Rahul Agarwal Receives SABANY’s 2025 Litigation Achievement Award
Friedman Kaplan partner Rahul Agarwal was honored at the South Asian Bar Association of New York’s (SABANY) Annual Leadership Awards Gala on September 9. The organization presented Rahul with its Litigation Achievement Award, recognizing his “outstanding litigation practice, commitment to justice, and contributions to the legal and South Asian communities.”
In accepting the Litigation Achievement Award, Rahul emphasized community, family, and the importance of advocacy through litigation. He remarked, “This award is so very meaningful, and it is a testament to many. To my mentors who took time to guide me, to the colleagues who pushed me to be better, to my clients who chose to place their trust in me, to my family – in particular, my wife and three boys – who supported me through all of this, this award is for all of you.”
Friedman Kaplan Management Committee member Mala Ahuja Harker commented, “We are so proud of Rahul. His commitment to public service, advocacy on behalf of our clients, and unrelenting dedication to building and protecting the communities around him are obvious to all in his orbit. Though this award recognizes Rahul’s achievements in litigation, his contributions to our firm far exceed his skills and dedication as a litigator. He is also a passionate champion for justice, a superb colleague, and a caring friend. On behalf of everyone at Friedman Kaplan, a wholehearted congratulations to Rahul on this well-deserved recognition.”
Rahul’s recent notable work includes helping secure the speedy dismissal of a criminal complaint against Newark, New Jersey Mayor Ras Baraka in May 2025 after the Mayor was arrested by federal agents, detained, and charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey with trespassing at a migrant detention facility in Newark, NJ.
In addition to his active litigation and white collar defense practice, Rahul is a dedicated leader in New York and in the legal community. Rahul was recently appointed to New York City’s Civilian Complaint Review Board, the largest police oversight entity in the United States, and appointed as a Trustee of the New York State Interest on Lawyer Account Fund, which helps low-income New Yorkers obtain civil legal services to protect their most basic needs, such as access to food, shelter, jobs, and health care. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Sonia & Celina Sotomayor Judicial Internship Program, which helps cultivate and develop future leaders from underserved communities, and on the Lawyers Advisory Committee of the New York City Debate League. Rahul is a long-time active member of SABANY and previously served as the organization’s President.