Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP

Chairmen: Gary P Naftalis, Thomas E Constance

Managing Partners: Paul H Schoeman, Howard T Spilko

Number of lawyers: 400

Firm Overview:

Kramer Levin provides proactive, creative and pragmatic solutions that address today’s most challenging legal issues. The firm is headquartered in New York with offices in Silicon Valley, Washington DC, and Paris and fosters a strong culture of involvement in public and community service. For more information, please visit www. kramerlevin.com.

Main Areas of Practice

Litigation:

Kramer Levin lawyers have taken on and won precedent-setting federal and state court cases and bet-the-company matters, handling trials and appeals, and resolving disputes through arbitration, mediation and negotiated settlement. Kramer Levin’s litigators are regarded as trial-ready, formidable opponents, which often enables them to resolve cases advantageously without litigation. They are also known for their success in achieving early case dismissal through skillful motion practice.

Bankruptcy & Restructuring:

For more than 30 years, creditors, debtor corporations, investors, lenders and acquirers have turned to Kramer Levin to solve complicated bankruptcy and restructuring problems, to structure and lead negotiations that harmonize divergent interests and achieve consensual solutions, and to win suits in bankruptcy court, courts of appeal and the US Supreme Court. Representing clients throughout the United States, they typically take on cases that involve multiple debtors with competing secured and unsecured creditors, complex restructurings, and contested interdebtor and intercreditor issues.

Corporate Transactions & Finance:

Kramer Levin represents buyers and sellers, including financial and strategic acquirers ranging from entrepreneurial startups to large multinationals, in mergers and acquisitions of public and private companies. The firm focuses on the middle market and is exposed to a high volume of M&A deal flow in this market segment, which gives the firm a keen insight into deal terms, conditions and trends. Kramer Levin’s banking and finance group represents a large number of borrowers and major lenders, providing legal and transactional advice on a wide variety of financing arrangements. Because it represents both borrowers and lenders, the group can offer clients uncommon perspective and tremendous insight into each party’s needs as well as deep knowledge and broad experience in market-leading terms and the latest financing strategies. The private equity team has extensive experience advising and representing private equity funds, fund sponsors and portfolio companies in all aspects of their business, from fund formation and operation to private placement, mergers and acquisitions, financings, and control and minority investments, including growth equity transactions.

Intellectual Property:

Kramer Levin’s IP lawyers help clients develop and protect their intellectual property, advising them on everything from patent, trademark and copyright acquisition to worldwide IP portfolio management and patent litigation. The litigation-focused team regularly asserts and defends IP-related claims in courts throughout the US and before the US Patent and Trademark Office.

Real Estate, Land Use & Environmental:

For the past 50 years, Kramer Levin has advised on many of the most significant real estate developments and other projects in New York City and throughout the United States, helping transform city skylines and reshape the landscape. The firm's land use practice is the largest and most experienced in New York City. With a core group of partners that has practiced together for more than 30 years and support from a cadre of other lawyers, a veteran real estate litigator, two condemnation lawyers, an engineer and three planners, the team offers unmatched technical knowledge, synergy, industry insight and experience. Kramer Levin’s environmental lawyers help developers, investors and companies across industries manage environmental issues so they can focus on improving properties, maintaining efficient operations, building projects, closing transactions and planning their future.

Tax:

With a clear understanding of clients’ business needs and a deep knowledge of the ever-changing tax laws, Kramer Levin tax lawyers develop creative and practical client-specific solutions to help clients accomplish their goals. They advise US and foreign public and private companies, including private equity firms and hedge funds, as well as high-net-worth individuals, on US transactions and the US tax aspects of international transactions.

Employment & Immigration:

Kramer Levin’s employment lawyers provide practical and proactive counsel to employers, helping them make decisions and take action to minimize their risk of litigation, promote their workplace culture and values, and achieve their specific business objectives. The team is composed of highly responsive advisers and litigators focused exclusively on employment law matters, and each team member is well-versed in a broad range of employment law issues, able to act quickly and decisively when clients need help. Kramer Levin’s internationally recognized immigration group is among the largest and most respected immigration practices in the United States. With decades of experience, the immigration lawyers advise global brands and pre-eminent corporations across a wide range of industries, including media and advertising, financial services, technology, and performing and fine arts.