Lawyer killed in Cobble Hill lightning strike specialized in antitrust
Richard Schwartz, 61, who was killed Thursday night after lighting struck the steeple of Christ Church-Cobble Hill as he was walking nearby during a thunderstorm, was an assistant state attorney general who specialized in antitrust litigation under six attorneys general, according to the New York Law Journal.
As the Eagle has reported, the lightning apparently knocked loose masonry blocks from the church, bringing down scaffolding that had been installed so the church could evaluate damage from a previous lightning strike.
Schwartz remained buried under the scaffolding until an EMS crew arrived, and apparently was talking before he finally lost consciousness and was declared dead.
Schwartz was an assistant state attorney general for more than 25 years, according to the Law Journal. Among the high-profile cases he worked on were actions against Microsoft, Intel, Samsung and others.