David Boies
David Boies (born March 11, 1941) is an American trial lawyer known for handling complex, high-stakes litigation across antitrust, constitutional, and commercial disputes, and a founding partner and chairman emeritus of Boies Schiller Flexner LLP.[1][2] He overcame childhood dyslexia through memorization techniques, earning a Bachelor of Science from Northwestern University in 1964 and a Juris Doctor magna cum laude from Yale Law School in 1966, where he graduated second in his class.[1] Early in his career, Boies became a partner at Cravath, Swaine & Moore at age 31 and served as chief counsel to U.S. Senate antitrust and judiciary subcommittees in the late 1970s.[1] Boies rose to national prominence as special trial counsel for the U.S. Department of Justice in United States v. Microsoft Corp. (1998), where he led the antitrust prosecution against the software giant's monopolistic practices.[3] He later represented Vice President Al Gore in the 2000 Florida presidential election recount challenges, arguing before the Florida Supreme Court and preparing for the U.S. Supreme Court case Bush v. Gore, which resolved the disputed election.[4] Other defining achievements include successfully defending CBS against a $120 million libel claim by General William Westmoreland in 1985 and leading the legal challenge to California's Proposition 8 in Perry v. Schwarzenegger (2009–2013), which contributed to the nationwide recognition of same-sex marriage rights.[1] In later years, Boies drew criticism for representing controversial clients, including Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes amid revelations of the company's fraudulent blood-testing technology and Harvey Weinstein during criminal proceedings over sexual misconduct allegations, roles that prompted internal firm departures and ethical scrutiny over potential conflicts and aggressive tactics.[5][6][7] His approach emphasizes trial readiness and first-hand witness preparation, reflecting a career marked by both landmark victories and polarizing defenses that underscore the adversarial nature of American litigation.[1]