Crain’s New York Business
2024 Notable General Counsels
In a 2020 Fordham Law Review article, Eli Wald identified the first generation of American in-house lawyers; they provided legal advice in the post-Civil War era through the 1930s. Drawn from the Gilded Age elite, these “general counsels” were often entrepreneurial, assuming important corporate financing roles for businesses, such as railroads, in need of investment capital.
In-house lawyers remain vital across industries in corporate America to this day. It is our privilege to salute 35 Notable General Counsels in the New York metropolitan region. The pages that follow showcase individuals guiding health care technology innovators, steering organizations through regulatory landscapes and supporting marginalized groups, such as defrauded immigrants.
Partner and general counsel, Coffey Modica
Michael P. Mezzacappa is a partner and general counsel at the law firm Coffey Modica. He focuses on insurance defense and has navigated high-exposure matters including fires and explosions, construction litigation, high-end automobile accidents, all types of premises liability and other catastrophic incidents. He works with experts to preserve evidence and suggest optimal litigation strategies.
Mezzacappa, who boasts more than three decades of experience, previously served as a partner at a national defense firm and as in-house counsel for a national insurance company. He volunteers for his local ambulance company and speaks often at conferences, and has been featured in numerous industry publications. He hosted the first lecture on fires and explosions for the New York State Bar Association.
https://www.crainsnewyork.com/awards/michael-p-mezzacappa-notable-general-counsel-2024