Muhammad U. Faridi is a Litigation, Arbitration & Investigations partner at Linklaters LLP. Muhammad serves as President of the New York City Bar Association—one of the most powerful and prestigious bar associations—and is the youngest person and the first Muslim-American to hold that office. As President of the City Bar, Muhammad established a Presidential Task Force on Digital Technologies and Artificial Intelligence, convening over 150 leaders from law, academia, business, and government to examine the legal profession’s response to emerging technologies.
Muhammad is widely recognized as a go-to trial lawyer for complex commercial disputes. He represents plaintiffs and defendants across industries, including financial services, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, software, and manufacturing. He has tried high stakes matters before judges and juries across the United States. His recent work includes securing a $2 billion jury verdict for a software company, achieving a $1.85 billion mid-trial settlement for a financial services company, and obtaining a landmark $42 million jury verdict in a pro bono case for Iraqi nationals who were tortured at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison during the Iraq war. Over the course of his career, his clients have recovered billions of dollars as plaintiffs and have avoided comparable exposure as defendants.
Muhammad’s trial work has earned him national recognition. He was named to Lawdragon’s 2025 List of Leading Litigators in America. Benchmark Litigation has recognized him as a “Litigation Star” for four consecutive years. Muhammad is one of the few lawyers to have been named as The American Lawyer’s “Litigator of the Week” on two separate occasions. Law360 has also recognized him as “Legal Lion of the Week.” City & State has also named him to its “Law Power 100” list on multiple occasions. In 2025, Muhammad was named an Attorney of the Year finalist by The American Lawyer.
Chambers USA quotes a client as stating that Muhammad "is the best litigator I have worked with, and I've worked with just about every law firm in town." Another client added, Muhammad "is my go-to attorney for all manner of legal issues. In selecting counsel to represent my company, I always have him on speed dial. His abilities not only make him my first choice as litigation counsel, but he is also a trusted advisor in reviewing problems before they ripen into disputes in court." Another client stated, "he is an aggressive, smart, and creative commercial lawyer."
In 2023, Muhammad was appointed as the independent civil representative to the New York City Police Department’s (NYPD) Handschu Committee, where he helps oversee the NYPD’s compliance with the terms of a consent decree governing investigations of political activity. He previously served on the New York City Mayor's Advisory Committee on the Judiciary, entrusted to “ensure that only candidates with the highest qualifications and from diverse backgrounds are nominated for judicial appointments”. In 2021, he was elected to the American Law Institute, the leading independent organization in the United States producing scholarly work to modernize and improve the law.
Muhammad maintains a substantial pro bono practice focused on civil rights and religious liberty. He has played a central role in several high-profile matters, including securing a landmark settlement against the Town of Oyster Bay that resulted in approval of a long-delayed mosque project and one of the largest attorneys’ fees awards in a RLUIPA case, and obtaining a decisive victory for the Saddle Rock Minyan in its challenge to unlawful zoning restrictions. His pro bono work also includes representing Iraqi nationals who were tortured at Abu Ghraib prison, culminating in a historic jury verdict holding a U.S. defense contractor accountable. He has also representing death-row inmates in constitutional challenges against capital punishment, runaway and homeless children who were denied shelter in New York City, and children with disabilities in New Orleans deprived of educational facilities guaranteed by federal law. These matters—often complex, high-stakes cases involving constitutional rights—have been covered extensively by national media, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and other outlets across the country.
Muhammad taught commercial litigation as an Adjunct Professor at Fordham University School of Law for five years, and he has also written extensively on commercial litigation. He is the co-editor of Commercial Division Practice Guide (Bloomberg), a treatise that focuses on litigation in the Commercial Division of the New York State Supreme Court. The treatise has been described as “an indispensable resource for commercial litigators” and it can be found on the bookshelves of commercial division judges throughout the state. He has lectured before the New York State Judicial Institute and other professional associations.
Earlier in his career, Muhammad served as a law clerk to Judge Jack B. Weinstein, Senior U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of New York.
Muhammad’s experience includes:
Complex Commercial Litigation
Financial Services
Healthcare, Manufacturing, and Software
Real Estate
White Collar Defense and Internal Investigations
Employment
Bankruptcy Litigation and Creditors' Rights
Muhammad maintains an active pro bono practice, representing clients in notable cases that have garnered widespread coverage in publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Los Angeles Times.
Muhammad has been widely recognized for his pro bono work. He is the recipient of:
Muhammad’s pro bono experience includes representing:
Prior to becoming President of the New York City Bar Association, Muhammad served as the organization’s Vice President, Chair of the Executive Committee, Chair of the Committee on Capital Punishment, and Co-Chair of the Committee on the Recruitment and Retention of Lawyers.
Muhammad has also held the following memberships and board positions:
Muhammad completed his Juris Doctor at the City University of New York School of Law in 2007. Prior to that, he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in 2004, graduating summa cum laude.
Muhammad previously served as a law clerk to Judge Jack B. Weinstein, Senior U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of New York.
He is admitted in the following courts and jurisdictions:
Muhammad has written extensively on commercial litigation. He is the co-editor of the Commercial Division Practice Guide (Bloomberg), a treatise that focuses on litigation in the Commercial Division of the New York State Supreme Court. The treatise has been described as “an indispensable resource for commercial litigators” and it can be found on the bookshelves of commercial division judges throughout the state. Muhammad is also a contributor to the American Bar Association Section of Business Law's annual review of business courts. In 2021, he was elected to the American Law Institute, the leading independent organization in the United States producing scholarly work to modernize and improve the law.
Recent published works include:
Admissions