Michael Kanovitz, Attorney

Michael Kanovitz is a partner at Loevy & Loevy with over fourteen years of distinguished litigation experience.  His cases have set important precedents in federal constitutional and False Claims Act law, and he have resulted in over $20 million in verdicts and settlements for his clients.  Mr. Kanovitz was recently recognized for his outstanding skills and results by being selected for the Law Bulletin's prestigious 40-under-40 attorneys to watch. 

Presently, Mr. Kanovitz is representing more than a half dozen whistleblower clients in state and federal qui tam False Claims Act cases.  He particularly enjoys pursuing declined False Claims Act cases for clients who the government will not assist, bringing his skills as an accomplished trial attorney to bear on companies that defraud the government and abuse their employees.  For example, he is currently battling a government-declined case against Fannie Mae, United States ex rel. Cericola v. Federal National Mortgage Association.  At issue is over $500 million in treble damages and penalties due the federal government and the taxpayers.

Mr. Kanovitz is also an accomplished civil rights litigator, having handled many complex constitutional cases through trial and appeal.   In one such case, Mr. Kanovitz currently is representing two American citizens who were detained as alleged enemy combatants at a military prison in Iraq in a lawsuit against former U.S. Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, Vance et al. v. Rumsfeld.  Together with the Government Accountability Project (GAP) in Washington, D.C. , Mr. Kanovitz is representing a third American citizen who suffered similar civil rights violations in the case of Doe v. Rumsfeld.  These cases have been accurately described by constitutional law specialists and legal educators as groundbreaking.

In several class actions, Mr. Kanovitz has forced changes in the practices of large corporations and local governments.  For example, he is currently litigating two civil rights class actions each with several hundred thousand class members.  In Dunn v. City of Chicago, Mr. Kanovitz was appointed class counsel for over 200,000 persons abused by the Chicago Police Department while in custody and in Young v. County of Cook, Mr. Kanovitz represents over 250,000 people who were strip searched in demeaning and unsanitary conditions at the Cook County Jail in the largest strip search class action of its kind.  Both cases have brought about necessary reforms in how the government treats its citizens.  Similarly, Mr. Kanovitz was the architect of the classwide restraining order in Farkas v. Bridgestone/Firestone, which forced Firestone to supply refunds for defective tires to hundreds of thousands of consumers nationwide.

Mr. Kanovitz's practice areas include Section 1983 civil rights litigation, including civil rights class actions, "qui tam" (whistleblower) litigation under the federal and state False Claims Acts, consumer protection class actions, and general commercial litigation.

In addition to his litigation work, Mr. Kanovitz is co author of the text book Constitutional Law, which is published by Lexis/Nexis and is now in its Tenth Edition. The book is used to teach law enforcement officers throughout the country about the United States Constitution.

Mr. Kanovitz is a graduate of Brandeis University and the Cornell Law School, having received honors with both degrees.