Joseph Tacopina is the firm’s senior partner and lead trial attorney. He is one of the country’s most respected high-stakes trial attorneys, having successfully tried more than 100 cases in his distinguished career. He frequently represents clients in notable civil, criminal and commercial litigation, zealously advancing their interests and often recovering substantial money damages.
Mr. Tacopina began his career as a prosecutor in Brooklyn, where he prevailed in an extraordinary 39 of the 40 trials he led. After moving into private practice, his unmatched string of successful verdicts grew, as did his reputation as a savvy courtroom tactician and a go-to advocate for high-profile clients dealing with situations that capture the public’s attention. Known as a fierce litigator, he has zealously represented athletes, politicians, actors, executives, musicians, judges, law enforcement officials and other celebrities, including former President Donald J. Trump, the NFL team Washington Commanders and its former owner Daniel Snyder, Michael Jackson, Alex Rodriguez, Meek Mill, YG, Sean Hannity, Don Imus, Swiss Beatz, American singer Ne-Yo, Emmy Award-winning television journalist Sarah Wallace, Kimberly Guilfoyle, executive director of the NFLPA DeMaurice Smith and Rapper A$AP Rocky.
Outside of the courtroom, Mr. Tacopina deftly defends his clients in the court of public opinion, and is equally adept at keeping clients away from the media’s spotlight. The matters he works on frequently capture the nation’s attention, including his successful effort to free rapper Meek Mill from prison, the investigation into the disappearance of Baby Lisa Irwin, Major League Baseball’s investigation of Alex Rodriguez and the acquittal of Sopranos actor Lillo Brancato on murder charges.
Mr. Tacopina frequently appears on major national media outlets, including CNN, FOX and Newsmax, and can also be heard on his weekly appearances on WABC Radio’s Bernie & Sid Morning Show in New York. Mr. Tacopina is also a faculty member of Harvard Law School’s Trial Advocacy Workshop, where he teaches trial skills and his highly potent cross-examination style to law students.
Mr. Tacopina is a member of the Federal Bar Council, the New York Counsel of Defense Lawyers, and the Judicial Committee for the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. He also serves on the Legislative Committee for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
Among his many accolades, Mr. Tacopina has been honored by the National Italian American Bar Association; been named Humanitarian of the Year by Reverend Al Sharpton’s National Action Network; has received the Man of the Year award from New York State’s Commission for Social Justice; and has been named to Billboard’s list of Top 100 Power Players in R&B and Hip-Hop. He has also consistently been named a New York Super Lawyer, an honor given to attorneys who exhibit excellence in practice, and has earned Martindale-Hubbell’s AV Preeminent rating, the highest accolade an attorney can obtain from their peers.
