Platkin opens his own law firm, promising to ‘use the law to driving meaningful change’

Former New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin is launching a private law firm stocked with some of the state’s most experienced government litigators, positioning the new shop as a high-impact litigation outfit aimed at taking on powerful corporations and government actors at a moment of political explosiveness.

Platkin LLP will be based in New Jersey and will focus on complex civil litigation, impact cases, and investigations involving consumer protection, antitrust, technology accountability, gun violence prevention, and democracy protection.

“In big moments that call for decisive action, I have never been one to sit on the sidelines, not as Attorney General and not now,” stated Platkin.  “During my tenure as Attorney General, I used the law to drive meaningful change in the face of injustice.”

The firm’s founding team is drawn largely from the upper ranks of the Attorney General’s Office, where Platkin built a national profile through multistate actions against Big Tech, aggressive firearms enforcement, environmental protection, and a willingness to take on President Donald Trump and his administration.

Joining Platkin as partners are Angela Cai and Ravi Ramanathan, both senior veterans of the Attorney General’s Office.  Cai, the former Executive Assistant Attorney General and Deputy Solicitor General, helped build New Jersey’s appellate operation into a nationally recognized practice, arguing and briefing cases across state and federal courts, including before the U.S. Supreme Court. Ramanathan, who led the state’s SAFE Office, ran the nation’s first state-level civil firearms enforcement program and oversaw a wave of affirmative litigation against gun manufacturers and sellers.

Platkin, whose term expired on January 20, said the firm is meant to challenge what he views as weakening democracy norms that threaten public safety, and to challenge powerful corporations and institutions that have been able to evade accountability.

He called his new firm “a mission-driven law firm alongside colleagues from the AG office to hold the world’s most powerful corporations and institutions accountable when they break the law and harm the public.”

“Now, through high-stakes litigation and investigations, we will continue to fight against powerful wrongdoers to protect residents, communities, and democracy,” the former attorney general explained.  “Platkin LLP is built for this very moment.”

In addition to Cai and Ramanathan, Platkin’s new law firm will include Aaron Haier, a former senior counsel to the attorney general who represents public and private sector clients in complex consumer protection and unfair competition matters.

Platkin served as attorney general from 2022 to 2026, and as chief counsel to Gov. Phil Murphy from 2018 to 2020.  He is a graduate of Stanford University and Stanford Law School.  He is currently a Distinguished Scholar in Residence at the Center for Law and Public Trust at NYU Law School, and was previously a partner at Lowenstein.

Cai, a graduate of Princeton and Yale Law School, clerked for U.S. District Court Judge Katherine Forrest of the Southern District of New York and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit Judge Michael Chagares, and worked at Paul Weiss.

Ramanathan clerked for U.S. District Court Judge Denise Cote of the Southern District of New York, and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit Judge Jose Cabranes.  He was at Jenner & Block before coming to Trenton.

Haier clerked for U.S. District Court Judge Kevin McNulty and was an associate at Paul Weiss before joining the attorney general’s office.

Jae Troche will leave her role as an executive assistant at the AG’s office to join the Platkin firm.

Former Obama White House Ethics Czar, Norm Eisen, a power lawyer, diplomat who runs the Democracy Defenders Fund, called Platkin “one of our great strategic litigators and anti-corruption champions.”

“Those two roles merged as he helped lead the state AGs in their successful campaign to push back on year one of Trump’s authoritarianism in both the court of law and in the court of public opinion,” Eisen stated.  “And proving his nonpartisan credibility, he also helped lead the fight against corruption in New Jersey at the same time.  All of us in the democracy and reform community are thrilled that he will be continuing the fight in his new role.”