- Managing Partner:
- Number of partners: 106
- Number of other lawyers: 273
- Website: www.kasowitz.com
Firm Overview:
Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman LLP is one of the largest litigation firms in the country. The firm’s highly talented lawyers are committed to pursuing creative, aggressive and winning approaches to their clients’ most challenging legal matters.
Main Areas of Practice:
Litigation:
Kasowitz’s litigators represent clients in high-stakes and often precedent-setting lawsuits. The firm’s practice encompasses all aspects of litigation, including antitrust, banking, class actions, complex financial products, employment practices, environmental, general corporate and commercial, international arbitration, mass tort and product liability, real estate, securities and white collar criminal defense litigation. The firm uses a decidedly aggressive approach to litigation and strives to achieve the most favorable results for its clients by focusing from the beginning of each case on preparation for trial. Recent representations: MBIA Inc. in defeat of a lawsuit brought by 19 of the world’s largest financial institutions which sought to set aside MBIA’s transformation of its structured finance insurance business; Federal Housing Finance Agency, as conservator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, in several actions in federal and state courts against numerous financial institutions concerning misrepresentations regarding pools of mortgage loans that underlie $205 billion of residential mortgage-backed securities; ACA Financial Guaranty Corp. in an action against Goldman Sachs & Co. for fraud and unjust enrichment in connection with a synthetic CDO known as Abacus 2007 AC1; National Australia Bank and its affiliate and the successor to Fortis Bank in actions against OppenheimerFunds and its affiliates concerning defendants’ misconduct in purchasing and managing billions of dollars of mortgage-backed securities and CDOs; and Comcast in defending three class actions alleging antitrust violations as a result of ‘clustering’ in cable markets.
Creditors’ Rights & Bankruptcy:
Kasowitz’s Creditors’ Rights and Bankruptcy Group represents major parties in the largest bankruptcies and restructurings throughout the country. The firm is a leader in representing investors in securities of distressed companies and in representing debtor companies as well. The firm represents businesses in developing legal strategies for their financial rehabilitation, working closely with the client to achieve an attractive resolution. Recent representations: Borders Group Inc. in its chapter 11 bankruptcy as well as the representation of creditors, equity committees or indentured trustees in the bankruptcies of Adelphia Communications, Lyondell Chemical Company, Le*Nature’s Inc., Tribune Company, Federal Housing Finance Agency and Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP.
Insurance Recovery:
Kasowitz’s Insurance Recovery Group is one of the largest in the nation focused exclusively on policyholder coverage. The firm’s attorneys pride themselves on understanding the business needs of their clients and working closely with them to address all of their legal insurance coverage needs, including high-stakes litigation, alternative dispute resolution, policy audits, risk assessments, state insurance regulatory matters and due diligence associated with business transactions. The Insurance Recovery Group’s attorneys have recovered more than $2 billion to date for their clients through judgments and settlements. Recent representations: Clients such as Visa, Syracuse University, Philips Electronics, Tyson Foods, Port Authority of NY & NJ and Pella Windows and Doors have relied on the group for representation.
Intellectual Property Litigation:
Kasowitz’s intellectual property litigators have extensive experience in all aspects of the field, including patent, trademark, trade secret, false advertising, copyright, right of publicity, and related antitrust and unfair competition litigation. The firm’s intellectual property lawyers represent clients in disputes concerning computer software and hardware, medical devices, telecommunications, semiconductors, financial services, e-commerce, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, chemical processes, manufacturing processes, consumer products, and other areas. Recent representations: A defense verdict for Google and YouTube against Eolas Technologies and the University of California; achieving summary judgment of patent invalidity for Hitachi in infringement claims brought by Magsil and MIT, and for Yahoo! in claims brought by Paid Search Engine Tools.
Employment Practices & Litigation:
The firm’s Employment Practices and Litigation Group represents employers in actions involving claims of race, sex, disability and age discrimination, as well as matters relating to ERISA, wage and hours law, workers’ compensation and the Family and Medical Leave Act.
Transactional Real Estate:
Kasowitz’s Transactional Real Estate Group represents, among others, developers, private and institutional investors, opportunity funds, real estate investment trusts (REITs), lenders and servicers, and major corporations in connection with real estate-related matters.
Clients:
The firm’s clients have included:ACA Financial Guaranty Corporation; Adelphia Litigation Recovery Trust; Allied Waste Industries, Inc.; Armstrong World Industries, Inc.; Blackstone Group, LP; Borders Group Inc.; Caxton International LTD; Comcast; EMCORE Corporation; Ernst & Young; Fairfax Financial Corporation; Federal Housing Finance Agency; Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; Fortress Investment Group; George Weston Bakeries Inc.; Google Inc.; Hilton Worldwide; Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, Inc.; Interstate Bakeries Corp.; Le*Nature’s Liquidation Trust; Level 3 Communications; Liggett Group LLC; Lloyds TSB Bank plc; Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia; MBIA Inc.; MEGA Brands, Inc.; Meritor, Inc.; Metropolitan Life Insurance Company; National Australia Bank; New York Jets; News America Corporation; Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; Rabobank International; Source Interlink Companies, Inc; Southern Union Company; Trump Organization; Visa USA, Inc.; Yahoo!; Wenner Media LLC.