Lippes Mathias is pleased to share that Dennis C. Vacco, Lippes Mathias partner and former New York State attorney general, has been named to City & State’s 2024 Trailblazers in Law List. City & State’s inaugural Trailblazers in Law list puts a spotlight on a select group of leaders who are using their legal training to make the world a better place. This feature, the first in City & State’s new Trailblazers series, recognizes civil rights lawyers standing up for racial equality, legal services providers representing incarcerated and indigent New Yorkers, and civic-minded attorneys combating fraud, corruption and abuse. The list includes legal experts in key areas, including health care, labor and real estate, and in pioneering industries such as cannabis and renewable energy. 

Former New York State Attorney General, Dennis C. Vacco, is a partner with Lippes Mathias and serves on the firm's executive committee and as the government & corporate investigations practice team co-leader. Dennis was elected New York State Attorney General in 1994 and served until 1999. In 1988, he was appointed United States Attorney for the Western District of New York by President Ronald Reagan after serving 10 years as an assistant district attorney in Erie County. He focuses much of his legal practice on government investigations and compliance work. Dennis works with clients to ensure they are in compliance with the complex and ever-changing laws and regulations of both the state and federal governments. Much of his practice involves state attorney general investigations as well as investigations by the United States Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Securities and Exchange Commission, Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Department of Homeland Security. Dennis also leads Lippes Mathias' Israel-U.S. cross-border practice which has developed a strategic partnership with a leading Israeli law firm. Dennis, who has traveled frequently to Israel, has represented Israeli businesses that conduct business in the United States. Dennis has also presented at seminars and makes media appearances to discuss the regulatory environment for Israeli businesses in the United States. Dennis from time to time serves as a consultant to clients with matters before state attorney generals. Notably in this regard, he advised a major international corporation that was the focus of a climate change lawsuit brought by the New York attorney general. As New York attorney general, Dennis expanded the traditional role of the attorney general by resurrecting the long-dormant criminal prosecution powers of the office. He then used the expanded purview of his office to form the nation’s first internet child pornography unit targeting online predators. His distinguished career has seen him before the United States Supreme Court in the case of Vacco v. Quill where he successfully argued that physician-assisted suicide was not a constitutionally protected right. Also in his role as attorney general, he served as lead negotiator in the multi-state litigation against the tobacco industry and was a principal signatory to the Master Settlement Agreement (“MSA”), and directed other multi-state investigations, including an anti-trust case against Microsoft. Prior to joining Lippes Mathias, Dennis honed his entrepreneurial skills as president of Waste Management of New York, LLC, a subsidiary of Houston-based Waste Management Inc. (“WMI”). 

About Lippes Mathias LLP 

Lippes Mathias is a full-service law firm with nearly 170 attorneys serving clients regionally, nationally, and internationally. With offices in Buffalo, Albany, Rochester, Long Island, and New York, N.Y.; Greater Toronto Area; Chicago, Ill.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Cleveland, Ohio; San Antonio, Texas; and Washington, D.C., the firm represents publicly and privately-owned companies, private equity and venture capital firms, real estate developers, financial institutions, municipalities, governmental entities, and individuals. 

Year after year, Lippes Mathias is proud to be recognized by The Best Lawyers in America®, U.S. News - Best Lawyers®, Super Lawyers and Chambers USA. For more information, visit www.lippes.com.