Business lawyer David W. Engstrom of Ajamie discusses his career path and current practice.

Photo provided by Ajamie.
Photo provided by Ajamie.

Name: David W. Engstrom

Firm: Ajamie LLP

Position: Of Counsel

Practice Areas: Business Litigation; Corporate Compliance, Internal Investigations and Risk Management

Location: Houston

Law School: J.D., Cornell Law School, 1995

Undergraduate: B.A., University of Pennsylvania, 1992, summa cum laude

Quotable, on professional satisfaction: "I was gratified that I was able to help my client, not only by obtaining a judgment in her favor but also by actually putting money in her pocket.  It was also fun going after the bad guys – I was determined not to let them get away with fraud.  And the experience I gained was invaluable."

Lawdragon: Let’s start out with a general overview of your practice. How do you describe to recruits or family what it is you do?

David Engstrom: I tell my friends, family and contacts that I’m a business lawyer.  I help companies protect and defend their contracts and intellectual property.  I assist companies with resolve complex business disputes in court.

LD: What do you like about your practice? What is professionally satisfying?

DE: My practice has a lot of variety.  I like helping my clients with diverse issues and adding value to my clients’ business.

LD: What cases are keeping you busy these days?

DE: I’m currently litigating a shareholder and contract dispute in state court.  The case is the pretrial discovery and motion practice.  No trial date has been set yet.

LD: Did you have a favorite class or professor that was particularly influential in your studies or future career?

DE: My favorite classes in law school were civil procedure, evidence, and corporate law.  I knew early on that I wanted to do commercial litigation and counsel companies on business law issues.

LD: Is there anything in particular early in your career that you consider key to arriving at your current level of excellence?

DE: Clerking for a federal judge in the Southern District of Texas gave a practical perspective on how business disputes are decided by courts.  I would tell any law student interested in practicing litigation do a clerkship before after law school and before entering private practice.

LD: What do you do for fun when you’re outside the office?

DE: I enjoy spending time with my wife and three children.  Our family loves to entertain and spend time with friends.  I also enjoy coaching youth soccer and baseball teams that that my kids play on.