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

We have filed 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.

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Game of Thrones: Conquest

We have filed a class action against Warner Bros. on behalf of customers who made in-game purchases in the mobile application “Game of Thrones: Conquest" (GOTC).

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GiftRocket Gift Cards

We have filed a class action against GiftRocket.com on behalf of businesses that are unknowingly listed on these websites.

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Groupon Class Action Settlement

The Court has preliminary approved the class action settlement on a class action we have filed against Groupon on behalf of businesses that are listed on Groupon.com without their permission or consent.

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King of Avalon

We have filed a class action against KingsGroup and FunPlus on behalf of customers who made in-game purchases in the “King of Avalon” mobile game.

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Pornhub and Reddit

We co-counsel with Susman Godfrey in class action lawsuits against Pornhub and Reddit. If you were the victim of someone uploading sexual videos of you, contact us. We may be able to represent you.

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State of Survival: Zombie War

We have filed a class action against KingsGroup and FunPlus on behalf of customers who made in-game purchases in the “State of Survival” mobile game.

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Apple Data Privacy Sharing Lawsuit

If you’re an Apple iPhone, iPad, or Mac computer user who clicked a “do not share my information” button, we want to hear from you. There is an ongoing federal lawsuit alleging that Apple is ignoring users’ preferences, and still sharing private data.

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Current Investigations & Areas of Interest

Decongestants

If you used use a decongestant for a cold or flu, the F.D.A. announced that many over-the-counter medications are ineffective.

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Guns of Glory

We have filed a class action against KingsGroup and FunPlus on behalf of customers who made in-game purchases in the “Guns of Glory” mobile game.

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PayPal Privacy Invasion

Pollock Cohen LLP is investigating reports that PayPal is tracking your online shopping and we are looking into this apparent invasion of your privacy.  

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Pool Filters

We are investigating potential class action lawsuits on behalf of purchasers and owners of swimming pool filters made by several different manufacturers, including Jandy, Hayward, Raypak, Pentair, and Sta-Rite.

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Ubisoft

We are looking into the difficulties users faced in trying to cancel their subscriptions to Ubisoft+. If you were trying to cancel your subscription but simply could not find a way to do so, please share your experience with us. We might be able to help.

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Other

ClassPass Class Action Settlement

We have filed a class action against ClassPass Inc. on behalf of businesses alleging that the health, spa, and fitness “aggregator” improperly used business’ identities for its own use.

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iFIT Live Fitness Classes Cancellation on NordicTrack Exercise Bikes and Treadmills

We have filed a class action against NordicTrack and iFIT on behalf of customers who purchased a NordicTrack exercise bike or treadmill and used live iFIT classes.

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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.

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Restaurant Delivery Services

We are investigating a potential class action against Postmates, UberEats, DoorDash, and GrubHub on behalf of businesses who are unknowingly listed on their delivery apps and websites.

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SpotHero Parking Reservations

We are investigating a potential class action against SpotHero on behalf of app users who’ve experienced problems using the app to book parking.

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Toxic Baby Formula

We are investigating cases on behalf of children who have developed NEC as a result of their baby formula.

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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.