Randy Mastro

• Won landmark Supreme Court ruling on behalf of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn barring Governor Cuomo from imposing onerous fixed-capacity restrictions during the pandemic on “houses of worship” of 10 people in “red” zones and 25 people in “orange” zones, in violation of the First Amendment’s free exercise of religion protections. The victory was front-page news throughout the country and caused a sea change in how states regulated religious institutions during the COVID-19 crisis. For this and another COVID U.S. Supreme Court victory overturning New York's eviction moratorium, he was named The American Lawyer’s “Litigator of the Week.”
• Won two-month bench trial in the S.D.N.Y. as lead trial counsel for Chevron in its RICO case barring U.S. lawyer Steven Donziger and his clients from enforcing an $18 billion Ecuadorian judgment against Chevron procured by fraud and for engaging in a pattern of racketeering to extort money from Chevron. Presented the opening, closing and rebuttal closing at trial, and examined and cross-examined the key witnesses (including cross-examining the lead defendant, Steven Donziger, and the Ecuadorian judge who claimed to have authored the fraudulent Ecuadorian judgment, Nicholas Zambrano, but who instead allowed the judgment to be ghostwritten in exchange for a bribe). Michael Goldhaber wrote in The American Lawyer that Mr. Mastro’s cross-examination of Judge Zambrano was the turning point of the trial that will be talked about “in the annals of courtroom history,” and that the closing argument “out­classed” the opposition. And Paul Barrett of Bloomberg Businessweek wrote in his book that Mr. Mastro’s cross-examination of Donziger was “blistering.” The American Lawyer called the Chevron case “The Trial of the Century”; The Wall Street Journal dubbed it the “The Legal Fraud of the Century”; and Benchmark Litigation named Mr. Mastro “Trial Lawyer of the Year.” Also for Chevron, he blocked enforcement of a sham $18 billion foreign arbitration award procured by fraud, eerily reminiscent of the fraudulent Ecuadorian judgment. For each of those wins, he was named The American Lawyer’s “Litigator of the Week.”
• Conducted a 25-day bench trial in the S.D.N.Y. as lead trial counsel for Lavastone, an AIG affiliate, in its $1 billion RICO, breach of contract, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and unjust enrichment case against a leading life settlements company and its owners. Lavastone’s claims concerned the company's practice of purchasing life insurance policies, laundering them through a shell company and then selling them to Lavastone at inflated prices. Successfully argued for summary judgment on Lavastone’s breach of contract claim. Presented the opening, closing and rebuttal closing at trial, and examined and cross-examined the key witnesses, including the the father-son owners, over eight straight days. Post-trial, the parties settled their differences, with one market participant quoted as saying that the owner “had to get his butt kicked first” before agreeing to settle the case.
• Successfully defended Lynn Tilton and her company, Patriarch Partners, against U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) fraud charges over her management of a distressed debt CLO fund where the SEC sought disgorgement of more than $200 million and Lynn Tilton’s debarment for life as an investment advisor. Forced to go to trial in the SEC’s internal tribunal, Tilton turned to Mr. Mastro to defend her, publicly describing him as the “General” of a litigation “army.” And go to war he did, mounting a vigorous defense during a three-week trial that vindicated her in the eyes of courtroom observers. Indeed, press accounts described the trial as “tilt[ing] in Lynn Tilton’s favor,” reporting that “Lynn Tilton’s lawyer, Randy Mastro, knows how to get attention with an opening statement” and “easily outdueled the SEC’s legal eagles.” In the end, the SEC ALJ issued a 57-page decision dismissing all of the SEC’s charges and finding all of the SEC’s factual allegations “unproven.” It was a stunning rebuke for the SEC, whose Enforcement Division wins 90 percent of the cases it brings before its in-house ALJs. But not this time. For achieving this extraordinary result, Mr. Mastro was named The American Lawyer’s “Litigator of the Week.” Also won outright dismissal in the S.D.N.Y. of a private civil RICO action brought against Tilton and her company seeking more than $1 billion in damages.
• Represented Madison Square Garden ("MSG") and Cablevision on multiple high-profile litigations, including winning court rulings upholding MSG’s controversial adverse attorney ban, for which he was named The American Lawyer’s “Litigator of the Week,” and defending MGS and Jamie Dolan in a high-profile case brought by former Knicks star Charles Oakley over his removal from the Garden. Mr. Mastro also successfully represented MSG and others in litigations challenging, and ultimately defeating, the City’s sweeping proposal to build a new stadium for the Jets on Manhattan’s West Side. And he successfully defended Cablevision and MSG in a related $100 million antitrust suit brought by the New York Jets over their failed stadium bid.
• Successfully defended DraftKings against State Attorney General litigations over the legality of daily fantasy sports in New York, Illinois and Texas. In the New York action, argued with prominent co-counsel against a preliminary injunction application, with commentators tweeting from the courtroom that “DraftKings got their money’s worth today” from its legal team, calling “Mastro, in particular,” “riveting.” Obtained a stay pending appeal, and then resolved the case through state legislation legalizing daily fantasy sports in New York.
• Represented New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s Office in the Bridgegate investigation, conducting an extensive internal investigation and producing a 250-page report identifying who was responsible for the lane closures, which turned out to be the same individual later charged by federal prosecutors. Also represented the Governor’s office in navigating its discovery responses to federal, state, and local investigations.
• Represented Bear Stearns in resolving more than 100 securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigations involving IPO allocation and research analyst issues. Won dismissal of shareholder derivative actions against Bear Stearns and its directors over alleged research analyst conflicts and subprime issues.
• Represented Bank of New York Mellon ("BNY") on the appeal of a Bankruptcy Court decision that affected billions of dollars in transactions in the Lehman bankruptcy proceeding. The bankruptcy court’s decision caused turmoil in the international securitization markets by invalidating market-standard provisions in credit default swap agreements that were designed to protect those who invested in Lehman products. BNY was the trustee over the collateral securing those products; both the noteholders and a Lehman subsidiary claimed priority to that collateral. English courts found for the noteholders, while the U.S. bankruptcy court found for Lehman, putting BNY in the middle of these conflicting rulings. When an S.D.N.Y. judge agreed to entertain BNY’s appeal, the parties settled, relieving BNY of any potential liability.
• During the first decade of his legal career, Mr. Mastro: (i) was part of the trial team that successfully defended CBS in a landmark libel case brought by General William Westmoreland that was tried over six months in the S.D.N.Y. in 1985; (ii) served as lead prosecutor of the federal government’s ground-breaking racketeering suit against the International Brotherhood of Teamsters that imposed sweeping reform on that union in 1989, including requiring it to hold direct rank-and-file elections of its top officers, to submit itself to an independent disciplinary officer to root out organized corruption in its ranks, and to answer to a court-appointed administrator; and (iii) led the litigation team advancing the then largest individual debtor bankruptcy in history for prominent New York real estate developer Peter Kalikow, including obtaining bankruptcy court approval to sell the New York Post — the asset he personally guaranteed that forced him into bankruptcy — to Rupert Murdoch.

Includes matters handled at Dechert or prior to joining the firm.

• Named “Litigator of the Week” six times. The American Lawyer, 2011, 2013, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023
• Band 1 in Litigation: General Commercial, New York – described as “a world-renowned litigator,” and praised for his “exceptional public reputation,” who “just owns the courtroom,” is “in a class by himself,” “masters the facts of a case quicker than anyone I've ever met,” “can take on anyone,” “shows grace and style under pressure,” and is "so persuasive" and "smart," "a force of nature,“ and "really fearsome advocate.” Chambers USA, 2004-2025
• Band 1 in Litigation: Trial Lawyers Nationwide – described as “one of the premier litigators in the country,” who enjoys an “exceptional public reputation” and is “one of the most effective courtroom lawyers I’ve seen.” Chambers USA and Chambers Global, 2014-2026
• Named "Business Trial Lawyer of the Year.” Chambers USA, 2017
• Named to the 2024 Class of the Lawdragon “Hall of Fame.” Lawdragon, 2024
• Named among "The 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America." National Law Journal, 2013
• Named to Lawdragon's "500 Leading Litigators in America." Lawdragon, 2023-2025
• Named “Trial Lawyer of the Year,” among the “Top 100 Trial Lawyers in America,” and a “Litigation Star" – described as a “brilliant and effective litigator” who is “perennially revered,” with peers noting, “You do not want to meet Randy down a dark alley, but you REALLY don’t want to meet him in a lighted courtroom,” and “going against him” is “like wrestling an alligator.” Benchmark Litigation, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2020-2024
• Named a “Trial Lawyer MVP,” Law360, and a "Leading Commercial Litigator,” Daily Journal, 2024
• Ranked “Hall of Fame” in Disputes Resolution–International Litigation, General Commercial Disputes, and “Leading Trial Lawyers” in the U.S. – described as “immensely impressive,” “simply excellent,” “flawless,” “in a league of his own,” and “deserves an Academy Award” for “bringing a sense of drama and theater to his courtroom appearances.” The Legal 500, 2022-2025
• Ranked “Leading Lawyers” in Corporate Investigations and White Collar. The Legal 500, 2022-2024
• Co-chaired the litigation department of an international law firm, which was a finalist for “Litigation Department of the Year” eight times in a row and four-time winners in a biennial competition. The American Lawyer, 2000-2021
• Received the Lumbard Bowl, awarded annually by the U.S. Attorney for the S.D.N.Y. (in consultation with predecessor U.S. Attorneys) to distinguished alumni of that office, 2012
• Received the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award and the John Marshall Award for Outstanding Legal Achievement, among others, while at D.O.J., 1985-1990
• Received the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School Alumni Society’s Alumni Award of Merit. University of Pennsylvania Law School, 2023
• Named on the Law Power list as one of the “most influential” and “powerful leaders in New York’s legal community.” City & State, 2021-2024
• Named one of this past year's “Winners of the Year” in local and state government. City & State, 2025