Raphael Janove (he/him/his)
Partner
Raphael “Rafi” Janove is a partner at Pollock Cohen LLP and represents plaintiffs in class actions across the country. He pursues claims on behalf of small businesses and consumers, leveraging his diverse career litigating antitrust, securities, business unfair competition, and consumer cases.
In his class and mass action practice, Rafi draws upon his experience as a defense attorney to develop ambitious cases that advance consumer and public interests. Current matters include Lanham Act and unfair competition claims on behalf of small businesses against big tech companies, consumer claims against mobile game developers, data privacy claims against Apple, and human trafficking claims against websites and immigration detention centers.
Rafi enjoys challenging defendants’ arbitration clauses and onerous terms and conditions in court. Applying inquiry notice theories, he recently defeated Warner Bros.’s motion to compel arbitration in a class action involving the Game of Thrones: Conquest mobile game.
Rafi began his legal career at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP in New York City, followed by clerkships with the Honorable Paul S. Diamond of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and the Honorable Thomas L. Ambro of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Rafi received his J.D. with high honors from the University of Chicago Law School, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif, named a Kirkland & Ellis scholar, and received the Douglas Baird Prize in Commercial Law. He also served as Articles Editor of The University of Chicago Law Review.
Matters
- Pursuing a class action on behalf of civil immigrant detainees who were forced to work without compensation at the McHenry County detention center in Woodstock, Illinois. The suit alleges that McHenry County and its sheriff used threats of force, including punishment by solitary confinement, to coerce immigrant detainees into performing uncompensated labor. The complaint is available here, and an article about the suit in the Chicago Tribune is available here.
- Leading a class action against ClassPass for unlawfully listing thousands of businesses as partners on its online platform. For more information, click here.
- Prosecuting a class action against Warner Bros. for deceptive advertisements in its widely-popular Game of Thrones: Conquest mobile application. For more information, click here.
- Pursuing a class action against the NFL related to the failed GamePass broadcast of the 2020 SuperBowl. Rafi argued and defeated Defendants’ motion to dismiss. The Hollywood Reporter covered the case, with an article available here.
- Representing limited partners in a contract claim for breach of a limited partnership agreement in the Delaware Court of Chancery.
- Enforcing a judgment on behalf of an Italian estate, including seeking international assets and bringing fraudulent transfer actions.
- Along with co-counsel, in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, representing the parents of victims of child pornography in a lawsuit against Reddit. The opening brief is available here.
Note: This list may include matters completed prior to joining Pollock Cohen LLP.
Active Lawsuits
Forced Labor
Game of Thrones: Conquest
GiftRocket Gift Cards
Groupon Class Action Settlement
King of Avalon
Pornhub and Reddit
State of Survival: Zombie War
Apple Data Privacy Sharing Lawsuit
Current Investigations & Areas of Interest
Decongestants
Guns of Glory
PayPal Privacy Invasion
Pool Filters
Ubisoft
Other
ClassPass Class Action Settlement
iFIT Live Fitness Classes Cancellation on NordicTrack Exercise Bikes and Treadmills
PointsBet
We are looking for potential plaintiffs in class action against Pointsbet, which is accused of falsely advertising that customers could make "risk free" bets.
Restaurant Delivery Services
SpotHero Parking Reservations
Toxic Baby Formula
When Rafi isn't drafting briefs, writing articles on current legal trends, filing a new class action, or arguing in court on behalf of clients, he is a Dad of two—a 4 year old and a 2 year old. But he’s not just any Dad—he’s a pianist—and when he plays he becomes “Ragtime Dad”. With his kids comfortably seated in their front row tent, Rafi can be found at the piano along with Scott Joplin or Friedrich Burgmüller, and on a Sunday morning before they wake up, he and Frédéric Chopin like to spend time together as well.
