Berger Schatz

David H. Levy is a founding partner of Berger Schatz and was the firm’s managing partner from 1997 until 2012. Mr. Levy is a recognized authority in all areas of family and matrimonial law. An experienced litigator, he regularly represents individuals in trials and appeals.

Mr. Levy is a member of the American Bar Association (Family Law Section) and the Illinois State Bar Association. For the latter organization he served variously as chairman, vice chairman and secretary of both the Family Law Section Council (of which he is currently a member) and the Supreme Court Rules Committee. Mr. Levy also was a member of the Special Task Force for Attorneys for Children Committee, the Special Committee on Cable TV Programming, and the Standing Committee on Unauthorized Practice of Law. On behalf of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Mr. Levy served on the Special Task Force to Revise Circuit Court Rules, and currently serves on the Special Task Force to reform court procedures in the Domestic Relations Division. In 1998, he served on the Attorney General of Illinois Statewide Task Force on Court Procedures and Forms.

Mr. Levy has held a number of leadership positions within the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML). At the national level, he has twice been elected to and currently serves on the organization’s National Board of Governors, having previously served as treasurer and as a member of the Executive Committee. He has served as chairman of numerous AAML committees, including the AICPA/AAML National Conference on Divorce, Public Relations, Law Economics, and Site Selection committees, and also as a member of the Admissions Procedures and the National Written Test committees. On behalf of the Illinois Chapter of the AAML, Mr. Levy has served as president, president-elect, vice-president and as a member of the Board of Managers.

A frequently published author, Mr. Levy has written articles on topics ranging from depositions, motions, and business assets to child support orders, among other areas of law. He is a well-known speaker and panelist at legal and business conferences nationwide, lecturing regularly on emerging issues in family and matrimonial law. Currently he is co-chair of the biannual national conference on cutting edge issues on valuation and tax in divorce (to be held in Las Vegas in May 2012), co-sponsored with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; he served previously in this capacity in 2008 and 2010. From 1995 to 2007, Mr. Levy also acted as a moderator on the television show, “Illinois Law News You Can Use,” produced by the Illinois State Bar Association.

Mr. Levy is a recipient of the Michael Cohen Award, given for continuing commitment and contributions to the professional education of matrimonial lawyers. He has been named to the peer-recommended Leading Lawyers Network every year since 2003 and has been selected for inclusion in Illinois Super Lawyers from 2005 to 2013. Mr. Levy is also one of a select group of attorneys to earn a peer rating of AV^® Preeminent^™ by Martindale-Hubbell^®. Mr. Levy was recognized as one of the 10 best family law attorneys in Illinois for 2011-2012 by Leading Lawyers. In 2013, he was named to the Top 100 Illinois Super Lawyers list.

Mr. Levy is currently the Editor in Chief of the Journal of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML).

Bar Admissions

Mr. Levy is admitted to practice in Illinois, and before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Selected Publications

“Transmutation, Comingling, and Reimbursement,” Family Law Handbook, Illinois State Bar Association, 2011

“Hunting Goodwill,” Family Advocate, American Bar Association, Winter 2003

“Everything You Wanted to Know About Drug/Alcohol Screening in Five Minutes or Less,” 101+ Practical Solutions for the Family Lawyer, American Bar Association, Spring 2003

“A Critique of the Proposed Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act,” Journal of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 1999

“Use of the MMPI I & II in Contested Custody Proceedings,” FairShare Magazine, 1997

“Commingling, Transmutation & Reimbursement,” Family Law Handbook, Illinois State Bar Association, 1995

Selected Presentations

“Ethical Conundrums: ’What Do You Mean I Can’t Do That?’ How to Avoid the Letter from the Disciplinary Authorities,” AICPA/AAML National Conference on Divorce, 2012

“Blood from a Stone: Finding and Determining Income in These Tough Economic Times,” AICPA/AAML National Conference on Divorce, 2010

“Asset or Income, Double-Dip Concept of Income in Divorce,” AICPA/AAML National Conference on Divorce, 2008

“Past, Present and Future — Lawyers and Psychologists Working Together,” Reconceptualizing Child Custody, ABA/APA National Conference on Child Custody, 2008

“Maintenance, Lifestyle & Standard of Living,” Judge’s Round Table, Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, 2008

“Asset Protection — A Divorce Law Perspective,” Tenth Annual Family Law Seminar, Kentucky Chapter/Louisville Bar Association, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 2007

“Divorce and Estate Planning,” Bank of America Seminar, 2007

“Child Representatives and Training for Guardians ad Litem in Child Custody Cases,” The Family Law Committee of the Lake County (Illinois) Bar Association, The Circuit Court of Lake County, 2006

“Effective Discovery in Family Law Cases,” Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, 2005

“Potential ‘Pit-Falls’ for the Family Law Practitioner,” Hinshaw & Culbertson National Legal Malpractice & Risk Management Conference, 2005

“Discover Discovery,” Northern Trust Bank Seminar, 2005

“Successfully Analyzing, Negotiating and Trying Your Child Custody Cases,” Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, 2005

“Business Valuation, Financial and Tax Issues Affecting Divorce,” Matrimonial Law Seminar, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (Illinois Chapter), 2005, 2004 and 2002

“Taxes Affecting S-Corporation Earnings,” AAML/AICPA National Divorce Conference, 2004

“The ADA and You (Everything you did not want to, but needed to know about the American With Disabilities Act),” American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Chicago, Illinois, 2003

“Impact of Custody and Visitation Orders on Children,” Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education: 2nd Annual Family Law Conference, 2003

“Family Law 101: Learn from the Experts’ Tricks of the Trade: Negotiating the Best Possible Settlement for Your Client,” Illinois State Bar Association, 2002

“Hot Tips Program - Everything You Wanted to Know About Drug Testing,” American Bar Association National Family Law Seminar, 2001

“Evidentiary Requirements in the Trial of a Contested Custody Case,” Circuit Court of Cook County Child Representative Continuing Legal Education Seminar, 2000

“Basic Illinois Divorce Law and Initial Interviews: Supreme Court Rule 213 Interrogatories, New Legislation and Case Law Update,” Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, 2000