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Lawyers

Neal Potischman

Lawyers

Neal Potischman

Partner
Civil Litigation
Northern California

Leads West Coast commercial litigation practice. Represents clients in high-stakes civil and regulatory matters.

Neal leads our West Coast commercial litigation practice. He represents companies, their executives and directors in high-stakes civil and regulatory matters. He focuses on class actions, including securities, antitrust, RICO and consumer protection matters, as well as complex commercial disputes. Neal also handles internal investigations and regulatory matters. His clients span industries such as technology, life sciences, media, telecommunications, financial services, insurance and aviation.

The Recorder named Neal a “Distinguished Leader” in 2025. Benchmark Litigation and Chambers USA recognize Neal as a leading litigator, and Law360 named him a “Class Action MVP.” He previously led Davis Polk’s team in a court victory named to the Daily Journal’s “Top Verdicts” list.

From 2021 through 2025, Neal served as the co-head of Davis Polk’s Northern California office.  He is active in the Bay Area legal community.

Experience

Civil Litigation – Securities Litigation

In his securities litigation practice, Neal has litigated dozens of ’33 Act and ’34 Act cases, as well as state law breach of fiduciary duty and derivative similar claims, in courts nationwide.

Civil Litigation – Antitrust Litigation

He has played a lead role in many antitrust matters, including claims of monopolization as well as horizontal price fixing. He has litigated a significant number of direct and indirect purchaser claims, including class actions, as well as claims brought by various state attorneys general.

Civil Litigation – Consumer Class Actions

Neal also has extensive experience litigating RICO and consumer fraud class actions and mass actions challenging product sales, marketing, and applicable terms and conditions. He has litigated claims regarding a variety of consumer products. He has successfully defeated certification of consumer classes on multiple occasions and has succeeded in getting other putative consumer class actions dismissed at the pleading stage.

Criminal, Regulatory and FCPA Matters

Beyond his civil litigation practice, he has been extensively involved in a number of global white collar, regulatory and internal investigations matters, conducting internal investigations, compliance reviews, and responding to investigations initiated by the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

View more experience

Insights

Recognition

The Recorder – “Distinguished Leader,” 2025

Chambers USA – Litigation: Securities, California

Benchmark Litigation – United States and California, Star

Legal 500 U.S. – Securities Litigation: Defense

Law360 – “Class Action MVP of the Year,” 2019

Law360 – “Rising Star,” 2013

Education

J.D., Harvard Law School
  • cum laude
  • Editor, Harvard Law Review
B.A., History and Political Science, Swarthmore College
  • with distinction

Clerkships

Law Clerk, Hon. Leonard B. Sand, U.S. District Court, S.D. New York, 1998-1999

Qualifications and admissions

  • District of Columbia Court of Appeals
  • State of California
  • State of New York
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, C.D. California
  • U.S. District Court, E.D. California
  • U.S. District Court, E.D. New York
  • U.S. District Court, N.D. California
  • U.S. District Court, N.D. Illinois
  • U.S. District Court, N.D. New York
  • U.S. District Court, S.D. California
  • U.S. District Court, S.D. New York
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