News
Goldberg Kohn's Litigation Group Chair David Chizewer has been named a Litigation Trailblazer by The National Law Journal. This is the tenth year that The National Law Journal has honored an exclusive list of litigators who have moved the needle in terms of the practice, policy and other advancements.
The Litigation Trailblazers are profiled in the November 1, 2023, edition of The National Law Journal. Asked to describe what has made him a Litigation Trailblazer, David referenced cases he successfully tried on the plaintiff's side, and their importance on making him an effective lawyer for both defendants and plaintiffs.
"If I were a general counsel of a large company looking for a defense lawyer on a high stakes case, I would hire only lawyers who had experience on the plaintiff's side."
"For a change of pace from typical institutional clients, I took on a representation of 600,000 children on Medicaid in a pro bono class action, and of a whistleblower in a FCA case. After significant trial victories in those cases, which included defendants with Big Law representation, I realized that if I were a general counsel of a large company looking for a defense lawyer on a high stakes case, I would hire only lawyers who had experience on the plaintiff's side."
Asked what sort of positive change has resulted from his plaintiff's side work, David said that he understands that in order to "win cases for clients, you must uncover facts and deploy legal theories all in service of a story that rings true. No amount of memorizing statutes and regulations for any sub-specialty can substitute for those skills."
David concludes: "I think clients will hire lawyers more for their ability to understand commercial behavior and to synthesize a case than for their expertise in a substantive area."
