Three Questions with Todd Levine

By September 28, 2022

Three Questions with Todd Levine
Exploring a Decade of Evolution in Litigation, Technology, and the Harmonies of Life: A Conversation with Todd Levine

In a candid conversation with Todd, a seasoned legal professional, we delve into the transformative journey of complex commercial litigation over the past decade. As we marked the 10-year anniversary of the 2008 financial crash – the dawn of the Great Recession – Todd shares insights into the evolution of business disputes, navigating the aftermath, and the shifting landscape of ownership conflicts in today’s robust economy.

We recently marked the 10-year anniversary of the financial crash on 2008 marking the beginning of the Great Recession. How has complex commercial litigation evolved over that time?

Whether the economy is in a recession or is exploding with growth, business disputes will always arise. The biggest difference between the litigation we see today and what we saw ten years ago is the type of disputes. In the aftermath of the financial crisis, we saw a lot of litigation over distressed assets, with individuals fighting for what was left over from the crash. In today’s more robust economy, we are seeing more ownership disputes as individuals seek a greater share of the profits.

There is a consistent buzz about how technology has and will continue to transform the legal profession. How has technology impacted your practice and where do you see it moving forward?
Over the last 20 years technology has improved our lawyers’ efficiency and productivity, allowing us to enhance our client service and more effectively analyze cases. The technology resources we use allow our litigators to find relevant case law in state, federal and international court, enabling us to more efficiently locate and discern necessary legal precedent. We also use tools that allow attorneys to better manage a large amount of document-based evidence, by creating a searchable database. Before these tools were available, it took litigators weeks or even months to go through the relevant case law, statutes and numerous documents in a case. Further, the attorney might have been only able to view a document once or twice before going to trial. Our lawyers can now comb through documents more efficiently and have more intimate knowledge of their contents.

However, while technology has streamlined the legal research and discovery process, artificial intelligence isn’t going to be a replacement for the trial attorney. Litigants still need to rely on the experience and expertise of their attorneys. For instance, a jury of human peers are not going to listen to two computers argue with each other about whose side makes more sense.

The Daily Business Review recently ran a profile on you about how your musical talents shaped your legal career. How has being an avid musician shaped your life in and out of the courtroom?
I’ve played the guitar since I was 10-years-old, along with playing some keyboard. Coupled with my analytical skills, my musical background has allowed me to tap into my creative side for clients and develop out-of-the-box approaches to solving complex problems. In my personal life, I have been fortunate to share my enthusiasm with my sons, who are both talented musicians and play guitar, bass and piano, and produce their own original compositions.

Todd A. Levine is a Founding Member at Kluger, Kaplan, Silverman, Katzen and Levine. A highly experienced commercial litigator, Todd handles virtually all types of complex business disputes. His practice includes a strong focus on commercial real estate litigation, and he regularly represents real estate brokers, developers, lending institutions, buyers and sellers, investors, property managers, owners, contractors and subcontractors in disputes arising out of commercial real estate projects and transactions.