Overview

Rachel has helped to collect over $1 billion on behalf of those killed due to the negligence of corporations.

Rachel received her A.B. degree magna cum laude from Princeton University. She then received her J.D. from the University of Florida, where she served as an editor of the Florida Law Review and graduated magna cum laude, with admission to the Order of the Coif. Before joining Maderal Byrne & Furst PLLC, Rachel clerked for the Honorable Ursula Ungaro, United States District Judge for the Southern District of Florida. She also practiced for five years in the commercial litigation department of the international law firm, White & Case, where she defended corporations against complex claims, including consumer class actions and professional malpractice.

Rachel litigates class actions and individual claims of personal injury, wrongful death, professional malpractice, deceptive consumer practices, product liability, and breach of fiduciary duty. She represents plaintiffs in state and federal courts and handles appeals.

Rachel has taken a leading role in high-profile class actions and multi-district litigation. She served as Co-Chair Lead Counsel of the Champlain Towers South Collapse Litigation, in Florida Circuit Court, which resulted in a record-setting $1.2 billion settlement, as Liaison Counsel in the January 2021 Short Squeeze Trading Litigation, and on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee of the FTX Cryptocurrency Exchange Collapse Litigation. She presently serves on the Steering Committee of the Takata Airbag Products Liability Litigation, multi-district litigations pending in the Southern District of Florida. She is also putative class counsel in a case against the City of Miami for the imposition of an unconstitutional taxing scheme and in class action against the manufacturer of a defective stroller.

Rachel is a respected member of the local and Florida bar, serving on the executive board of the Federal Bar Association and having been appointed to consecutive terms on the federal court practice committee of the Florida Bar by its president. Rachel has also been appointed by the Chief Judge in the Southern District of Florida to serve on numerous Magistrate Judge Selection and Retention Committees for the Miami Division.

Rachel is a Florida native and lives in Miami with her husband, Joseph, and their two daughters, Jane and Rose.

Lead Counsel in Surfside Building Collapse Case

Rachel Furst was Co-Chair Lead Counsel of the class action lawsuit arising from the June 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South Condo Collapse in Surfside, Florida. The catastrophic collapse killed 98 and destroyed 136 homes. Rachel worked relentlessly to achieve a record-setting $1.2 billion settlement for these victims of the collapse and their families.

Rachel was selected by the Court to lead a committee of 17 talented lawyers appointed to various committees. In this role, Rachel directed all aspects of the case. As Co-Chair Lead Counsel her efforts were recognized by the Court specifically at the conclusion of the case in a docketed Order. About Rachel, the Honorable Michael Hanzman wrote, “Ms. Furst was emersed in all aspects of this case, including investigating claims, strategizing, managing the team of attorneys that had been assembled, drafting pleadings, and, in particular the Amended Class Action Complaint, negotiating settlements, drafting motions for preliminary and final approval, and handling matters before the Court.” He went on, “As expected, the quality of her work was outstanding. Despite the intense pressure that even the most seasoned lawyer would experience in a case such as this, Ms. Furst did anything and everything necessary to protect the interests of her clients, never wavering or faltering. She served with distinction and has earned the admiration and respect of this Court, her colleagues and those she represented in a time of extreme need.”

Rachel’s individual clients in the Champlain Towers matter were those who had lost their children, spouses, and parents, and she represented them zealously and with compassion.

Bar Admissions

  • State of Florida
  • United States District Court, Southern District of Florida
  • United States District Court, Middle District of Florida
  • United States District Court, Northern District of Florida
  • United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit

Education

  • Princeton University, magna cum laude (A.B.)
  • University of Florida College of Law, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif (J.D.)
  • Symposium Editor, Florida Law Review

Federal Clerkship

Hon. Ursula Ungaro, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida

Awards and Honors

  • Chambers Ranked in the USA, 2023 – Present
  • The Best Lawyers® in America 2021 – Present
  • LawDragon 500: Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers, 2023
  • 40 Under 40, Outstanding Lawyers of South Florida: 2016
  • Super Lawyers: 2019 – Present
  • Super Lawyers Rising Stars: 2016 – 2017

Community Involvement

  • Florida Bar Federal Court Practice Committee Member
  • Federal Bar Association, South Florida Chapter, Board Member
  • Lotus House, Board of Directors Member
  • University of Miami Law Class Action & Complex Litigation Forum, Committee Member
  • Princeton Club of South Florida, Board Member
  • Miami Dade Trial Lawyers Association, Board Member
  • Florida Justice Association
  • Legal Services of Greater Miami, Board of Directors Member 2017 – 2024
  • City of Miami Sports and Exhibition Authority, Board Member
  • Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, Grant Panelist
biography