DAVID MARCUS
Senior Vice President and Chief Litigation Counsel
Comcast Cable, Philadelphia
Class of 1988, BS in math, minor in physics
Describe your journey from math and physics to law.
I loved math and physics, but when I was a student at Moravian, I didn’t want to go to graduate school. I wanted to be a pilot in the navy and, in my junior year, interviewed with them. When the navy learned about my background, they steered me into the nuclear submarine program. It sounded cool, and it was an adventure. After five years, I was ready to move on to something else. I considered business school and then settled on law.
Did studying math and physics benefit you as a lawyer?
There’s a direct application of math and physics to the practice of law. In both disciplines, you have to analyze and break down problems and logically build arguments with supporting evidence. Also, I work in an industry that’s highly driven by technology, and I am not intimidated by it. I understand it.
What do you love about what you do?
Comcast is a great company with great people and great products and services, and I work on interesting, cutting-edge stuff every day.
There’s a direct application of math and physics to the practice of law.
Which of your accomplishments make you most proud?
I was the first lawyer hired by Comcast to be a litigation attorney, and when I came to the company there was little experience with managing patent litigation. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to build that team. About two years ago, I was promoted to chief litigation counsel. One of my tasks was to bring all litigation from the cable division into the litigation group, and it’s been working well.
What is the secret of your success?
It’s the advice I give to people for their own career success: Don’t worry about the politics. Don’t get caught up in gossip. Concentrate on being the best in what you do, and tune out the noise. Look to expand your knowledge and your skills. You want people to come to you and trust that you can get the job done and done well. Of course, mistakes happen. The worst response is to cover them up. Take responsibility and then offer solutions for fixing them. Remember, too, that no one accomplishes great results on their own. Don’t take credit for the good work of others. When we have big wins in my group, I make sure everyone’s contributions are recognized.
How did your Moravian College experience impact your life?
I am so glad I ended up at a college like Moravian that provided and stressed a liberal arts education. When I was accepted into the navy’s nuclear power program, I wanted to drop out of some of the liberal arts courses I was required to take in favor of more physics classes, which I thought would give me an advantage in the navy, but it was the liberal arts classes that gave me an edge over individuals who came from a strictly technical background.