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Michael C. Rakower

Attorney
 New York, New York, 10016

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Contact Information

Location
260 Madison Ave
New York, New York, 10016
United States

Company Details

Credentials
Additional Awards

America's Top 100 Attorneys, Lifetime Achievement Member, 2016. Featured in Lawdragon's “Lawyer Limelight” column, May 2014. Selected as a "Recognized Practitioner" by Chambers USA, 2017-19. Recipient of Martindale-Hubbell's Client Distinction Award, 2013-17. Panel Judge for ALM’s Rising Stars, 2013-16. Selected for inclusion in the 2011 New York Metropolitan edition of Super Lawyers — Rising Stars.

Publications

"Failing to Heed ERISA’s Claims Procedure: A Fast-Track to Court and De Novo Review,” New York Law Journal, November 5, 2021 (co-authored with Melissa Yang). “Incentive Compensation: When a Promise Becomes a Myth,” New York Law Journal, May 6, 2021 (co-authored with Melissa Yang). “Attorney Fees Under ERISA §502(g)(1): An Exception to the American Rule,” New York Law Journal, October 10, 2019 (co-authored with Melissa Yang). “Seeking Benefits Owed Under an ERISA Top-Hat Plan: A Primer for Litigators,” N.Y.L.J., July 5, 2017 (republished in NYLitigator, Fall 2017); “Statutory Indemnification of Officers and Directors: Foresight is Power,” N.Y.L.J., October 26, 2015, (republished in NYLitigator, Spring 2016); “Guidance on Proposed Federal Rules,” N.Y.L.J., December 6, 2013 (letter to the editor); "The Supreme Court's Proximate Cause Analysis Under RICO: A Distinction Between Direct and Foreseeable Harm," NY Litigator, Summer 2011 (republished in RICO Law Reporter, September 2011); "Building and Managing a Small Law Firm," Fordham University School of Law, 2011-12, 2014; "Wall Street Meltdown Puts Boards on the "Hot Seat," Practical Law Institute, 2009; "RICO Damages After Set-Off: Treble vs. Double Recoveries," N.Y.L.J., March 10, 2008 (republished in RICO Law Reporter, May 2008); "Civil RICO: Legal Overview and Tactical Considerations," New York State Bar Association, 2006 & 2007; "The Khmer Rouge: An Analysis of One of the World's Most Brutal Regimes," as published in To Oppose Any Foe: The Legacy of U.S. Intervention in Vietnam, 2006. Executive Committee Member of NYSBA's Commercial and Federal Litigation Section and Co-Chair of that Section's Federal Procedure Committee.

Associations & Memberships

Vice President (2011-2015) and Board Member (2003-2015) of American Friends of the Kigali Public Library. Principal, The Law Office of Michael C. Rakower, P.C., 2005-2012. Of Counsel, The Law Offices of Gordon Mehler, PLLC, 2005-2012. Senior Law Clerk, The Hon. Richard C. Wesley, U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, 2004. Of Counsel, The Legal Aid Society, Prisoner's Rights Project, 2003. Legal Researcher, Office of the Prosecutor, United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, 2002. Associate, Latham & Watkins, 1999-2002. Managing Board, Virginia Journal of International Law, 1998-1999.

*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.

More About Michael C. Rakower

Michael C. Rakower is a founding member of Rakower Law. His practice focuses on commercial litigation in federal and state courts, and includes substantial experience in disputes concerning executive compensation, finance, real estate, not-for-profits, ERISA, civil RICO, and contracts in various industries. 

Mr. Rakower has been identified by Super Lawyers as a "Top 100" attorney in the New York Metro region every year since 2015. Chambers USA ranks him as a top commercial litigator in New York. Since 2011, he has held a “Preeminent” AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell. He has been designated as a Platinum Client Champion every year since the ranking service began awarding the designation in 2017. Lawdragon has twice interviewed Mr. Rakower (2014, 2019) to report on his achievements in the law. 

In 2007, Lawyers USA profiled him as among the “top eight” lawyers in the nation on a “fast track to making a significant impact” on the legal profession. The New York State Bar Association honored him as the Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year in 2006, recognizing his “commitment to the finest traditions of the Bar.” Mr. Rakower previously worked in the New York office of Latham & Watkins, the United Nations Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), and the chambers of the Honorable Richard C. Wesley of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Mr. Rakower obtained his B.A., cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania in 1993. He received his J.D. in 1999 from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he served on the Managing Board of the Virginia Journal of International Law. A passionate advocate, Mr. Rakower tirelessly pursues extraordinary results for every client.

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