Ali Najmi, chairman of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Advisory Committee on the Judiciary and a key political ally to the mayor, is under scrutiny for his connection to Liakas Law, PC—a Manhattan-based personal injury firm accused in a federal lawsuit of operating a “fraudulent enterprise” targeting immigrants and vulnerable individuals through sham lawsuits and inflated medical claims.
Najmi joined Liakas Law as “Special Counsel” in October 2025, just prior to Mamdani’s election. The federal lawsuit, filed last week in Brooklyn, alleges the firm recruited illegal immigrants and others to fabricate accidents and injuries while using falsified medical documentation to inflate claims.
One plaintiff described being unable to put on underwear without assistance but was reportedly seen celebrating at a bar and playing soccer shortly after his testimony. Liakas Law is also facing a federal False Claims Act lawsuit for unlawfully obtaining $1.09 million in PPP loans, with potential damages reaching $3.29 million.
Najmi has denied involvement, stating: “I am not associated with the frivolous litigation attack against the firm which started long before I joined.” Critics, including Tom Stebbins of the Lawsuit Reform Alliance of New York, have raised concerns about conflicts of interest, noting that the situation resembles Shelly Silver—the former New York Assembly speaker who faced corruption charges for his “Of Counsel” position at a law firm while steering judicial appointments.
Stebbins added: “The last thing New Yorkers need is a Shelly Silver part two.”
