Read McCaffrey, an internationally known and respected arbitral and complex litigation expert, has joined Miami-based Rasco Klock to head its international litigation group.
Joseph P. Klock, Jr., a resident litigation partner in Miami, hailed McCaffrey’s arrival at the Firm: “I have worked with and against Read over the years and have admired and respected his extraordinary abilities in the courtroom and in arbitral tribunals. From his days as litigation partner at the highly-regarded Patton Boggs firm through to his more recent efforts handling complex litigation and arbitration disputes nationally and internationally, Read has shown an innovative spirit, a creative approach, and an unequalled energy to solving complex issues for Fortune 100 companies, foreign governments, and significant business families worldwide that have no equal,” commented Klock.
McCaffrey has been lead or co-lead counsel in complex commercial litigation for over 40 years in State and Federal courts throughout the United States and before Arbitral tribunals in The Hague, Paris, Geneva and London. He was a senior litigation partner and Commercial Litigation Chair at Patton Boggs LLP for 24 years prior to moving his litigation practice to New York when his firm consolidated its practice with Cleveland-based Squires Sanders.
Ramon Rasco, firm managing partner, founder, and corporate practice head, pointed to Read’s diverse, active legal specialties, including International Dispute Resolution, Asset Recovery, Crisis Management and Financial Institution Compliance. Rasco commented: “Read brings to our Firm decades of experience in assisting global companies in ‘looking over the horizon’ to assess risks prior to a new venture, entering a new market or a potential merger or acquisition, talents that sophisticated clients who care what things cost value very highly in today’s marketplace.”
The Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York appointed Mr. McCaffrey to serve on a five lawyer Plaintiffs’ Committee representing the interests of families of those persons who perished aboard Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie Scotland in their claims (and ultimate settlement of those claims) against the Libyan government. He has also worked with Sir Claude Hankes, financial advisor to the Iraqi government and the Trade Bank of Iraq following the U.N. Oil for Food scandal. In 2005 the Governor of Maryland issued a proclamation citing Mr. McCaffrey’s ‘decades of dedication to excellence in litigation.’
A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. McCaffrey was as recently as this year again declared a Pre-eminent A/V rated attorney by Martindale Hubbell, the highest peer rating available for legal abilities and ethical standards. McCaffrey has also served on the Council of St. George’s House, Windsor Castle. Currently he is involved in representing clients in The Cayman Islands, Egypt and the United Kingdom.
Mr. McCaffrey will be resident in the firm’s Miami office but will also devote time and attention as necessary to his and the firm’s clients in New York City. McCaffrey observed: “The past several years have convinced me that South Florida is becoming a center for international litigation and arbitration. The user friendly environment for Spanish and Portugese speakers makes Miami a compelling locus for dispute resolution and corporate negotiations. It makes sense to go where the action is, as many national firms have, an even easier choice when I have been able to join-up with lawyers who know the practice and the market.”
Rasco Klock, a minority-owned law firm, provides well-reasoned, efficient and practical solutions to the diverse business needs of market leading companies and high net worth individuals who invest or do business in South Florida and the Americas. Nearly half of Rasco Klock’s lawyers have been recognized for their legal excellence by independent third parties such as Chambers, Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, and Top Lawyers. Their experience ranges from structuring offshore investment in the U.S., whether through start-ups, joint ventures or other business combinations, to the day-to-day operations of a going concern, including distribution, licensing, leasing, taxation, government procurement and employment issues.
Its attorneys, who have practiced before scores of state and federal trial and appellate courts, as well as leading arbitral bodies, represent private and public corporations and major financial institutions in all aspects of lending, litigation and foreclosures, bankruptcy and bankruptcy litigation, taxation, trademark monitoring, trademark and trade dress infringement, copyright infringement, false advertising, and infringement of the rights of publicity and internet domain disputes. Its attorneys also represent individuals and families domestically and internationally regarding the management, taxation, preservation, and transfers of wealth, as well as in matters concerning the administration of trusts and estates.
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