The longest serving Corporation Counsel in New York City, Michael A. Cardozo, is rejoining Proskauer LLP as a partner, the law firm announced in a press release this week. Cardozo would be joining the firm’s New York office effective January 1, 2014.
Currently, Cardozo is the chief counsel to Mayor Bloomberg and to other elected officials of the New York City administration, the City and its agencies, and he heads the Law Department of the city, overseeing the work of more than 700 lawyers.
In a statement, Proskauer Chairman Joseph M. Leccese said, “We are enormously proud that Michael will be returning to the firm and resuming his role as one of the nation’s finest big case litigators. We are also very pleased that a new generation of Proskauer lawyers will have the opportunity to benefit from Michael’s wisdom, friendship and commitment to public service.”
Cardozo was a top litigator at Proskauer from 1967-2002. During his time at the firm he also served as the president of the New York City Bar Association from 1996-1998. He also served as co-chair of the firm’s Litigation Department and as a three-term member of its Executive Committee.
Speaking on Cardozo’s contribution to New York City during his tenure as Corporation Counsel, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said, “He argued successfully before the U.S. Supreme Court in an international tax case, and he helped the City prevail in a bond case that brought the City two billion dollars. In an era of exploding litigation, he’s brought down City payouts by 14 percent and reduced its tort case backlog by 50 percent.”
Bloomberg also stressed that Cardozo was instrumental in implementing professional reforms at the Law Department. He increased the diversity of the City’s attorneys and launched critical pro bono programs. Bloomberg said, “Michael Cardozo is someone who made our City a better place and no Corporation Counsel has served the City longer – or better.”