In Memoriam

David Feldman

Contact

p 713-986-9471 f 713-986-9472

1949 – 2023

David Feldman was a practiced trial lawyer with decades of experience representing people, businesses, educational entities, local government and non-profit organizations. His depth of knowledge served his clients well and helped make Feldman & Feldman a powerhouse in the legal community.

David attended Louisiana State University where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. David served as a U.S. Army Infantry Officer from 1970 to 1972, and was employed at the NASA-Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center from 1972 to 1976. While serving at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, David worked on obtaining his law degree from South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas.

After graduating law school, David entered private practice, ultimately achieving the rank of partner with Vinson & Elkins and managing partner of his own firm, Feldman, Rogers, Morris and Grover, L.L.P. His firm focused on representing both private and public employers in all forms of labor and employment disputes, civil rights litigation, general litigation, and school law.

David left private practice to serve as Houston City Attorney under Mayor Annise Parker from April 2010 to January 2015. As City Attorney, David’s work touched upon nearly every facet of public law, including defending suits brought against the City and bringing suits to recover monies due to the City, abating public nuisances, negotiating major commercial transactions and union contracts, and writing ordinances and policies to improve the quality of life for Houstonians while making government more efficient. David also served as a close advisor to the Mayor and City Council on all legal matters. Following his time as City Attorney of Houston, David partnered with his eldest son Cris and formed the law firm Feldman & Feldman.

In addition to his professional life, David served in many leadership positions at organizations he was passionate about, including The Harris Center for Mental Health and the Southwest Region Board of the Anti-Defamation League. he also spent many years as a professor at South Texas College of Law giving back to the students who were following in his footsteps.

Education

  • J.D., Summa Cum Laude South Texas College of Law
  • B.A. Political Science Louisiana State University

Admissions

  • Texas
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals Fifth and Eleventh Circuits
  • U.S. District Court
  • Northern District of Texas
  • Southern District of Texas
  • Eastern District of Texas
  • Western District of Texas

Notable Cases

  • Doe v. Taylor Indep. Sch. Dist., 975 F.2d 137 (5th Cir. 1992), reh’g en banc, 15 F.3d 443 (5th Cir. 1994), cert. denied, 513 U.S. 815 (1994) Seminal case on supervisory liability for unconstitutional acts of subordinate.
  • Jones v. Clear Creek Indep. Sch Dist., 930 F.2d 416 (5th Cir. 1991), vacated, 505 U.S. 1215 (1992), on remand, 977 F.2d 963 (5th Cir. 1992), cert. denied, 508 U.S. 967 (1993) Permitting prayer at public school graduation ceremonies.
  • Brady v. Houston Indep. Sch. Dist., 113 F3d (5th Cir. 1997), reh’g denied, 121 F.3d 706 (5th Cir. 1997) Key case on First Amendment retaliation.
  • King v. Conroe Indep, Sch. Dist., 2005 U.S. Dist. Lexis, 36176 (SA. D. Tex. July 15, 2005), aff’d 289 F. Appx. 1 (5th Cir. 2007), cert. denied, 552 U.S. 1042 (2007) Defining minimum knowledge necessary for supervisory liability.
  • U.S. v. State of Tex. 457 F.3d 472 (5th Cir. 2006) One of final cases under state-wide school desegregation order.
  • Nixon v. City of Houston, 511 F.3d 494 (5th Cir., 2007), cert. denied, 128 S. Ct. 2504 (2008) Key case on First Amendment retaliation following U.S. Supreme Court decision in Garcetti .
  • Stewart v. City of Houston, 372 Fed.Appx. 475, 2010 WL 1286925 (5th Cir. 2010) Upholding HPD "no beard" policy under Title VII and 42 U.S. § 1981 and established standard in Fifth Circuit.