David Levine
Meet Our Attorneys
- 1200 Brickell Avenue, Ste 750, Miami, Florida 33131
- (305) 925-9947
- dlevine@sfl-law.com
David Levine
Partner
David M. Levine is a founding partner of Sanchez Fischer Levine, LLP and heads the firm’s Miami office. David has extensive experience serving as lead trial counsel in a broad range of complex domestic and international commercial disputes spanning multiple industries in federal and state courts, as well as in arbitration proceedings.
Education
J.D., Florida International University College of Law
- Law Review
- Board of Advocates
- Negotiation Team
B.S., cum laude, Political Science, Florida State University
Admissions
- Florida
- New York
- United States Supreme Court
- United States District Court, Southern District of Florida
- United States District Court, Middle District of Florida
- United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
- United States District Court, Southern District of New York
- United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- United States Court of International Trade
Awards
Perspective
Sanchez Fischer Levine Welcomes 2025 Summer Associates
Sanchez Fischer Levine is proud to welcome 2025 summer associates Zachary Danney and Sabrina Prado. They join the
SFL Ranks in Seminole 100 for Third Straight Year
For the third year in a row, the Seminole 100 have honored Sanchez Fischer Levine as one of
Overview
David M. Levine is a nationally recognized commercial litigator with a reputation for delivering results in high-stakes commercial litigation and arbitration matters throughout the United States. Ranked by international publications such as Chambers USA and Legal 500, David is frequently retained to lead complex disputes across federal and state courts, as well as domestic and international arbitration forums.
Known for his strategic litigation style and pragmatic approach, David is described by clients as “knowledgeable about how to use the court system to reach his goal, which makes him very efficient,” and “creative in the solutions he recommends.” Over his career, David has successfully represented the South American Soccer Confederation in the civil fallout from the FIFA-gate corruption scandal; helped secure multi-million dollar jury and directed verdicts in state and federal courts; and successfully represented several major cruise lines as lead counsel in numerous complex commercial litigation matters, including in the international commercial arena.
Beyond the courtroom, David is a respected thought leader in the legal community. He regularly speaks at national and international conferences throughout the United States on cutting edge legal and ethical issues facing attorneys. David previously served as co-chair of the International Ethics Committee of the American Bar Association’s Section of International Law and he also serves as a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, which is limited to just one percent of lawyers licensed to practice in each jurisdiction.
Prior to founding Sanchez Fischer Levine, LLP, David was a partner at a prominent international litigation law firm in South Florida.
- Represent major cruise line as lead counsel in trade secrets dispute in the Southern District of Florida.
- Represent prominent former insurance agency as lead counsel in multi-million dollar breach of asset purchase agreement dispute in the Complex Business Litigation division New Jersey.
- Represent professional athlete as lead counsel in commercial real estate dispute in Georgia.
- Represent investment fund in defense of class action lawsuit in Delaware Chancery Court.
- Represent plaintiffs as lead counsel in multi-million dollar joint venture and partnership dispute.
- Represented group of investors as lead counsel in foreign exchange trading platform dispute in the Complex Business Litigation division in Miami-Dade County, Florida; obtained $28 million directed verdict at jury trial.
- Appointed special counsel by United States Bankruptcy Court to serve as lead counsel for one of the then leading manufacturers, distributors, and sellers of energy drinks in two separate federal court Lanham Act actions arising out of unfair competition in the Southern District of Florida.
- Represented country directors as lead counsel in international beauty pageant dispute in AAA ICDR arbitration.
- Represented owner of prominent shopping center as lead counsel in commercial real estate dispute.
- Represented international cell tower builder in multi-million dollar arbitration over breach of asset purchase agreement.
- Represented globally recognized operator, seller, and event renter of arcade machines as lead counsel in Lanham Act action arising from trademark infringement in Southern District of Florida.
- Obtained multi-million dollar judgment as lead counsel in international fraudulent investment scheme in the Complex Business Litigation division in Miami-Dade County, Florida.
- Represented major cruise line as lead counsel in defense of class action lawsuit in the Southern District of Florida; obtained dismissal.
- Represented inventor in a patent infringement lawsuit in the Southern District of Florida against one of the world’s largest corporations. Obtained multi-million dollar jury verdict in favor of inventor.
- Defended the South American Soccer Confederation in civil fallout from the FIFA-gate corruption scandal for claims arising under federal antitrust and state unfair competition laws. Obtained dismissal on personal jurisdiction grounds.
- Defended individuals sued by Central American produce grower in federal court arising under various Perishable Agricultural and Commodities Act (PACA) violations for purported breach of parties’ marketing and distribution agreement. Obtained dismissal on behalf of all defendants.
- Represented major cruise line in vacating a Section 1782 proceeding in the Southern District of Florida.
- Represented foreign entity in domesticating foreign judgment and ultimately collected 100% of the judgment plus interest.
- Represented Central American conglomerate in international health insurance dispute in federal court arising under Florida’s Unfair Insurance Trade Practices Act.
- Prosecuted and defended against commercial evictions and executed on personal property in post judgment collection efforts.
- Represented French painter in arbitration before the international centre for dispute resolution in breach of licensing agreement action in Chicago, Illinois.
- Represented Trinidad and Tobago reinsurer in London ARIAS arbitration against United Arab Emirates entity in dispute over reinsurance treaty.
- Represented former executor of foreign estate in Central America in claims brought under the federal RICO statute for predicate acts of wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering.
- Represented plaintiff, a designer and distributor of Jonas Brothers watches and watch boxes in false advertising claim under Lanham Act.
- Represented foreign entities in multi-million dollar action against bank for aiding and abetting civil theft and dealing in stolen property.
- Represented Aruban bank in post judgment proceeding to dissolve multi-million dollar writ of garnishment on a correspondent bank account.
- Represented entity in action to extend the life of a million dollar judgment to avoid the statute of limitations barring any further collection efforts.
- Represented plaintiff in jury trial in the Complex Commercial Litigation Division in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court; obtained directed verdict on $40 million promissory note in highly contested real property action.
- Represented plaintiff in RICO and breach of fiduciary duty bench trial before the Complex Commercial Litigation Division in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court.
- Aspen American Insurance Company v. Deborah Wynn, et. al., 2021 WL 412348 (S.D. Fla. Feb. 4, 2021) (granting motion to dismiss third party complaint for lack of subject matter jurisdiction).
- Poet Theatricals Marine, LLC, et al. v. Celebrity Cruises, Inc., et. al.,2021 WL 299824 (S.D. Fla. Jan. 28, 2021) (dismissing state law claims against Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. on copyright preemption grounds).
- Villamorey, S.A. v. BDT Investments, Inc.,— So.3d —-, 2018 WL 1832447 (Fla. 3d DCA 2018) (affirming trial court’s post judgment garnishment procedure and holding that foreign entity is subject to Court’s personal jurisdiction).
- GolTV, Inc. v. Fox Sports Latin Am. Ltd., 16-24431-CIV, 2017 WL 4155478 (S.D. Fla. Sept. 19, 2017) (granting South American Soccer Confederation’s motion to dismiss on personal jurisdiction grounds).
- Landmark Funding, Inc. on Behalf of Naples Syndications, LLC v. Chaluts,— So. 3d —, 2017 WL 1013133 (Fla. 2d DCA 2017) (reversing trial court’s order dismissing plaintiff’s derivative action and holding that plaintiff properly alleged standing).
- Tootie Disc. Palace, LLC v. PTX Performance Products, Inc., — So.3d —-, 2016 WL 1367042 (Fla. 4th DCA 2016) (clarifying Florida’s post judgment law and affirming trial court’s denial of appellant’s post-judgment motion to intervene).
- Juega v. Davidson, 105 So. 3d 575 (Fla. 3d DCA 2012), review dismissed, 123 So. 3d 1146 (Fla. 2013) (reversing trial court’s denial of motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction in a multi-million dollar conspiracy action).
- Gavet v. Thomann, 84 So. 3d 1041 (Fla. 4th DCA 2012) (affirming trial court order denying motion to vacate default final judgment).
- Speaker, “Third Party Litigation Funding and Alternative Business Structures.” University of Miami Business Law Review’s Annual Fireside Chat. Miami, Florida, March 2025.
- Speaker, “Who’s My Counsel? Demystifying Legal Operations, Technology, the Attorney-Client Relationship & Ethics Implications.” ABA International Law Section Conference, New York, May 2023.
- Speaker, “1782 Proceedings: Providing Foreign Attorneys with United States Federal Court Assistance in Gathering Evidence.” Inter-American Association of Intellectual Property (ASIPI), April 2023.
- Moderator and Panel Chair, “Next-Day Service of Process Using Amazon Prime? Alternative Service under Rule 4(f)(3) in the Digital Age.” ABA International Law Section Conference, Washington D.C., April 2022.
- Speaker, “Litigation in the Americas,” Worldwide Independent Lawyer League, Cancun Mexico, September 2022.
- Co-Author, Covid Relief? Not From FRCP Rule 4, 55 The Year in Rev. 530 (2021)
- Moderator and Panel Chair, “The § 1782 Conundrum: The American Dream or a Global Nightmare?” ABA International Law Section Conference, New York (Virtual), June 2020
- Moderator, “Digital Currency – The Ethical Considerations for Accepting Cryptocurrency as Payment for Legal Services,” ABA International Law Section Conference, Washington D.C., April 2019.
- Speaker, “Making Your Case for Damages: How to Present your IP Damages Case,” Business Law Section of the Florida Bar, Intellectual Property Symposium, Orlando, Florida, April 2019.
- Speaker, “International Ethics,” ABA International Law 101 Bootcamp Program, Miami, Florida, July 2018.
- Speaker, “What will be the ethics and other impact of AI on Legal Practice and Law Practice Management?” ABA International Law Section Conference, New York, April 2018.
- Speaker, “Ethics of Client Communications with New Media in a Global Practice,” ABA International Law Section Conference, Miami, Florida, October 2017.
- International Law Practice Pointer: The Importance of a Cuba Practice Group in Light of Restored Diplomatic Relations, ABA Section of International Law – Young Lawyers Interest Network & Outreach Committee Newsletter, February 2016.
- American Bar Association
- Business Law Section
- Section of International Law – Former Co-Chair of International Ethics Committee
- AIJA
- Ranked by Chambers USA in Commercial Litigation (2023-present)
- Ranked by Legal 500 as a Miami Elite in Commercial and International Disputes
- Selected by The Best Lawyers in America® in Commercial Litigation (2025- present)
- Selected by The Best Lawyers in America®: Ones to Watch (2021)
- Recognized by Super Lawyers as a Florida Super Lawyer in Commercial Litigation (2021-present)
- Named by South Florida Business and Wealth as a Top Up & Comer in Commercial Litigation (2021)
- Listed by Florida Trend as Legal Elite (2021)
- “Top Up & Comer in Law” – South Florida Business & Wealth Magazine (2019)
- St. Thomas Law School, Legal Luminary Award in Business & Commercial Litigation (2024)