Is New York City’s judiciary about to be shaped by a man with ties to a law firm under fire for alleged fraud?
Ali Najmi, a close ally of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, was appointed chairman of the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on the Judiciary in January, a role that involves screening nominees for family, civil, and interim criminal court positions. Najmi, an election attorney and long-time associate of Mamdani, also joined Liakas Law, PC, as “special counsel” in October 2025, just before Mamdani was elected mayor.
Liakas Law, a Manhattan personal injury firm, faces a federal lawsuit filed last week in Brooklyn by Greater New York Mutual Insurance Company, alleging a massive insurance fraud scheme targeting vulnerable individuals.
Critics are sounding the alarm over Najmi’s dual roles, pointing to glaring ethical concerns. The setup echoes the infamous arrangement of disgraced former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who pocketed millions as “of counsel” to a personal injury firm while wielding immense political power, the New York Post reported.
Najmi’s history with Mamdani runs deep, from representing his Assembly campaigns to being a key player in the Queens Democratic machine over the past decade. Their bond, forged during Najmi’s failed City Council run years ago, raises questions about loyalty trumping accountability. Why are socialists so often involved with shady business and less-than-scrupulous business figures?
The lawsuit against Liakas Law paints a grim picture, accusing the firm of recruiting plaintiffs—often undocumented migrants—to stage accidents and inflate claims with fake medical records. Examples include a client claiming severe disability, only to be photographed celebrating at a bar just months after an alleged 2020 accident.
Liakas Law isn’t a small player—last year, it filed around 20 lawsuits against New York City, with over 50 active cases in court records. With Najmi’s role in City Hall, court watchers are uneasy about the sway he might hold over judicial nominees who could handle such cases. The optics alone are enough to make anyone squirm.
Tom Stebbins, head of the Lawsuit Reform Alliance of New York, didn’t mince words on the broader issue. “We have a massive ‘fraudemic’ that is happening on our streets and in our construction sites,” he warned. His concern is spot-on—litigation abuse costs New Yorkers $96 billion last year, per a tort reform group’s estimate.
Stebbins also questioned Najmi’s impartiality, asking, “How could his affiliation with a plaintiff’s firm, and the money that he’s getting from a plaintiff’s firm, not tilt his perspective towards the plaintiff?” That’s the million-dollar question. When power and profit mix, justice often gets left behind.
Let’s not forget Sheldon Silver’s playbook—using his “of counsel” gig at a major asbestos firm to rake in over $3 million in referral fees while pushing policies that benefited his legal cronies. He even blocked tort reform and steered cases to friendly judges. Sound familiar?
Najmi’s defenders, including a Mamdani spokesperson, note his City Hall role is unpaid, but they’ve dodged deeper scrutiny. Liakas spokesperson Hank Sheinkopf dismissed the lawsuit as “baseless,” predicting it won’t survive court review. That’s a bold claim for a firm accused of exploiting the vulnerable.
Najmi himself has distanced himself from the allegations, insisting the litigation predates his involvement with Liakas. Yet, his social media posts, like an Instagram video high-fiving colleagues at the firm, don’t exactly scream detachment. Actions speak louder than disclaimers.
This situation isn’t just about one man—it’s about a system that too often lets political insiders game the rules while regular folks pay the price. New York’s court system is already labeled the second-worst “Judicial Hellhole” in the nation by reform advocates. Do we really need more fuel on that fire?
The potential for conflicts here is staggering, as one observer noted about “innumerable” risks when a top aide moonlights for a litigious firm. Could Najmi nudge Mamdani on policies that pad Liakas Law’s profits? It’s not a stretch to imagine.
As this unfolds, New Yorkers deserve transparency on who shapes their courts, not backroom deals reminiscent of Albany’s worst days. Tort reform remains a distant dream while firms like Liakas allegedly run rampant. It’s high time accountability took the bench.
