Chad M. Mair - Portale Randazzo

Chad M. Mair

Associate Attorney

Chad Mair is an Associate Attorney with Portale Randazzo LLP and joined the firm in 2021. His practice focuses on post-conviction relief, criminal defense, and international law. He has represented individuals before New York Supreme Courts, the New York Appellate Division, the New York Court of Appeals, the Federal Southern District of New York, and the District of Columbia Federal Circuit.

Practice Areas Include:

Asset Seizure and Forfeiture
Fourth Amendment Search and Seizure
Murder/Manslaughter
Post-Conviction Litigation
White Collar Crimes
Wire Fraud and Financial Crimes

Education and Personal Life

Mr. Mair graduated with honors from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, as an undergraduate, before earning his J.D. from the Chicago-Kent College of Law (where he received awards for top grades in Trial Advocacy and Legal Writing IV).

Outside the office, Mr. Mair enjoys spending time with his wife and two children, reading, traveling, and sports, including playing golf, watching baseball, football, and basketball, and volunteering as a Little League baseball coach.

Admissions

United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
United States District Court, Southern District of New York
United States District Court, Eastern District of New York
Supreme Court of New York, Appellate Division, Second Department
Supreme Court of Illinois
International Criminal Court (ICC)
Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL)
International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT)
Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC)

Associations

Professional & Bar Association Memberships

Westchester County Bar Association
New York State Bar Association
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Association of Defense Counsel appearing before International Criminal Tribunals (ADC-ICT)
International Criminal Court Bar Association (ICCBA)

Credentials

Previous Experience

Prior to joining Portale Randazzo LLP, Mr. Mair litigated for over twelve years before international criminal courts in The Hague, Netherlands. He zealously defended individuals charged with terrorism, war crimes, and crimes against humanity before the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

Notable Cases

Prosecutor v. Salim Jamil Ayyash, et al (STL) — Concerning the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, this was the first tribunal of an international character to prosecute the crime of terrorism. The four-year trial charged four members of Hezbollah with terrorism, conspiracy, and murder, and involved the analysis of over 50 mobile phones.
Prosecutor v. Momcilo Perišic, (ICTY) — Mr. Perišic, the Chief of the General Staff of the Army of Yugoslavia under Slobodan Miloševic, was sentenced to 27 years in prison following a two yearlong trial concerning allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity. On appeal, the defense persuaded the Appeals Chamber to overturn the judgment in its entirety and enter a full acquittal for Mr. Perišic.
Prosecutor v. Ramush Haradinaj, Idriz Balaj, and Lahi Brahimaj (ICTY) — The accused in this trial were three members of the Kosovo Liberation Army, including the former Prime Minster of Kosovo, who were charged with participating in a joint criminal enterprise to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity in Kosovo. Mr. Mair was part of the team defending Mr. Balaj, commander of a special unit under the command of Mr. Haradinaj. After a full acquittal at a yearlong trial, the Appeals Chamber ordered a retrial for all three accused. Once again, Idriz Balaj was acquitted of all charges.

Mr. Mair also has expertise in the administrative law of international organizations in the United Nations system. He has counseled individuals and organizations in employment and administrative law disputes before international tribunals, as well as negotiated with senior administration officials regarding policy documents affecting employees’ rights.