About David Levine
David Levine is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, American Heritage, and dozens of other publications. He is the author, co-author, or ghostwriter of seven books, including the basketball books Life on the Rim (Macmillan) and In the Land of Giants (Little, Brown). His latest book, The Hudson Valley: The First 250 Million Years, was published by Globe Pequot Press in 2020.
Articles written by David Levine
Bellavia v. Cancer
How a mistaken diagnosis led to a fundraising movementLeonard Bellavia thought he was going to die. In 2016, at age 58, Bellavia’s yearly physical revealed a slightly elevated PSA level, a marker for prostate cancer. The doctor took a biopsy and ordered some imaging tests. A few days later, Bellavia got a voicemail telling him to come in to discuss next steps. “I thought, ‘That’s not encouraging,’” he says. The imaging scan showed lesions on his bones, he was told, and the biopsy confirmed early-stage prostate cancer. A few weeks …
Chemical Reaction
Three DWI attorneys dispel the myths surrounding DWI tests like the breathalyzerPortable breath-testing devices have been around in some form for more than 90 years—dating all the way back to biochemist Rolla Neil Harger’s “Drunkometer” in 1931—and most people have opinions on them. With the modern breathalyzer, for example, conventional wisdom suggests that you should never agree to submit to the test. But DUI/DWI attorneys say it’s more complicated than that. The idea that you should never take it is “a myth, like the Loch Ness Monster,” says Steven B. …
It’s Not Personal, Sonny, It’s Strictly Business
The pitfalls of starting an enterprise with friends and familyHere’s the first thing most business attorneys say when asked about starting a business with a friend or family member: Don’t. “It brings financial struggles and doesn’t always bring out the best in people,” says John A. Benemerito at Benemerito Attorneys at Law. “My advice is: Never go into business with anyone you want to speak to all the time.” But many would-be entrepreneurs still partner with family or friends for that sure-fire venture. And then they make a …
The Pitfalls of Starting a Business With Friends and Family
Here’s the first thing most business attorneys say when asked about starting a small business with a close friend or family member: Don’t. “It brings financial struggles and doesn’t always bring out the best in people,” says John A. Benemerito at Benemerito Attorneys at Law in New York City. “My advice is: Never go into business with anyone you want to speak to all the time.” But many would-be entrepreneurs still partner with family or friends for that sure-fire venture. And then …
Tales from the IP Bar
Maria Crimi Speth finds intellectual property disputes in unusual settingsIt was while clerking for a small law firm as a student at Hofstra University’s law school in New York that Maria Crimi Speth fell in love with intellectual property work. “I was immediately drawn to it,” she says. “I think it’s fascinating, the fact that IP is not tangible property. It’s ever-changing and hard to pin down, easy to steal, and people don’t have the same respect for it. A person who would never consider taking their neighbor’s car might not think twice about …
Securing a Power of Attorney in New York
A power of attorney is something most people never think about because they don't anticipate becoming incapacitated or unable to handle their own financial affairs. However, a car accident, sudden illness, or other emergency could leave you unable to manage your finances and make medical decisions. A durable power of attorney can make sure you are provided for and give you peace of mind. The legal process for designating a power of attorney varies by state. For more information about getting a …
Wanted: POA
Who should look after your assets when you can no longer make financial decisions?The following case is true, even though the names have been changed. After John Smith began suffering from dementia, he needed nursing home care at a cost of $160,000 per year. His bank accounts and other liquid assets amounted to approximately $500,000; but because his children didn’t have a durable power of attorney, they had no way to access any of it. It wound up taking several months before the children were appointed guardians, which delayed their ability to do Medicaid planning. …
Raising Glasses, Funds and Spirits
How Block O’Toole & Murphy helped turn the St. Jude Autumn Wine Tasting into an eventEvery October for the past quarter century, attorneys and other legal professionals gather at a New York City restaurant to eat and drink. Yes, they do it much of the rest of the year, too, but this one is for a good cause. The St. Jude Autumn Wine Tasting is one of the biggest fundraising events to help St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and its dual missions: to prevent and cure devastating childhood diseases, and to help the hospital foot every family’s bill for treatment, travel, …
Plan A
Solid estate planning is a gift to your heirsYou don’t have to be rich, or own a quote-unquote estate, to need estate planning. The possibility of becoming incapacitated may be enough. “Planning ensures that the right people are making important health care and financial decisions for you when you are unable to make those decisions for yourself,” says Stephanie M. Tuthill, of Tuthill & Hughes in Denver. When you die, she says, planning is “a gift to those left behind, because it provides a road map to your wishes.” …
DIY Estate Planning in Colorado
You don’t have to be rich, or own a quote-unquote estate, to need estate planning. The possibility of becoming incapacitated may be enough. “Planning ensures that the right people are making important healthcare and financial decisions for you when you are unable to make those decisions for yourself,” says Stephanie M. Tuthill, of Tuthill & Hughes in Denver. When you die, she says, planning is “a gift to those left behind, because it provides a road map to your wishes.” Stephen M. …
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