During twenty years in Tokyo, David Litt has advised clients in some of the most significant transactional and regulatory matters involving Japan. He has often advised clients on their most difficult and complex legal issues.
David joined O’Melveny after completing judicial clerkships with Chief Judge Alfred T. Goodwin of the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and Justice Anthony M. Kennedy of the US Supreme Court. He has also worked in O’Melveny’s Washington, DC and Los Angeles offices.
From 2012 to 2015, David served as co-founder and CEO of a company formed in response to the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant crisis that developed commercial-scale solar PV energy projects throughout Japan.
Since 2015, David has served as Professor of Law at Keio University Law School, one of Japan’s leading law schools. He has taught a wide range of business law and comparative law courses, and his academic research focus is on energy policy, regulation of technology, and corporate governance and compliance.
David has been recognized previously for work in a variety of legal areas, including:
- The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, as a “leading lawyer in Corporate/M&A” and for involvement in “key cross-border transactions”
- Chambers Asia Pacific, as a top (“Band 1”) international investment funds lawyer in Tokyo; “praised by clients for his professional and proactive approach, and technical expertise. He is also praised for his communication skills and is a fluent Japanese speaker.” “… very accessible and a real pleasure to deal with … thoughtful feedback went above and beyond the call of duty.”
Languages
- Japanese
Admissions
Bar Admissions
- California
- District of Columbia
- Registered Foreign Lawyer in Japan
Education
- University of Chicago, J.D., 1988, with honors; member, University of Chicago Law Review; Floyd R. Mechem Scholarship
- Yale University, B.A., 1984: summa cum laude, with Distinction in Economics; Phi Beta Kappa, William R. Massee Award, Department of Economics; Research assistant to Professor Hugh Patrick, Economics Department
- Inter University Center for Japanese Language Studies, Tokyo, 1985-1986