NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--National plaintiffs’ law firm, DiCello Levitt Gutzler, today announced that David Straite has joined the firm as a partner in its New York office. A veteran litigator with deep experience in cybersecurity, data privacy, securities, corporate governance, and hedge fund matters, Straite arrives from Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP, where he emerged as the nation’s leading voice for the recognition of property interests in personal data, a 10-year effort culminating in the Ninth Circuit’s landmark April 2020 decision in In re: Facebook Internet Tracking Litigation and the Northern District of California’s March 2021 decision in Calhoun v. Google, both of which he argued.
Straite’s arrival marks yet another significant step forward for a firm that, in recent years, has cemented itself among the nation’s premier technology litigation practices, including being one of only five firms to be named “Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Practice Group of the Year” by Law360. Headed by firm partner Amy Keller, DiCello Levitt Gutzler’s Cybersecurity and Technology Law group has led several of the world’s largest data privacy class action lawsuits, including the multidistrict litigations against Equifax, Marriott, Blackbaud, and others.
“David’s arrival at the firm could not come at a better time, as we’ve seen an ever-increasing demand for deep expertise in cybersecurity, data privacy, and technology litigation,” said Keller. “David literally helped write the law in this field and his addition to the firm enhances our ability to take on and lead the most innovative and complex data privacy cases. This, coupled with his experience in Delaware corporate governance and securities litigation, makes him incredibly valuable to our clients.”
Adam Levitt, one of DiCello Levitt’s co-founding partners, added: “With Amy having been appointed to more lead counsel positions in multidistrict litigations over the past four years than anyone else in the United States and with David having been the driving force leading the strategy and formulation of some of the most significant technology law matters during that same time period, pairing the two of them at DiCello Levitt gives us, in my view, one of the strongest—if not the strongest—plaintiffs’-side technology law practices in the country.”
Straite is also an Adjunct Professor at Yeshiva University’s Sy Syms School of Business Executive MBA program teaching Business Law and Ethics every fall semester since 2015 and is a frequent speaker on CLE panels addressing data privacy, Constitutional Standing, and investor rights. As a hands-on litigator with a history of innovation, Straite has spent the last decade fighting some of the largest and most complex data privacy cases, including protecting consumer privacy in class actions against Apple, Facebook, Google, and Yahoo. His early work in this field led M.I.T. Technology Review magazine to call him “something of a pioneer” in digital privacy litigation. Prior to joining the plaintiffs’ bar, Straite was an associate with Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP for almost seven years, giving him useful perspectives when litigating against the top defense firms in the country.
“As a passionate consumer advocate who’s committed to fighting for what’s right, I don’t think I could have found a better home than DiCello Levitt Gutzler,” said Straite. “The firm talks the talk and walks the walk when it comes to aggressively fighting for justice, and they have the resources and credentials to become the premier powerhouse in plaintiff-oriented complex litigation.”
Straite also credits the firm’s focus on diversity and inclusion for his decision to join. Just this week, practice chair Amy Keller was named as one of only 11 “Elite Women of the Plaintiffs’ Bar” for 2021 by The National Law Journal. “As a proud member of the LGBTQ community, I’m excited to join a firm that has already demonstrated its commitment to advancing the careers of women, LGBTQ and minority attorneys. Diversity is not just a buzzword here but a part of the core mission of the firm. I’m proud and happy to become a part of it.”
About DiCello Levitt Gutzler
At DiCello Levitt Gutzler, we’re dedicated to achieving justice for our clients through class action, business-to-business, public client, whistleblower, and personal injury litigation. Our lawyers are highly respected for their ability to litigate and win cases—whether by trial, settlement, or otherwise—for people who have suffered harm, global corporations that have sustained significant economic losses, and public clients seeking to protect their citizens’ rights and interests. Every day, we put our reputations—and our capital—on the line for our clients.
