The lawyers of Mound Cotton Wollan & Greengrass LLP mourn the loss of our brilliant and esteemed colleague, Daniel Markewich, who died on January 29 at the age of 76. Mr. Markewich passed peacefully, surrounded by family, after a long fight with cancer.
Mr. Markewich was the son of the Honorable Arthur Markewich, a Justice of the Appellate Division, and the grandson of Samuel Markewich, a prominent labor lawyer who represented the Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union and the International Ladies Garment Workers Union as well as being a confidante of famed ILGWU President David Dubinsky. Dan continued to represent the RWDSU until his death. Dan graduated from Harvard College and Columbia Law School, and went on to prosecute felony trials as an assistant district attorney in New York County under the tutelage of legendary District Attorney Frank Hogan. Mr. Markewich then joined his grandfather and uncle as a partner in the law firm Markewich, Rosenhaus, Markewich and Friedman, where he practiced for twenty years before becoming a partner at Mound Cotton in 1990. In his 26 years at Mound Cotton, Dan argued numerous appeals, wrote many splendid briefs, and served as trusted and respected professional responsibility counsel to the firm. He was a meticulous and erudite writer and a stickler for grammar. Dan published and edited the firm’s newsletter, in addition to publishing articles of his own in the New York Law Journal and elsewhere. He served as an acting Village Justice for the Village of South Nyack, where he issued several published opinions, some of which are still cited. As a member of the New York City Bar Association Entertainment Committee, Dan lent his formidable voice to numerous musical performances. Dan served as a member of the New York City Bar Association Professional Ethics Committee, and exhibited razor sharp intellect and dependable and reliable judgment in counseling the firm and clients on matters large and small, often involving significant issues of professional responsibility. He always had time to mentor young lawyers and was generous with his advice and counsel.
He leaves behind his wife, Fran Fredrick Markewich, and children Joshua, Noah, Sarah, Samuel, Erik and Matthew. The family requests that memorial contributions in Dan’s memory may be made to the American Civil Liberties Union, the Food Bank of New York, the City Bar Justice Center and Temple Tikvah of New Hyde Park.