Max Rodriguez

Practice Areas

Max is the Principal and Founder of Law Office of Max Rodriguez PLLC.

Max is a respected attorney, a trusted counselor, and an effective advocate. He has been recognized by Chambers & Partners as a leading attorney for whistleblower representation in the United States, by LawDragon as one of the 500 Leading Civil Rights & Plaintiff Employment Lawyers in the United States, and by SuperLawyers as a Rising Star in the New York City Metro Area. Max’s practice includes whistleblower matters, defamation and First Amendment matters, appeals, complex litigation, and advisory representations.

Max represents whistleblowers reporting wrongdoing through qui tam actions under the False Claims Act, the FinCEN Whistleblower Program, the SEC Whistleblower Program, the CFTC Whistleblower Program, the DOJ Corporate Whistleblower Award Pilot Program, and more. Max’s diverse whistleblower practice includes cases exposing healthcare fraud, Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud, procurement fraud, sanctions evasion, securities fraud, tax fraud, and more. Max has helped clients at every stage of the process, including case assessment and investigation, preparing complaints and submissions, cooperating with government agencies in investigations, litigation, and resolution.

Max’s practice also includes a broad array of civil litigation and disputes involving defamation and First Amendment issues. Representing plaintiffs, Max has successfully obtained favorable settlements for individuals affected by factually-false disinformation, including money damages, public apologies, and corrections/retractions. Representing defendants, Max has successfully fought back against improper lawsuits pursued to punish people for their speech and force them into silence, obtaining multiple full dismissals.

Max also represents clients in appellate matters. He has briefed, argued, and won appeals in federal and state courts on a diverse range of subject. Max is a member of the Criminal Justice Act panel for the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. He is appointed by the court to represent indigent criminal defendants in federal criminal appeals on various issues. Max also represents amici curiae ("friends of the court"), writing briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court and Courts of Appeals on behalf of individuals, non-profits, companies, and government officials.

Career

After clerking for the Honorable Denise J. Casper of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts and the Honorable O. Rogeriee Thompson of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, Max was an attorney at multiple litigation boutiques in New York City, where he worked on a variety of litigation, appellate, whistleblower, and investigative matters.

Max also has experience in a variety of political and policy capacities. After leaving Morvillo Abramowitz, Max drove cross-country to Helena, Montana, where he served as a Voter Protection Regional Director for the Montana Democratic Party during the 2020 General Election. He also served as a policy adviser on Alvin Bragg’s campaign for Manhattan District Attorney, as well as on DA Bragg’s Transition Committee after his election.

Professional Memberships

Max is a member of the Anti-Fraud Coalition (TAF), the Federal Bar Council, the Federal Bar Association, and the New York City Bar Association.

Publications

Max is a frequent contributor in media on a diverse set of legal issues. Max has spoken about legal issues on major networks like MSNBC and on podcasts. His writing has also been published by a variety of sources including The Hill, Law360, and more. For links to Max's publications, please visit our website.

Education