No. 1 - Trent University

young PROFESSIONALS
david levine
From Cultural Studies to Space Law: Critical Thinking
from a Wall Street Perspective
Alumnus David Levine ’90 on the Occupy Movement
and Globalization
“It seems to me that a lot of people
only want to learn what they think they
already know and to have their belief
system reinforced,” says Trent alumnus
David Levine ’90 in conversation at his
neighbourhood coffee shop in Brooklyn,
New York. Levine was recently a featured
expat in the Globe and Mail’s U.S. Election
2012: Canadians in America series—
expats talking about life and politics
south of the border.
Talking about his time at Trent, he
credits his current career success in part
to the early guidance he received directly
from professors who challenged his own
beliefs and taught him “how to think.”
Now an attorney at a large Wall
Street “white shoe” law firm, Levine
works mostly on a team dedicated to
the communications satellite industry,
representing satellite operators and the
financial institutions that back them. For
example, he negotiated the insurance
and regulatory matters for a satellite
operator intending to launch a satellite
constellation that will deliver high-speed
internet service to Africa starting in
2014. That $1.2-billion deal was awarded
Project Finance International Magazine’s
“African Telecoms Deal of the Year” and
Trade Finance Magazine’s “Deal of the
Year” for 2010. He frequently helps
draft the insurance policies for satellite
launches, and negotiates the insurance
settlements when launches fail. “Space
is a pretty tough environment, and
although most satellite launches are
successful, there are unfortunately a
few satellites destroyed on launch or
damaged afterwards,” he says.
Levine is particularly proud that he
can give back to the community through
pro bono legal work. Since starting at
the law firm, he has helped a number of
refugees obtain asylum status in the U.S.
“The abuse and literal torture that these
clients have endured is heartbreaking.
Successfully obtaining status for them
in the U.S. is the ultimate life-changing
event for them and for their families.
The smile on their faces when they
are told that they can stay in the U.S.
is a reward like no other.” He also does
general corporate work for a charitable
organization that sends underprivileged
youth from New York City to do
development work in the Dominican
Republic and Nicaragua. “Not only is pro
bono work sanctioned by the firm, they
positively encourage you to do as much
as possible, and facilitate it at every level.”
He remembers hearing about Trent’s
cultural studies program while he was
in his first year at York University. He
applied for a transfer so he could engage
his interests more deeply in the relatively
new program at Trent. He graduated with
a B.A. in cultural studies and philosophy
in 1995.
According to Levine, Trent’s high
quality of education depends on very
tight-knit groups of people thinking,
writing, and having access to professors
who are intimately involved with and
interested in their individual education.
“Otherwise, why wouldn’t everyone
just do their degree online?” he asks. “I
really appreciated the access to profs
and the ability to create my community.
Those courses were not easy, but it was
a fantastic experience. I still to this day
12 Trent Magazine 44.1