Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP
Encyclopedia
Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP is a law firm with offices in New York City, Silicon Valley and Paris.
When Eugene Nickerson
, a descendant of President John Adams
, joined the firm, its name changed to Nickerson, Kramer, Lowenstein, Nessen & Kamin. The firm's current name, Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP, emerged as a result of personnel changes over a number of years, including Nickerson leaving to join the federal bench of the Eastern District of New York, Lou Lowenstein joining the faculty of Columbia Law School
, Gary P. Naftalis
becoming a name partner, and Marvin E. Frankel
, the former Southern District of New York judge, joining the Firm.
Kramer Levin also has an office in Paris, France which it acquired in 1999 from the legacy US firm Rogers & Wells
which did not want to merge with the rest of the firm to London-based Clifford Chance
. The firm maintains strong relationships with other firms throughout the world. Kramer Levin was the exclusive US referral firm to UK firm Berwin Leighton Paisner
from 2000–2007, when the alliance was changed to "preferred firm" status meaning the two will still collaborate but without exclusive referrals.
In September 2011, Kramer Levin opened its Silicon Valley office, expanding on already well-regarded intellectual property practice.
defense, securities litigation, corporate, real estate and land use, intellectual property, Lanham Act litigation, business immigration, employment law, financial services, tax, trust and estates and bankruptcy, some of which are among the strongest in the country. The co-heads of the White Collar practice is Gary Naftalis and Barry Berke.
as co-counsel petitioning the New York Court of Appeals
to recognize the rights of same-sex couples to marry. This legal challenge was successful.
History
The Firm was founded in 1968 in New York under the name Kramer, Lowenstein, Nessen & Kamin. Founding members include Arthur B. Kramer, Louis Lowenstein, Maurice Nessen, and Sherwin Kamin.When Eugene Nickerson
Eugene Nickerson
Eugene Hoffman Nickerson was the Democratic county executive of Nassau County, New York from 1962 until 1970. Nickerson was the only Democrat to be elected county executive in Nassau County until 2001...
, a descendant of President John Adams
John Adams
John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...
, joined the firm, its name changed to Nickerson, Kramer, Lowenstein, Nessen & Kamin. The firm's current name, Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP, emerged as a result of personnel changes over a number of years, including Nickerson leaving to join the federal bench of the Eastern District of New York, Lou Lowenstein joining the faculty of Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School, founded in 1858, is one of the oldest and most prestigious law schools in the United States. A member of the Ivy League, Columbia Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Columbia University in New York City. It offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in...
, Gary P. Naftalis
Gary P. Naftalis
Gary P. Naftalis is a leading American trial lawyer, and serves as head of the litigation department and co-chair of Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP, the New York City law firm. Naftalis graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Rutgers University , earned a masters in history at Brown University , and...
becoming a name partner, and Marvin E. Frankel
Marvin E. Frankel
Marvin E. Frankel was a litigator, a United States federal judge on the Southern District of New York, a professor at Columbia Law School, and a legal scholar whose views helped to establish sentencing guidelines for the federal courts.-Biography:Born in New York, New York, Frankel was in the...
, the former Southern District of New York judge, joining the Firm.
Kramer Levin also has an office in Paris, France which it acquired in 1999 from the legacy US firm Rogers & Wells
Rogers & Wells
Rogers & Wells was a New-York based international law firm founded in 1873. After several name changes, it was renamed for William P. Rogers and John A. Wells. The firm was well known for its litigation arm...
which did not want to merge with the rest of the firm to London-based Clifford Chance
Clifford Chance
Clifford Chance LLP is a global law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom and a member of the 'Magic Circle' of leading UK law firms. It is one of the ten largest law firms in the world measured by both number of lawyers and revenue...
. The firm maintains strong relationships with other firms throughout the world. Kramer Levin was the exclusive US referral firm to UK firm Berwin Leighton Paisner
Berwin Leighton Paisner
Berwin Leighton Paisner is an international law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom and a member of the 'Silver Circle' of leading UK law firms. It has nine offices in eight countries around the world, predominantly providing services in corporate, finance, dispute resolution, real estate...
from 2000–2007, when the alliance was changed to "preferred firm" status meaning the two will still collaborate but without exclusive referrals.
In September 2011, Kramer Levin opened its Silicon Valley office, expanding on already well-regarded intellectual property practice.
Practice Areas
As of 2011, after careful and deliberate growth, the Firm had nearly 375 lawyers, with 20+ practices including in the areas of white-collarWhite-collar crime
Within the field of criminology, white-collar crime has been defined by Edwin Sutherland as "a crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation" . Sutherland was a proponent of Symbolic Interactionism, and believed that criminal behavior was...
defense, securities litigation, corporate, real estate and land use, intellectual property, Lanham Act litigation, business immigration, employment law, financial services, tax, trust and estates and bankruptcy, some of which are among the strongest in the country. The co-heads of the White Collar practice is Gary Naftalis and Barry Berke.
Pro Bono
The firm is well-known for its active pro bono program, currently co-chaired by James Grayer and Eric Tirschwell. The firm famously challenged New York State's Domestic Relations law and served with Lambda LegalLambda Legal
Lambda Legal is an American civil rights organization that focuses on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender communities as well as people living with HIV/AIDS through impact litigation, education, and public policy work.Lambda's founder William J. Thom, Esq...
as co-counsel petitioning the New York Court of Appeals
New York Court of Appeals
The New York Court of Appeals is the highest court in the U.S. state of New York. The Court of Appeals consists of seven judges: the Chief Judge and six associate judges who are appointed by the Governor to 14-year terms...
to recognize the rights of same-sex couples to marry. This legal challenge was successful.
See also
- Arthur KramerArthur KramerArthur Kramer was the founding partner of influential law firm Kramer Levin. Kramer retired from the firm in 1996. He was found alone by a ski patrol in Sun Valley, Idaho on January 13, 2008 and then died from a stroke on January 26...
- Kramer v. Phoenix Life Insurance Company, 2010 N.Y. Slip Opinion 8376, 2010 N.Y. LEXIS 3281 (Ct. App. 2010) wherein Alice Kramer, the widow of Arthur Kramer, brought a lawsuit 3 months after Mr. Kramer's death that made its way up to the New York Court of Appeals seeking to characterize her husband's purchase of $56.2 million of life insurance as part of an illegal insurance scheme that violated New York State's insurable interest laws. Mrs. Kramer alleged that her husband's instruction to their three adult children to sell the life insurance to hedge fund investors that were clients of Kramer Levin shortly after their issuance violated New York public policy entitling her to the $56.2 million of proceeds rather than the hedge fund investors. Mrs. Kramer did not retain her deceased husband's firm in her bid to collect the insurance proceeds but was represented in the litigation by Stuart I. Friedman and Andrew A. Wittenstein of the New York law firm Friedman & Wittenstein.