Mr. Edlin is Vice Chair of Greenberg Traurig. He Chairs both the Litigation Practice in New York and the Business & Regulatory Financial Services Litigation Group and serves as a member of the firm's executive committee. First and foremost, he is a trial lawyer with broad experience in both trial and appellate courts including the U.S. Supreme Court and the Delaware Supreme Court. He has successfully tried numerous cases in federal and state courts all over the country and has handled a variety of domestic and international arbitrations. He has testified before both Congress and the Commerce Department in the course of representing his clients, and has represented various public figures including two U.S. Senators.
Mr. Edlin is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the preeminent organization of trial lawyers in North America. Mr. Edlin is described in Chambers and Partners as “brilliant” and “one of the best trial lawyers I have ever seen,” possessing a “broad range of knowledge” and “a wonderful ability to prepare witnesses.” The Legal 500 says that Rich is “imperturbable, polished and prepared” and “never ceases to impress. If you’re trying a bet-the-company case, you want Rich to be your first chair trial lawyer.” In 2019, The National Law Journal recognized Mr. Edlin as a “Master of the Courtroom.” Mr. Edlin has earned numerous accolades for his role as a leading litigator and corporate adviser. He is the 2020 recipient of the John J. McCloy Award from the Fund for the Modern Courts, a fellow of the American Bar Foundation, a fellow of the New York Bar Foundation, a fellow of the New York Academy of Trial Lawyers, a commissioner on the Chief Judge’s Commission for the Reimagining of the New York Courts and chair of the subcommittee on Future Trials, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Historical Society of the New York Courts, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Urban Justice Center, a member of the Board of Directors for Judges and Lawyers Breast Cancer Alert, a trustee of The Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, a member of the Board of Governors of Tel Aviv University, a fellow of the Litigation Council of America, and a trustee of New Jersey SEEDS, which is dedicated to promoting the educational opportunities for economically disadvantaged youth in New Jersey. Mr. Edlin frequently speaks and writes on legal topics and is the author of the chapter on Cross-Examination in Commercial Litigation in the New York Courts (Fifth Edition) for which he received the Conspicuous Service Award from the New York County Lawyers Association, the co-author of the chapter on Expert Witnesses in Successful Partnering Between Inside and Outside Counsel, and the co-author of Discovery Strategy in Business and Commercial Litigation in Federal Courts.
Mr. Edlin handles a wide variety of litigation and routinely acts for companies and their management in areas such as securities, general commercial and contractual disputes, antitrust and intellectual property. He is currently handling complex litigation matters for leading financial institutions; intellectual property and class action litigation for major electronics/consumer manufacturers; contract disputes leading pharmaceutical companies; various antitrust investigations; and numerous disputes of all kinds for individual clients of the firm.
Mr. Edlin received his B.A. degree from Tufts University, magna cum laude in history, was a varsity athlete and the winner of the New Jersey Rhodes Scholarship competition. He received his law degree from Columbia University School of Law, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and Notes editor of the Columbia Journal of Environmental Law. Following his graduation, Mr. Edlin served as law clerk to Hon. Lee P. Gagliardi of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Judicial Clerkships
•Hon. Lee P. Gagliardi, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
Recognition & Leadership
Awards & Accolades
•fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers
•Senior fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
•Recognized, The National Law Journal, Masters of the Courtroom: “Winning Litigators,” 2019
•Honoree, The Fund for Modern Courts, 'John J. McCloy Memorial Award,' 2020
•Listed, Chambers USA Guide, 2008-2025
•Listed, The Legal 500 United States, 2015-2016, 2018-2020, and 2022-2025
•Dispute resolution - General Commercial Disputes, 2018, 2020, and 2022-2025
•Dispute resolution - Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action - Consumer Products (including tobacco), 2018-2019
•Litigation - Securities - Shareholder Litigation, 2015-2016
•Listed, Benchmark Litigation, 'Local Litigation Star,' 2020-2026
•Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation, 2026
•Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Corporate Law, 2005-2023
•Listed, Super Lawyers Magazine, New York Metro Super Lawyers, 2006-2025
•Team Member, a Law360 “Product Liability Practice Group of the Year,” 2021-2022
•Team Member, U.S. News - Best Lawyers, Best Law Firms Edition, 'Law Firm of the Year,' Banking & Finance - Litigation, 2017
•Listed, Who's Who in American Law
•Rated, AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5.0
