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David G. LITT

Professor of Keio University Law School
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David Litt joined the faculty of Keio University Law School as a full professor in September 2015, after teaching since 2011 as an adjunct lecturer and, since 2013, at Keio's Faculty of Policy Management as a special guest professor.

He graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in 1984, summa cum laude, with Distinction in Economics, and received the William R. Massee Award. He studied law at the University of Chicago Law School, as recipient of a Floyd R. Mechem scholarship, and received his J.D. degree in 1988 with honors.

After serving as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Alfred T. Goodwin of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the Honorable Anthony M. Kennedy, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, David practiced as an attorney with and then partner of the law firm of O'Melveny & Myers LLP (Los Angeles, Tokyo and Washington, D.C. offices) from 1990 to 2007.
From 2007 to 2011 he was a partner in the law firm of Morrison & Foerster LLP (Tokyo office). In 2020, he re-registered as a foreign lawyer and rejoined O'Melveny as Of Counsel. His law practice has focused on cross border transactions, and involved matters across Asia, Europe and the Americas. He co-founded and from 2012 until early 2015 served as CEO and Representative Director of Deneb Renewable Energy KK, a developer of solar PV power plants throughout Japan, including one project which upon completion was the largest "floating solar power" installation in the world. Energy policy and renewables remain a focus of David's research interest.

At the Law School, David has taught, among other courses, Corporate Governance and Risk Management, International Business Transactions, Law of the Internet, Comparative Contract Law, Comparative Corporate Law, Government Relations and Law, Comparative Constitutional Law, International IP Licensing Agreements, Legal Debate and Negotiation.




◆Fields of Expertise  

• Comparative Law
• Corporate Law and Governance
• International Business Transactions
• Energy Policy

◆Publications     

David G. Litt, Globalizing Legal Education at Keio University Law School: Exchange and Double Degree Arrangements as One Arrow in the Quiver, Chapter 8,in Challenges for Studying Law Abroad in the Asian Region: Programs for Asian Global Legal Professions Series, Volume II, January 2018, edited by the Keio Institute for Global Law and Development.

Rosen, Aronson, Litt, McAlinn, Stern, Introduction to American Law (3rd Edition), August 2017, Carolina Academic Press.

David G. Litt, August 13 2017 draft by Finalization Committee, Chapter on Non-Performance, Principles of Asian Contract Law,Asian Private Law Review No. 8 (2017).

David G. Litt, The Works of Professor Gerald P. McAlinn, 慶應法学 (Keio Hougaku), No. 38, September 2017.

David G. Litt, FIT for Renewables: Why Japan must look beyond nuclear energy, column, The Journal of the ACCJ, April 2017.

David G. Litt, Japan's New Corporate Governance Code: Outside Directors Find a Role Under 'Abenomics', The Corporate Governance Advisor, Vol 23. No. 3, May-June 2015.

Naosuke Fujita, David G. Litt and Kohei Yamamoto, Fair Trade Commission Adopts Leniency Programme, 2006 IFLR Guide to Japan.

David G. Litt and Hajime Iwaki, Hostile Takeovers in Japan: the UFJ Example, 2005 IFLR Guide to Japan.

David G. Litt, Mergers and Acquisitions in the United States - Additional Regulation of Fairness Opinions Under Consideration, The Asialaw Japan Review, Volume 1, Issue 2, 2005.

Geoffrey D. Oliver and David G. Litt, Cooperation or Confrontation? The Clinton Administration's International Enforcement of U.S. Antitrust Law, Corporate Counsel's International Adviser, October 1, 1994, Issue No. 113.

Geoffrey D. Oliver and David G. Litt, クリントン政権による米国反トラスト法の国際的執行―対決か協力か, 国際商事法務 Vol 22., No. 10 (1994).

David G. Litt, 米国におけるコーポレート・ガバナンスの最近の状況と日本との関わり [Corporate Governance in the United States: Recent Developments and their Relevance to Japan], M&A Review, Vol 8., No. 11, Corporate Governance Special Edition, November 1994.

David G. Litt, 米国における株主総会 [Shareholder Meetings in the United States], 商事法務[Shoji Homu], No. 1300, October 5 and October 15, 1992.

David G. Litt, Work in Progress at the Ministry of Finance: Proposals for Restructuring the Japanese Financial Services Industry, 12 U. Penn J. Int'l Business L. 711 (1991).

David G. Litt, Jonathan R. Macey, Geoffrey P. Miller & Edward L. Rubin, Politics, Bureaucracies and Financial Markets: Bank Entry into Commercial Paper Underwriting in the United States and Japan, 139 U. Penn. L. Rev. 369 (1990).

◆Other; 

Member of the California and Washington D.C. bars.
Registered in Japan as a foreign lawyer (gaikokuho jimubengoshi), 2004-2011.
David is an avid long-distance cyclist (randonneur) and an amateur violist. David serves as a trustee, advisor, outside director or statutory auditor to a number of charitable and for-profit entities.
Co-Chair, Energy Committee, American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, 2013-2018

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