Michael Lacovara of Riverside passed away on Feb. 25. Mr. Lacovara, 58, was a partner at the law firm of Latham & Watkins, where he advised clients on merger and acquisition-related competition matters and led a range of strategic antitrust and commercial litigations. Prior to joining Latham, Mr. Lacovara was an executive partner at London-based Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. A former partner at Sullivan & Cromwell, Mr. Lacovara was a highly regarded litigator in the US and co-founded that firm’s Palo Alto office in 2000. He represented Microsoft in the federal government’s landmark antitrust case against the software giant. He left Sullivan & Cromwell in 2004 to join investment banking client Sandler O’Neill as its first general counsel. He went on to become chief operating officer at Sandler O’Neill, before moving to investment bank Rodman & Renshaw Capital Group as its chief executive. He returned to private practice in 2012.
Throughout his legal career, Mr. Lacovara devoted countless hours to providing pro bono services to persons in need who could not afford counsel.
Mr. Lacovara was raised in Washington, D.C., where he attended Gonzaga College High School, a Jesuit preparatory school. He earned a B.A. Summa Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania, was awarded an MPhil from Cambridge University where he was a member of Pembroke College, and earned a J.D. Cum Laude from Harvard Law School.
Notwithstanding his many professional accomplishments, Mr. Lacovara was first and foremost a family man. A perfect day for him was spent with his children, watching their sporting events or cuddled on the couch watching the NY Rangers, F1 racing, and Liverpool Football Club. He will also be remembered for sartorial standards, always appearing perfectly attired, whether in a bespoke suit from Savile Row or the well-worn jersey of his beloved Rangers or Liverpool.
Mr. Lacovara is survived by his wife, Jennifer, sons Teddy, Charles and Nicholas, and daughter Claire. He is also survived by his parents, Philip and Madeline Lacovara, and his siblings, Philip, Christopher, Elizabeth, Karen, Daniel, and Andrew. He is also mourned by his eight nephews and six nieces and four great-nieces and nephews.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held at St Catherine of Siena Roman Catholic Church in Riverside on Saturday, March 5, where Mr. Lacovara was an active parishioner.
