DiCello Levitt founding partner Adam Levitt was featured in Lawdragon’s March 2022 Lawyer Limelight, a series that profiles game-changing attorneys. Given the firm’s rapid growth—from 11 to 50 lawyers in less than five years—Lawdragon sought Levitt’s insights on firm building and winning innovative cases. “Our fundamental goal is to be a firm that’s known for taking and resolving—by trial or otherwise—the most complex, meaningful, and socially significant cases,” Levitt said. “You only get there through positive reinforcement and giving team members maximum responsibility as quickly as possible.”
Adam views plaintiff’s-side law firms as foundational to a truly democratic society. “Unless you’re involved in shaping the future of the law, you’re a part of the problem,” Levitt told Lawdragon. “We strive to be a meaningful solution.” In the interview, Levitt discussed his most meaningful cases, the rapid expansion of the law firm he co-founded with Mark DiCello in 2017, and making a difference beyond his law practice.
Asked about his most memorable case, Levitt, despite having achieved billions of dollars in recoveries for his clients throughout his career, describes representing his grandparents, first-generation Polish immigrants who had been harmed by a “vanishing premium” life insurance scam. The scam led to the cancellation of their life insurance policies, which they had paid into for many years, precisely when they most needed the policies. “I still have a framed card in my office from my grandfather, thanking me for the work that I did,” said Levitt fondly.
Another memorable case for Levitt was the high-profile StarLink Corn contamination litigation. Only 31 when he was appointed to the MDL leadership team in that case, he demonstrated an innovative approach to winning cases early on. He explained that working with an internationally-renowned agricultural economist, “we created the damages model for crop contamination cases that has been used in every similar case since then. So, that was a really gratifying experience all around.”
In 2020 Levitt found himself thinking about how DiCello Levitt might give back to the community in a way that made a real difference. “Say whatever you want, but it’s what you actually do, from the results you achieve and the path that you take to get there, that’s really important.” In December 2020, DiCello Levitt established DLG Cares, a charitable foundation that aims to promote access to justice. DLG Cares made a significant investment in Justice Defenders, a nonprofit organization that trains Kenyan and Gambian prisoners as paralegals and lawyers, creating a path for them out of the prison system and potentially into legal careers.
In addition to being featured in Lawdragon’s Lawyer Limelight series, Levitt was named to Lawdragon’s 2021 list of “500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers in America.” This highly-selective listing honors attorneys who specialize in representing plaintiffs in securities and other business litigation, antitrust, and whistleblower claims.
For the full article, visit https://www.lawdragon.com/lawyer-limelights/2022-03-08-lawyer-limelight-adam-levitt.