David Levy is a seasoned litigator who focuses his practice on high-stakes commercial and intellectual property disputes. He also counsels clients on litigation avoidance and crisis management. With more than three decades of experience as a first-chair trial and appellate lawyer, he has represented technology, financial services, energy, insurance, manufacturing, and retail clients in state and federal courts, including the International Trade Commission, and before US and international arbitration tribunals. In several of these cases, billions of dollars were at stake. David leads Morgan Lewis’s litigation practice in Houston and is a co-leader of the international arbitration team.
David’s intellectual property practice includes handling patent cases, trademark disputes, Section 337 actions, and trade secret theft matters across the United States. He has a particularly strong track record of defending clients against nonpracticing entities in patent litigation matters involving a wide variety of hardware, software, wireless, and ecommerce technologies.
David litigates, tries, and arbitrates complex domestic and international business disputes involving oil and gas, fiduciary duty, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) issues, securities issues, and other contractual issues. He also defends companies against class action claims.
David is a frequent speaker and author on litigation, arbitration, and intellectual property (IP) topics. He is a former editor in chief of The Houston Lawyer magazine and the editor of the book International Litigation—Defending and Suing Foreign Parties in U.S. Federal Courts. David has written articles for professional journals such as The Advocate, The Corporate Counselor, Getting the Deal Through, The Houston Lawyer, Intellectual Property Litigation, International Litigation News, Law360, National Law Journal, Texas Lawyer, and Texas Transnational Law Quarterly.
David has been recognized by his clients and peers in guides that include The Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Managing IP (New York and Texas), and IAM Patent 1000. In Chambers USA, a client reported that David “has very good judgment, works cases efficiently and knows our business.” In 2018, Chambers USA reported that David is "very attentive and works very hard to understand us as a client. He is very even-keeled and brings a calming influence to negotiations in litigation matters.” In 2017, Chambers USA reported that David “comes recommended for his knowledgeable IP practice, which includes representing major technology companies in patent disputes. Market commentators confirm that he is a popular choice among clients.” In addition, IAM recognized David as “a powerful weapon in the firm’s arsenal; he is flawless in international litigation – a subject on which he is a published thought leader – and has represented a number of prominent East Asian clients.”
David was also selected for inclusion in the Litigation Counsel of America (a trial lawyer honorary society), the BTI Client Service All-Star Team, and the Houston International Arbitration Club. The Houston litigation group he leads was recognized by The Texas Lawyer as a 2014 finalist for Texas Litigation Department of the Year (Large Firm), and by The American Lawyer as a 2018 finalist for Texas Litigation Department of the Year.
Complex Commercial and Trade Secrets Cases
Intellectual Property Cases – Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights
Securities Litigation Cases
International Aviation
Consumer Class Action Cases
Environmental Litigation
Ranked, Intellectual Property, Texas, Chambers USA (2010–2024)
Recognized, IP Patent Star – Texas, Managing Intellectual Property (2020–2024)
Recognized, IP Patent Star – United States (National), Managing Intellectual Property (2020)
Member, Practice Group of the Year, Intellectual Property, Law360 (2019)
Member, Litigation Department of the Year–Intellectual Property, The American Lawyer (2019)
Recommended, Dispute resolution: General commercial disputes, The Legal 500 US (2019)
Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Lawyer of the Year, Information Technology Law, Houston (2017, 2020, 2022)
Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Information Technology Law, Houston (2011–2025)
Recognized, IAM Patent 1000:The World’s Leading Patent Professionals (2017–2024)
Recognized, IP Patent Star and IP Trademark Star – New York and IP Patent Star – Texas, Managing Intellectual Property (2013–2019)
Selected for inclusion in the BTI Client Service All-Star Team (2011)
Recognized, Top IP Lawyers, Houston Business Journal (2011)
Recognized, Who's Who in American Law (2007)
Recognized, Super Lawyer, Texas Monthly Magazine (2006–present)
Recognized, Super Lawyer—Rising Star, Texas Monthly Magazine (2004–2006)
Recipient, Outstanding Service Award, Lone Star Legal Aid (2002)
Recipient, President's Award, Houston Bar Association (1998)
Former Chairman, Lone Star Legal Aid
Former President, Gulf Coast Legal Foundation
Former Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America – The Trial Lawyer Honorary Society
Life Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
Life Fellow, Houston Bar Foundation
Advisory Board Member, ADL Southwest Region
Former Advisory Board Member, Asia Society Texas Center
Member, CPR Institute’s Energy, Oil, and Gas Committee
Member, CPR Institute’s Technology Advisory Alliance
Member, Houston International Arbitration Club
Advisory Board Member, Institute for Transnational Arbitration
Member, London Court of International Arbitration
AV Preeminent (Top Rated) Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
Former Member, International Bar Association
Member, American Bar Association
Member, Texas Bar Association
Member, Houston Bar Association (former chair of various committees)