

Raphael Janove (he/him/his)
Partner
Raphael is a partner of the firm who focuses on class actions, complex commercial litigation, and appeals.
Raphael has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in trial and appellate courts across the country. His experience spans antitrust, securities, and consumer class actions, international arbitrations, government investigations, and nationwide global warming lawsuits brought by states and municipalities against major fossil fuel producers.
Raphael’s passion for the law began at the University of Chicago Law School, where he graduated with high honors, was elected as a member of the Order of the Coif, and named a Kirkland & Ellis scholar. He served as Articles Editor of The University of Chicago Law Review and was the inaugural recipient of the Douglas Baird Prize in Commercial Law.
Thereafter, he worked 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. After completing his clerkships, Rafi worked at a prominent antitrust class-action boutique and a plaintiff's-side class action firm.
Raphael's pro bono work includes representing a habeas petitioner serving a mandatory life sentence without parole for nonviolent drug crimes and negotiating a generous settlement for a victim of sexual harassment. Rafi has also volunteered his legal services to the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund’s Name Change Project and advised on a bid for a cannabis dispensary license by a social-equity applicant (a company owned by individuals who were disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs).
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
Giftly and GiftRocket Fake Listings
Groupon
Pornhub and Reddit
State of Survival: Zombie War
Apple Data Privacy and iOS Analytics Sharing
Current Investigations & Areas of Interest
CryptoZoo and Logan Paul Class Action Investigation
Hertz: "Convenience Fees"
PayPal Privacy Invasion
Pool Filters
Ubisoft
Other
ClassPass Fake Listings
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 Raphael isn’t spending time with his two young children, he enjoys learning new languages, hiking, and playing Ragtime on the piano.