Richard Levy Jr. L’77 served on the board of the Syracuse University Law Alumni Association (SULAA) from 2014 until 2023, bringing with him a true appreciation for his alma mater, extensive career experience and plenty of new ideas for bringing Syracuse Law alumni together for the betterment of the College of Law. One such idea was the establishment of an annual award to recognize alumni who had a significant impact on the Syracuse Law community. In 2015, this became the annual Law Honors award. Now, in recognition for advocating for the contributions of other alumni and for his years of leadership with SULAA, Levy, himself, is a 2025 recipient of the Law Honors award.
“I was always amazed at the accomplishments of the people who were recognized with the Law Honors award, and I never thought of myself as someone in the same league as these recipients,” says Levy, senior member of the bankruptcy, reorganization and creditors’ rights practice group at Pryor Cashman LLP in New York City. “So, to be chosen for the award, well, I am stunned but truly grateful to Syracuse Law.”
Levy has appreciated his affiliation with Syracuse Law since he arrived in August 1974, shortly after receiving his bachelor’s degree in political economy from Williams College. During his senior year, he applied to 14 law schools—and Syracuse was the only one that accepted him.
“Syracuse Law turned out to be a great fit for me – excellent professors, good friends and outstanding experiences—and law school was a lot more fun than I expected,” he says. “Looking back, I have never questioned where I ended up or the opportunities that Syracuse Law provided me.”
Levy took his studies seriously, graduating magna cum laude and as a member of the Order of the Coif and the law school’s Justinian Honor Society. He also devoted considerable time to other law school pursuits. In his second and third years, He was a research assistant for now-Emeritus Professor of Law Thomas Maroney ’61, L’63, who Levy counts to this day as a good friend. During those two years, Levy also served as a staff member and Notes and Comments editor of the Syracuse Law Review, which published his student note on an issue of antitrust law.
His first job after graduation was at a law firm in Washington, D.C., working in antitrust and trade regulation. Levy then moved on to a larger firm in New York City, where he practiced in antitrust and securities litigation. Still searching for his professional niche, he pursued several other opportunities before discovering how much he enjoyed bankruptcy law and has concentrated in that area ever since.
He joined Pryor Cashman as counsel in 1996, serving as a partner from 2003 until recently, when he became senior counsel to the firm. One of his career highlights came from leading the firm’s representation of many former customers of the failed securities investment firm run by Bernard Madoff, the infamous financier who was convicted in 2009 of defrauding thousands of investors out of more than $65 billion. In 2014, Levy argued the successful case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit that significantly narrowed – by several billion dollars – the collective potential exposure of former customers on clawback claims asserted by the liquidating trustee of the securities firm.
Early in his career, Levy was not closely connected to Syracuse Law, as he was busy establishing himself as an attorney and raising two children with his wife, Carol Miller, also an attorney, although he did make annual gifts to the Law Alumni Fund and attended some regional events. However, in the late 1990s, he was working on a bankruptcy case in nearby Utica, New York, and decided to make a visit to the Syracuse campus. There, he connected with Maroney, other professors and several classmates in the area and renewed his connection after seeing how the law school was being invigorated. He became more involved as the plans to build what is now Dineen Hall moved forward.
”I loved my time on the SULAA board, and I especially prized my collaboration with former SULAA presidents Carey Ng L’02, Sarah Oliker L’03, Amy Vanderlyke Dygert L’07, Mark O’Brien L’14, and Colleen Gibbons L’17.
But, that wasn’t all. In 2021, he became a distinguished lecturer in law in the Syracuse Law JDinteractive program, teaching a condensed course in bankruptcy and creditors’ rights during the hybrid program’s frequent in-person residencies. Most recently, in March 2024, Levy reprised his course during a JDi residency week in Los Angeles.
“My dad thought I would make a good teacher,” Levy says. “I wish I had followed his instinct and started teaching much sooner. It is challenging, stimulating, and rewarding!”
“Rich’s unwavering commitment to Syracuse University College of Law, from his exceptional career achievements to his tireless volunteerism and mentorship of our students, embodies the spirit of the Law Honors award,” says Dean Terence Lau L’98. “He is an inspiration to our entire community, demonstrating the profound impact a Syracuse Law graduate can have on his law school, the legal profession, and beyond.”
