Bio
Clients across sectors including life sciences, financial services, aviation, media/entertainment, and many others rely on Geoffrey Young’s strategic counseling and robust advocacy to resolve their most complex commercial disputes.
Geoff is a seasoned attorney with a winning record of litigating disputes of all kinds, including those related to pharmaceutical drugs and clinical trials, consumer class actions, financing agreements, media broadcasting services, technology services, and biometric-related regulations. He also has extensive experience prosecuting and defending intellectual property disputes, including copyright and trademark infringement. His matters span industries including aviation, biotech, financial services and investment, mass media, oil and gas, public relations and communications, and transportation. High-net-worth individuals and public figures, including some in the entertainment industry, also rely on him to resolve disputes inside and outside the courtroom.
With experience counseling clients and managing disputes through pre-litigation and all phases of the litigation process, Geoff understands how to effectively steer cases through the full range of court procedures and systems, across multiple jurisdictions, including New York state and federal courts. He has initiated and defended numerous actions seeking various forms of emergency relief. He has also handled domestic and international arbitrations subject to varying rules, including those of JAMS, the American Arbitration Association (AAA), the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
Geoff embodies RSHC’s commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the firm. Throughout his career, he has served in several DEI leadership positions, including a role in which he guided a firm's strategy for recruiting diverse attorneys at all levels. Geoff has also demonstrated a strong dedication to pro bono service and devoted considerable time to various matters, including capital punishment cases.
Experience
Clerkships
Honorable Sandra L. Townes of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York (2007‑2008)
Representative Engagements
- Represented founders of various companies (media, food/snack, etc.) to recover contractual earnout compensation owed pursuant to underlying M&A transactions.
- Represented financing company to recover cryptocurrency-based monies following the collapse of FTX Trading Ltd.
- Defended a global life sciences company against contract and tort claims arising from a clinical trial study.
- Represented a biotech company in an AAA arbitration proceeding involving a licensing dispute linked to a clinical manufacturing agreement and obtained a favorable resolution for the client.
- Represented an affiliate of a global technology company in prosecution of an action seeking to collect on a defaulted loan provided to oil and gas affiliates of a Latin American country. Succeeded at trial, obtaining a judgment in excess of $166 million.
- Represented major New York City commuter transportation entities in connection with a significant fire that impacted the transit lines.
- Defended a global oil and gas company in actions brought by property owners seeking damages arising from alleged environmental contamination and remediation.
- Represented a global manufacturer and distributor of personal aircrafts in multiple lawsuits. Successfully defended the client against a variety of claims, including wrongful death claims.
- Represented a manufacturer of aircraft engine bearings in wrongful death litigation and successfully defended against manufacturing defect claims.
- Defended major U.S. airline in multi-district litigation arising from crash of commuter aircraft, which involved wrongful death and product liability claims, including on a successful appeal to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
- Represented a global technology/information management company and several of its customers in a complex insurance case against an insurance company that involved contract and tort claims.
- Represented a global footwear company in a successful lawsuit alleging contract and tort claims against a third-party logistics company.
- Represented a cell phone manufacturer in a consumer class action and successfully defended against claims alleging deceptive business practices.
- Represented a musical artist in a copyright infringement action and successfully defended against allegations from the purported creator of a “hit” song.
- Represented a financial services company in a summary proceeding brought by a state attorney general seeking damages for allegedly deceptive business practices.
Credentials
Education
Cornell Law School, J.D., 2006
University of Kentucky, B.A., English, 2003, magna cum laude
Bar Admissions
New York
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York
Professional Memberships
American Bar Association
Federal Bar Council
New York City Bar Association
Metropolitan Black Bar Association
Honors & Awards
Minority Corporate Counsel Association, Equity Track Program, Inaugural Class, Minority (2019‑2020)
Top 100 The National Black Lawyers (2020-2024)
The Legal 500 United States, Recommended Attorney (2023)
New York Metro Rising Stars, Thomson Reuters’ New York Metro Super Lawyers (2017-2021)
40 Under 40 Nation’s Best Advocates, National Bar Association (2019)
Publications & Presentations
“Managing in Changing Times: Law Firm Management Roundtable,” (co-moderator) My Brother’s Keeper│My Sister’s Keeper (MBK│MSK) 2024 Fellowship Summit, New York, NY (June 7, 2024)
“Client Update on BIPA,” (co-author), RSHC Client Alert (May 20, 2024)
“Emerging Trends in Biometric Data Regulation and Litigation,” (speaker) General Counsel Conference East (October 2-3, 2023)
“Emerging Trends in Biometric Data Regulation and Litigation,” (co-presenter) Katten Webinar (July 13, 2023)
“Financial Industry Must Beware Rising BIPA Litigation Tide,” (co-author) Law360 (June 1, 2023)
“Emerging Trends in Biometric Data Regulation and Litigation,” (co-presenter) General Counsel Conference Midwest (April 19-20, 2023)
BIPA: What Recent Court Decisions Mean for the Financial Industry, (co-author) Katten Munchin Rosenman LLP (April 3, 2023)
“Ever-Expanding BIPA Damages: Illinois Supreme Court Holds Each Collection or Dissemination of Biometric Data Constitutes a Separate Violation of BIPA,” (co-author) Katten Munchin Rosenman LLP (February 23, 2024)
“Reading the Tea Leaves: Illinois’ Highest Court is Poised to Make Impactful BIPA Claim Accrual Determination,” (co-author) Katten Munchin Rosenman LLP (February 16, 2023)
“Illinois’ Highest Court Holds That BIPA Claims are Subject to a Five-Year Statue of Limitations, Not One Year,” (co-author) Katten Munchin Rosenman LLP (February 3, 2023)
“Navigating the General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994 (Chapter),” (co-author) American Bar Association (2017)
"Recent Developments in Aviation Law,” (co-author) Reed Smith LLC (October 25, 2007)
Community Service
Cornell Law School’s Alumni Association, Executive Board of Directors
Cornell Law School’s Equity & Inclusion Alumni Leadership Council
Cornell University Mosaic, At-Large Member
NYC Bar Associate Leadership Institute, Planning Committee