Award, International Dyslexia Association

William Brennan Award, University of Virginia

Role Model Award, Equality Forum

Lead by Example Award, National Association of Women Lawyers

Torch of Learning Award, American Friends of Hebrew University

Eisendrath Bearer of Light Award, Union for Reform Judaism

Lifetime Achievement Award, Mississippi Center for Justice