CRAIN’S - Paul, Weiss
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Reprinted with permission from the Crain's New York Business. © 2014 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights reserved. Further duplication without permission is prohibited. Visit www.crainsnewyork.com. #NB14018 VOL. XXX, NO. 13 WWW.CRAINSNEWYORK.COM MARCH 31-APRIL 6, 2014 CRAIN’S NEW YORK BUSINESS ® F ebruary’s bomb- shell report on bul- lying and rampant verbal abuse within the Miami Dolphins’ locker room stunned the football com- munity and the public, but David Brown had been living with it for months. As a member of the independent investigative team commissioned by the NFL, he was the lead author. “We knew what we were writing would be heavily scrutinized,” said Mr. Brown. “The issues were complicated. We were very careful to publish an objective, impartial view of the facts that reflected the nuances.” Mr. Brown was an obvious choice for the task. “David is a gifted writer and dogged investigator,” said Mark Mendelsohn, a partner at Paul Weiss.“He has this breezy, conversational style that gets people to admit things before they even realize they’re making admissions.” One of Mr. Brown’s landmark victories came in 2008, when he represented several songwriters’ unions in defeating record companies’ attempts to cut more than $1 billion in royalties. Mr. Brown grew up in Queens, the son of immigrants—his Jamaican father was a hospital maintenance worker, and his German mother, a nurse. Though neither of his parents went to college, it was never a question that he would go. Now he does most of his pro bono work in education, defending charter schools—a stance he wishes weren’t so politically charged. He’s both raised money for Democrats (President Barack Obama and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker) and served on former Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Panel for Educational Policy.“Education reform is the civil-rights movement of our time,” he said. “Ideally, it should be something that the left and the right can agree on.” —hilary potkewitz DAVID BROWN, 38 Partner PAUL, WEISS, RIFKIND, WHARTON & GARRISON LLP NEW YORK’S RISING STARS DAVID BROWN IS A NATIVE NEW YORKER, GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE, HAS AN ADVANCED DEGREE, LIVES IN THE CITY, IS A KNICKS FAN, IS ON LINKEDIN, WEARS A SUIT & TIE TO WORK, HAS AN IPHONE, DOES YOGA, USES INSTAGRAM, AND LIFTS WEIGHTS.
Transcript of CRAIN’S - Paul, Weiss
Reprinted with permission from the Crain's New York Business. © 2014 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights reserved. Further duplication without permission is prohibited. Visit www.crainsnewyork.com. #NB14018
VOL. XXX, NO. 13 WWW.CRAINSNEWYORK.COM MARCH 31-APRIL 6, 2014
CRAIN’SNEW YORK BUSINESS®
F ebruary’s bomb-shell report on bul-lying and rampantverbal abuse within
the Miami Dolphins’ lockerroom stunned the football com-munity and the public, butDavid Brown had been living with it for months. As a member of theindependent investigative team commissioned by the NFL, he was thelead author.
“We knew what we were writing would be heavily scrutinized,” said Mr.Brown.“The issues were complicated.We were very careful to publish anobjective, impartial view of the facts that reflected the nuances.”
Mr.Brown was an obvious choice for the task.“David is a gifted writer and
dogged investigator,” said Mark Mendelsohn, a partner at Paul Weiss.“Hehas this breezy, conversational style that gets people to admit things beforethey even realize they’re making admissions.”
One of Mr.Brown’s landmark victories came in 2008,when herepresented several songwriters’ unions in defeating record companies’attempts to cut more than $1 billion in royalties.
Mr.Brown grew up in Queens, the son of immigrants—his Jamaicanfather was a hospital maintenance worker, and his German mother, a nurse.Though neither of his parents went to college, it was never a question thathe would go. Now he does most of his pro bono work in education, defendingcharter schools—a stance he wishes weren’t so politically charged.
He’s both raised money for Democrats (President Barack Obama andNew Jersey Sen.Cory Booker) and served on former Mayor MichaelBloomberg’s Panel for Educational Policy.“Education reform is the civil-rights
movement of our time,”he said.“Ideally, it should be something that the leftand the right can agree on.”
—hilary potkewitz
DAVIDBROWN, 38PartnerPAUL, WEISS, RIFKIND,WHARTON & GARRISON LLP
NEW YORK’S RISING STARS
DAVID BROWN IS A NATIVE NEW YORKER, GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE,HAS AN ADVANCED DEGREE, LIVES IN THE CITY, IS A KNICKS FAN, IS ONLINKEDIN, WEARS A SUIT & TIE TO WORK, HAS AN IPHONE, DOESYOGA, USES INSTAGRAM, AND LIFTS WEIGHTS.
