Radu A. Lelutiu

Radu A. Lelutiu is the leader of McKool Smith’s Consumer Protection practice group and a principal in the Firm’s New York office.

Over the past few years, Mr. Lelutiu has tackled some of the most novel, consequential, and precedent-setting litigations of our time. Among other matters, Mr. Lelutiu represented the State of Texas in its biometric privacy litigation against Meta Platforms; children whose lives were devastated by artificial intelligence products; and whistleblowers in litigation against various Big Pharma defendants. Beyond consumer protection and healthcare litigation, Mr. Lelutiu has substantial experience litigating and trying antitrust, patent, and other complex commercial disputes.

Clients praise Mr. Lelutiu as “incredible”—“one of the sharpest, most dedicated, and thoughtful attorneys,” whose “relentless work ethic is matched only by his strategic intellect.” He “has a rare ability to cut straight to the core of complex matters and craft solutions with exceptional care and precision.” “Beyond his formidable skills as an advocate,” Mr. Lelutiu “brings a level of integrity, steady judgment, and responsiveness that makes him an invaluable partner on any high-stakes matter.”  

Opposing counsel praise Radu as “formidable,” a “zealous advocate who will push [the other side] hard while always remaining a class act,” a “consummate professional,” and a lawyer “keeps his eyes on the target, never picks fights, and doesn’t sweat the small stuff.”

An experienced trial lawyer, Radu has received praise for his “efficient” and “impactful” direct examinations, “masterful” cross examinations, and ability to “take complicated matters and make them understandable to a jury.”

In matters where he represented plaintiffs, Mr. Lelutiu has obtained judgments and settlements exceeding $2.5 billion. In cases where he represented defendants, Mr. Lelutiu has defeated claims exceeding $5 billion.

Radu received his legal education at Columbia Law School, where he was a Harlan Fiske Scholar. He received his undergraduate education (summa cum laude) at Hunter College, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. While in law school, Radu served as a judicial intern for Judge Robert A. Katzmann, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Radu is the author of “Managing Requests for Enforcement of Vacated Awards under the New York Convention,” 14 Am. Rev. Int’l Arb. 345 (2003), and a co-author (with Stephen Fraidin) of “Strategic Alliances and Corporate Control,” 53 Case W. Res. L. Rev. 865 (2003).

Prior to joining McKool Smith, Radu was an associate with Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP.

• Representation of the State of Texas against Meta Platforms in a first-of-its-kind enforcement litigation concerning Meta’s harvesting of biometric information of Texans. The matter settled on the eve of trial for $1.4 billion. Press coverage here.
• Representation of the State of Texas against Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi in a Medicaid fraud and Deceptive Trade Practice Act litigation concerning the unlawful promotion of the anti-platelet medication Plavix. Press coverage here.
• Representation of a Florida family in a litigation against Character Technologies, Inc., its founders, and its partner Google LLC. Press coverage here.
• Representation of two Texas families in a litigation and two arbitrations against Character Technologies, Inc., its founders, and its partner Google LLC. Press coverage here.
• Representation of a Colorado family in a litigation against Character Technologies, Inc., its founders, and its partner Google LLC. Press coverage here.
• Representation of a New York family in a litigation against Character Technologies, Inc., its founders, and its partner Google LLC. Press coverage here.
• Representation of 17 independent servicers and refurbishers of anesthesia equipment in antitrust litigation against General Electric and affiliated entities. Press coverage here. The representation resulted in a $131.4 million verdict and secured McKool Smith “Top 100 Verdict” and “Trial Group of the Year” awards.
• Representation of a whistleblower in a Medicaid fraud litigation against Shire PLC and its parent company Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Press coverage here.
• Representation of a whistleblower in a Medicaid fraud litigation against AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Press coverage here.
• Representation of a leading manufacturer of syringes and catheters in antitrust litigation brought by a competitor. After two trials, two appeals, and nearly a decade of litigation, the client secured a “take nothing” resolution. Press coverage here.
• Representation of leading technology company in an antitrust and unfair competition litigation brought by a competitor.
• Representation of a manufacturer of laboratory equipment in an antitrust litigation brought by a competitor.
• Representation of a leading technology company in a precedent-setting litigation to enforce a non-competition agreement. The matter settled after a preliminary injunction issued in favor of the client.
• Representation of an inventor in a significant licensing arbitration. The matter resulted in an eight-figure award.
• Representation of a leading manufacturer of eye-care products and its Swiss parent in a licensing dispute worth billions of dollars. The representation resulted in a complete vindication of the clients.
• Representation of BMC Software in two district court litigations against competitors. Both litigations settled before trial.
• Representation of ContentGuard Holdings Inc., a Xerox PARC-seeded company, in four district court litigations and 40+ parallel IPR proceedings involving fundamental digital rights management patents.
• Representation of Gemalto NV and affiliated entities in district court litigation involving fundamental patents that enable the use of the Java programming language on resource-constrained devices.
• Representation of ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, MIT, The Whitehead Institute, and Harvard in district court litigation enforcing patents covering the regulation of NF-kB, an important cellular signaling molecule.
• Representation of a Mexican beer supplier in a dispute concerning an import contract worth billions of dollars. The representation resulted in a complete vindication of the client.
• Representation of a Mexican industrial conglomerate in a dispute with a German joint venturer over corporate control.
• Representation of several pharmaceutical companies in patent litigations against manufacturers of generic products.
• Representation of a leading financial institution in an arbitration with an insurer. The representation resulted in a complete vindication of the client.
• Representation of a wealth management company in a litigation with an insurer. Following a favorable summary judgment ruling, the insurer tendered policy limits and agreed to partially cover the client’s attorneys’ fees.
• Representation of the City of New York in litigation concerning taxation of line-of-duty injury compensation, resulting in the second largest tax refund in the city’s history and a modification to the Internal Revenue Code.

• Recognized among Lawdragon's 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers (2019, 2025, 2026)
• Recognized as a "Rising Star" in New York by Super Lawyers, 2013-2014
• Recognized among Lawdragon's 500 Leading Litigators in America (2026, 2027)