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Randy M. Mastro is a preeminent trial lawyer who represents a wide array of high-profile clients in complex civil cases, securities litigation and white collar matters. He has tried dozens of cases in private practice and as a federal prosecutor, and he has argued more than 100 federal and state court appeals throughout the country.
Randy routinely ranks among the nation’s leading litigators and trial lawyers in peer-review publications, including Chambers, The Legal 500, Benchmark, Lawdragon and The National Law Journal, among others. He was named “Trial Lawyer of the Year” by both Chambers USA and Benchmark, 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” six times and described him as among “the best known, most-respected litigators in the country.” City & State has repeatedly honored him as among the “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,” “shows grace and style under pressure,” "can take on anyone," and is “so persuasive,” “smart,” “a force of nature,” “really fearsome advocate,” and "tremendous gentleman." In The Legal 500, he has been named to the “Hall of Fame” and featured among the country's “Leading Trial Lawyers,” with corporate counsel saying he is “immensely impressive,” “simply excellent,” “flawless,” “captivating,” 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.” Lawdragon also just named him to its "Hall of Fame." 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” who “is transfixing” in “the courtroom.”
Among many high-profile matters, Randy won a two-month RICO trial barring the enforcement of a $9 billion fraudulent Ecuadorian judgment against Chevron that The American Lawyer called “The Case of the Century” and The Wall Street Journal labeled "The Legal Fraud 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. Randy also led the successful effort to defeat New York City’s controversial West Side Stadium project, and he represented the New Jersey Governor's Office in the high-profile "Bridgegate" investigation. And he won breakthrough Supreme Court victories during COVID, including overturning New York’s fixed-capacity restrictions on “houses of worship.”
Randy has represented such diverse clients as AIG, Chevron, Madison Square Garden, Dow Jones, Verizon, Dart, DraftKings, Home Depot, Daimler, JPMorgan, GE Capital, Marsh McLennan, Vale, Estee Lauder, Medallion Financial, Office of New Jersey Governor in both the Christie and Murphy administrations, Fareva, Unilever, Quest Diagnostics, IAC, Bear Stearns, Bank of New York Mellon, Lynn Tilton, Peter Kalikow, Related, Vornado, The LeFrak Organization, The Durst Organization, Saks, UBS Financial Services, Octagon, Martina Hingis, Anna Kournikova, and Steffi Graf.
Randy has also litigated many high-profile public issues on a pro bono basis, including representing peaceful racial justice demonstrators assaulted by federal authorities to clear Lafayette Park so President Trump could do a photo-op in mid-2020; winning federal constitutional litigation striking a State law proposed by Governor Cuomo imposing onerous donor disclosure requirements on New York's "good government" groups; challenging term limits extension legislation and campaign finance law violations on behalf of diverse political coalitions; defending a Long Island public school teacher fired from her job for giving her middle school class an assignment on racism and winning her reinstatement; and successfully advocating for the families of fallen 9/11 firefighter heroes entitled to millions in donations raised by the NYC UFA widows and orphans fund.
Before returning to private practice, Randy served as the Mayor'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 the City’s operating agencies and budget, served as the Giuliani administration's chief liaison with elected officials, and was the Acting Mayor in the Mayor's absence. Randy spearheaded the City’s crackdown on organized crime, for which he received La Cosa Nostra death threats, and 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 lauded Randy’s “tireless and dynamic” service, “energy and enthusiasm,” and “general good sense.” The Daily News praised him for doing "the seemingly impossible," noting "his contributions to the city he served so well will last a lifetime." And 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 featured him among the “45 Most Powerful New Yorkers 45 and Under.” Moreover, after leaving City Hall, he chaired two Charter Revision Commissions.
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 led the federal government’s landmark racketeering suit against the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. During his tenure, 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.
Since then, Randy has been honored many times, receiving, for example, the Simon Rifkind Award from the Jewish Theological Seminary; 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; and most recently, the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School's Alumni Award of Merit. For the past eight years, he has chaired Citizens Union, New York City's revered "good government" group, steering it through staff crises and COVID, advocating for electoral reforms, and leading the organization in 2020 to endorse a Presidential candidate for the first time in its 125-year history.
Prior to joining King & Spalding in 2022, Randy was a partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher for three decades, interrupted only by his service in City government. At Gibson Dunn, he co-chaired the Firm's Global Litigation Group, served on its Executive and Management Committees, and also co-headed its New York office, which he helped grow to more than 400 lawyers, making it by far the Firm's largest office. In the early 1980s, Randy was also a litigation associate at Cravath, Swaine & Moore, where he was part of the trial team that successfully defended CBS in a high-profile defamation suit brought by General William Westmoreland.
Randy has also taught as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and Fordham Law School, where he taught complex civil litigation and legal writing. He has authored and co-authored articles in the Fordham Law Review, Federal Communications Law Journal, University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform and Seton Hall Law Review, among others. His op-ed pieces have appeared in The New York Times, Daily News, and New York Post, and he wrote for The Washington Post and Time.
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