To win means prevailing and managing efficiently.
Litigation partner and former New York City Corporation Counsel Michael A. Cardozo is an experienced commercial and sports litigator who has vast experience in the workings of the New York State court system. Michael previously served as co-chair of Proskauer's Litigation Department and served three terms on the Firm's Executive Committee.
Michael has extensive experience in commercial cases and separate suits against New York City and the States of Florida and New Jersey. He has represented virtually every New York City agency and is very active in numerous organizations dealing with city affairs. Michael has recently filed an amicus curiae brief on behalf of Governor Cuomo in a case challenging recent revisions to New York’s election laws.
In addition, he has counseled and advocated on behalf of numerous sports leagues, including the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League and Major League Soccer. Among the sports cases he successfully tried was a six week antitrust jury trial for Major League Soccer.
As New York City’s longest-tenured Corporation Counsel, Michael was head of the city's 700-lawyer law department from 2002 through 2013, serving as legal counsel to Mayor Michael Bloomberg, elected officials, the City and all its agencies. His extensive dealings with the federal and state governments has provided him with a unique insight on the ways in which the government operates.
Long active in the public sector, Michael presently serves as a member of the Boards of Citizen’s Union, the Fund for Modern Courts and the Advisory Board of Legal Outreach, which works with and supports minority high school students who aspire to become lawyers. He also serves by appointment by the New York State Chief Judge to chair the New York State Commission on Legislative, Judicial and Executive Compensation. Michael previously served as president of the 22,000-member New York City Bar Association, chair of both the Fund for Modern Courts and the Columbia Law School Board of Visitors and head of two court system task forces.
Education
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Columbia Law School, J.D.
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Brown University, B.A.
Admissions & Qualifications
- New York
Clerkships
- U.S. District Court, New York, Southern District - Judge Edward C. McLean
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court, New York, Eastern District
- U.S. District Court, New York, Southern District
- U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
Memberships
American Arbitration Association Commercial Arbitration Panel, Member
Commercial Arbitration Panel for Sport, Member
Legal Outreach, Member Advisory Board
New York City Bar Association, Former President
Fund for Modern Courts, Former Chair
New York State Judicial Institute on Professionalism in the Law
Citizens Union, Member, Board of Directors
Awards & Recognition
City & State Law Power 100 List 2020-2022
American Lawyer Lifetime Achievement Award
Citizens Union Public Service Award
New York Urban League Frederick Douglass Medallion for Leadership and Service
The Federal Bar Council’s Emory Buckner Award for outstanding public service
The Fund for Modern Courts’ Career Public Service Award
The Fund for Modern Courts’ Cyrus R. Vance Tribute for dedicated work towards judicial reform
Columbia University Law School’s Lawrence A. Wien Prize for Social Responsibility
Human Relations Award, Anti-Defamation League
George A. Katz Torch of Learning Award from American Friends of Hebrew University
Legal Outreach Public Service Honoree
Best Lawyers in America 2023
City & State 50 Most Powerful Leaders in New York City’s Legal Community, Member
New York Law Journal’s Impact Award
New York Super Lawyers
The Legal 500 United States
Government Service
- Chair, New York State Commission on Legislative, Judicial and Executive Compensation (2019- )
- New York City Corporation Counsel (2002-2013)