People
Randy M. Mastro is a preeminent trial lawyer who represents clients in complex civil cases, securities litigation and white collar criminal matters. He has tried dozens of cases in private practice and as a federal prosecutor, and has argued more than 100 appeals in federal and state appellate courts throughout the country.
Randy routinely ranks among the nation’s leading litigators and trial lawyers in surveys of corporate counsel and other practitioners for his work on high-profile litigation matters, including in Chambers USA, Benchmark Litigation, Legal 500 and The National Law Journal, among others. He was recently named “Trial Lawyer of the Year” by both Chambers USA and Benchmark Litigation, a “Litigation Trailblazer” by The National Law Journal, and a “Trial Lawyer MVP” by Law360. The National Law Journal named him among the “100 Most Influential Lawyers in America,” recognizing him as one of the “100 lawyers in the United States who have shaped the legal world through their work,” and noting that “his ease in the courtroom, delivery of arguments and command of the law have made Randy one of the most in-demand attorneys in the country by big-name clients.” The American Lawyer has named him “Litigator of the Week” five times and described him as among “the best known, most-respected litigators in the country.” City & State just honored him as one of the 20 “most influential” and “powerful leaders in New York’s legal community.” In Chambers USA, he is ranked among the nation’s top trial lawyers, 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.” In The Legal 500—US Edition, he has been named to the “Hall of Fame” and featured among the “Leading Trial Lawyers” in the country, with corporate counsel saying he is “immensely impressive,” “simply excellent,” “flawless,” “captivating,” “in a league of his own,” and “deserves an Academy Award” for “bringing a sense of drama and theater to his courtroom appearances.” Benchmark ranks him a “Litigation Star” among the “Top 100 Trial Lawyers in America,” describing him 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.” It honored his achievements in “National Impact Cases” in 2015, 2017 and 2018. The New York Times has called him “the go-to lawyer for companies” suing the government, a “household name,” and a “fierce and combative litigator;” and The New Yorker has described him as a “merciless litigator,” “even by the pugilistic standards of the New York bar,” who “springs to life” and “is transfixing” in “the courtroom.”
Among many high-profile matters, Mr. Mastro won a two-month RICO trial barring the enforcement of a $9 billion Ecuadorian judgment against Chevron that The American Lawyer called “The Case of the Century.” Moreover, he won a month-long trial against the SEC, obtaining the dismissal of all charges against high-profile entrepreneur, Lynn Tilton, and thereby defeating the largest individual enforcement action the SEC ever brought before its in-house tribunal, where the SEC typically wins 90 percent of the time. Mr. Mastro also led the successful effort to defeat New York City’s controversial West Side Stadium project, and he represented the State of New Jersey in conducting a high-profile investigation into allegations concerning the “Bridgegate” controversy. He has tried dozens of cases in private practice and as a federal prosecutor, and he has also argued more than 100 appeals in federal and state appellate courts throughout the country. Indeed, over the past year, he won breakthrough Supreme Court victories in COVID-related cases, overturning New York’s fixed-capacity restrictions on “houses of worship” and the State’s eviction moratorium -- both “firsts” in convincing the Supreme Court to void such COVID regulations.
Randy has represented such diverse clients as AIG, Chevron, Amazon, Marsh McLennan, Vale, Madison Square Garden, Dow Jones, Verizon, Dart, DraftKings, The Home Depot, Daimler, Wynn, JPMorgan, GE Capital, Estee Lauder, Medallion Financial, Quest Diagnostics, IAC, Bear Stearns, Bank of New York Mellon, Empire Merchants, Lynn Tilton, Peter Kalikow, Related, Vornado, LeFrak Organization, Durst Organization, Saks, UBS Financial Services, Octagon, Martina Hingis, Anna Kournikova, and Steffi Graf.
Before returning to private practice, Randy served as Mayor Giuliani’s Chief of Staff and then as New York City’s Deputy Mayor for Operations from 1994 to 1998. In that capacity, he was responsible for overseeing all of the City’s operating agencies and budget, and he served as the Mayor’s chief liaison with elected officials. Randy personally spearheaded the City’s crackdown on organized crime and also shepherded through sweeping domestic partnership protections that The New York Times called “historic.” His departure from City Hall prompted accolades from the press. The New York Post praised Randy’s “tireless and dynamic” service, “energy and enthusiasm,” and “general good sense.” The New York Times quoted a colleague describing him as “the administration’s conscience.” For two consecutive years, NY1-TV named Randy one of city government’s “Winners of the Year,” and Manhattan File magazine featured him among the “45 Most Powerful New Yorkers 45 and Under.”
From 1985 to 1989, Randy served as Assistant United States Attorney and Deputy Chief of the Civil Division in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, where he specialized in organized crime cases and spearheaded the federal government’s landmark racketeering suit. During his tenure as a federal prosecutor, Randy received the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award, the John Marshall Award for Outstanding Legal Achievement and the Director’s Award for Superior Performance, among others. Since then, he has been honored many times, receiving, for example, the Simon Rifkind Award from the Jewish Theological Seminary, the Civic Leadership Award from Citizens Union of NYC, and the Lumbard Bowl, awarded annually by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (in consultation with predecessor U.S. Attorneys) to distinguished alumni of that office.
In addition to representing major players in the financial services, energy, consumer products and technology industries, Randy has litigated many high-profile public issues on a pro bono basis on behalf of diverse political coalitions, the families of fallen 9/11 firefighter heroes and, most recently, protestors advocating for racial justice.
Randy has also served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he taught course titled “The Role of the General Counsel.” He also taught complex civil litigation and legal writing courses at Fordham Law School. He has authored articles in The Federal Communications Law Journal, Fordham Law Review, University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform and Seton Hall Law Review. His op-ed pieces have appeared in The New York Times, Daily News, and The New York Post, and he wrote for The Washington Post and Time. He co-authored a chapter titled “White Collar Crime” in Business and Commercial Litigation in Federal Courts, and one titled “Energy” in Commercial Litigation in New York State Courts.
J.D., University of Pennsylvania Law School, Moot Court Champion
B.A., Yale University, cum laude
New Jersey
New York
Law Clerk, Justice Alan B. Handler, New Jersey Supreme Court
Board Member of Literacy Design Collaborative
Board Member of the Garden of Dreams Foundation
Board Member of the University of Pennsylvania Law School
Chair of Citizens Union of the City of New York
Chair of the Hamptons International Film Festival
Former Board Member of Sanctuary for Families
Former Board Member of the City University of New York
Former Board Member of the Hale House
Former Board Member of the YMCA of Greater New York
Former Vice Chair of the Legal Aid Society of New York City
June 8, 2023
King & Spalding Earns Top-Tier Rankings in Legal 500 United States 2023 Guide
June 1, 2023
Chambers USA 2023 Recognizes 186 K&S Lawyers and 84 K&S Practice Groups as Leaders in Their Fields
Won landmark Supreme Court ruling on behalf of 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.
Conducted seven-week bench trial in the Southern District of New York (S.D.N.Y.) as lead trial counsel for Chevron in its RICO case against U.S. lawyer Steven Donziger and his clients for obtaining 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 had instead allowed the judgment to be ghostwritten in exchange for a bribe). Michael Goldhaber wrote in The American Lawyer that Randy’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 “out-classed” the opposition. And Paul Barrett of Bloomberg Businessweek wrote in his book that Randy’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 Randy “Trial Lawyer of the Year.” In 2014, the trial judge entered judgment in Chevron’s favor, along with a 485-page decision detailing his findings and barring Donziger and his clients from profiting from the Ecuadorian judgment or seeking to enforce it in the U.S. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit unanimously affirmed the RICO judgment. Randy also litigated issues against the Republic of Ecuador relating to that case. Also for Chevron, he blocked enforcement of a sham $18 billion foreign arbitration award procured by fraud, eerily reminiscent of the earlier $18 billion 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 Alan Buerger; his son, Reid Buerger; and the “Coventry” family of companies owned and operated by them. Lavastone’s claims concerned the Buergers’ 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 against Coventry. Presented the opening, closing and rebuttal closing at trial, and examined and cross-examined the key witnesses, including the Buergers. Post-trial, the parties settled their differences, with one market participant saying that Alan Buerger “had to get his butt kicked first” before agreeing to settle the case.
See more
June 8, 2023
King & Spalding Earns Top-Tier Rankings in Legal 500 United States 2023 Guide
June 1, 2023
Chambers USA 2023 Recognizes 186 K&S Lawyers and 84 K&S Practice Groups as Leaders in Their Fields
Won landmark Supreme Court ruling on behalf of 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.
Conducted seven-week bench trial in the Southern District of New York (S.D.N.Y.) as lead trial counsel for Chevron in its RICO case against U.S. lawyer Steven Donziger and his clients for obtaining 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 had instead allowed the judgment to be ghostwritten in exchange for a bribe). Michael Goldhaber wrote in The American Lawyer that Randy’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 “out-classed” the opposition. And Paul Barrett of Bloomberg Businessweek wrote in his book that Randy’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 Randy “Trial Lawyer of the Year.” In 2014, the trial judge entered judgment in Chevron’s favor, along with a 485-page decision detailing his findings and barring Donziger and his clients from profiting from the Ecuadorian judgment or seeking to enforce it in the U.S. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit unanimously affirmed the RICO judgment. Randy also litigated issues against the Republic of Ecuador relating to that case. Also for Chevron, he blocked enforcement of a sham $18 billion foreign arbitration award procured by fraud, eerily reminiscent of the earlier $18 billion 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 Alan Buerger; his son, Reid Buerger; and the “Coventry” family of companies owned and operated by them. Lavastone’s claims concerned the Buergers’ 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 against Coventry. Presented the opening, closing and rebuttal closing at trial, and examined and cross-examined the key witnesses, including the Buergers. Post-trial, the parties settled their differences, with one market participant saying that Alan Buerger “had to get his butt kicked first” before agreeing to settle the case.
See more
June 8, 2023
King & Spalding Earns Top-Tier Rankings in Legal 500 United States 2023 Guide
June 1, 2023
Chambers USA 2023 Recognizes 186 K&S Lawyers and 84 K&S Practice Groups as Leaders in Their Fields
J.D., University of Pennsylvania Law School, Moot Court Champion
B.A., Yale University, cum laude
New Jersey
New York
Law Clerk, Justice Alan B. Handler, New Jersey Supreme Court
Board Member of Literacy Design Collaborative
Board Member of the Garden of Dreams Foundation
Board Member of the University of Pennsylvania Law School
Chair of Citizens Union of the City of New York
Chair of the Hamptons International Film Festival
Former Board Member of Sanctuary for Families
Former Board Member of the City University of New York
Former Board Member of the Hale House
Former Board Member of the YMCA of Greater New York
Former Vice Chair of the Legal Aid Society of New York City