Family Law

• Divorce
• Child Custody and Visitation
  Handling child custody, support and divorce cases on behalf of low-income women and victims of domestic violence and other abuse;
• Adoption
• Spousal Support
  Kasowitz attorneys have represented dozens of women and their children who have been victims of domestic abuse, in cases referred by our pro bono partners Sanctuary for Families and Her Justice.  Each of these clients needed assistance in obtaining judicial relief in family court and other New York courts, or from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  Kasowitz attorneys have been repeatedly successful in advocating for and obtaining orders of protection, divorces, custody and child and spousal support for these clients, many of whom speak little or no English.  Additionally, Kasowitz attorneys have assisted abuse victims in gaining legal status in the U.S. through Violence Against Women Act petitions and U-Visa and T-Visa applications.  Recent cases include the following...

Criminal Law

• Criminal Defense
  Kasowitz’s White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Group is built on a foundation of deeply rooted government experience and decades of success defending corporations and individuals in highly sensitive regulatory and criminal matters.  Our attorneys include a former United States senator, a former United States Attorney, numerous former U.S. and District Attorneys and two former state attorneys general.  In addition to having earned the honor of being trusted counsel to numerous industry leading companies and high profile professionals, our white collar lawyers have been recognized as being among the best in the field by sources including
• Wrongful Death
  Celanese Chemicals in defense of the claims of numerous workers for wrongful death, personal injuries and property damage as the result of alleged soil and groundwater contamination related to solar evaporation ponds.
• Traffic Violations
  Source Interlink Companies in an antitrust action alleging that leading magazine publishers and distributors conspired to force Source out of the wholesale single-issue magazine market.  One commentator noted: “Standing in the way of the publishers’ alleged conspiracy, like Superman in front of a speeding locomotive, has been Kasowitz Benson.”  The case settled on favorable terms.
• Sex Crimes
  Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP is an equal opportunity employer.  Every individual has the right to work in a professional environment that promotes equal opportunity and prohibits discrimination and harassment.  It is Kasowitz policy to ensure equal employment opportunity for all individuals, without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, ethnicity, creed, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, citizenship status or alienage, disability, pregnancy status or related medical issue, military or qualified veteran status, familial status, marital or partnership status, caregiver status, sexual orientation, gender, including gender identity, gender expression or transition status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, hair texture and protective hairstyles, COVID-19 status, status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking and/or sex offenses, sexual and reproductive health decisions, unemployment status, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state and local laws.  This policy applies to all aspects of an individual’s relationship with Kasowitz, including, without limitation, recruitment, hiring, training and development, promotion, compensation, discipline, termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment.
• Fraud
  Kasowitz is a global leader in complex international disputes and cross-border litigation matters.  We have extensive experience in international matters concerning civil and criminal fraud and financial misconduct, complex commercial litigation and arbitration, and judgment enforcement and enforcement defense.
• White Collar Crimes
  We are distinguished by our record of successfully representing clients accused of white collar crimes resulting in grand jury investigations and criminal trials in both domestic and foreign jurisdictions, including submissions and defenses in Japan, Taiwan and the European Union.  Having tried hundreds of felony cases before juries and having secured acquittals in numerous highly contested matters, we willingly represent white collar clients through trial when appropriate.  We have successfully defended numerous high-profile white collar defendants.  Our lawyers’ cases have resulted in over 50 published opinions, many of which have been cited in other opinions, treatises and articles.
• Theft
• Murder
  Kasowitz Benson Torres, on behalf of Students Against Antisemitism, Inc., StandWithUs Center for Legal Justice, and several individual Jewish students, has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against Columbia University and Barnard College, alleging that Columbia and Barnard are violating the civil rights of their Jewish students, who are subjected to a severe and pervasive antisemitic hostile educational environment, which has worsened since the October 7 Hamas murder, rape, and kidnapping of 1,200 Israelis. Read Story
• Restraining Order
  In its action against Switch & Data Management to prevent S&D from shutting down large portions of Level 3’s international network as a result of a contract dispute. The firm obtained a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction precluding S&D from taking action.  The parties then reached a confidential settlement.
• Money Laundering
  A prominent European businessperson in exploring offensive litigation strategies against adversaries conducting a derogatory public relations campaign by alleging the client’s involvement in a money laundering investigation being conducted by Spanish authorities, as well as deploying various reputation management efforts to aid the client’s factual and legal defenses.
• Kidnapping

Business and Corporate Law

• Corporate Law
  Devising Solutions Kasowitz’s corporate group has extensive experience in complex corporate matters, including mergers; asset, stock and membership interest acquisitions and divestitures; commercial lending; joint ventures and strategic alliances; licensing; venture capital; employment, distribution and manufacturing agreements; corporate governance and general corporate representation.
• Business Disputes
  In successfully obtaining significant preliminary injunctions arising from contract disputes with hotel owners.  One preliminary injunction, unanimously affirmed by the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department, bars the owner of a large New York City hotel from unilaterally terminating its license agreement with our client.  The other preliminary injunction, also unanimously affirmed by the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, bars the owner of another large Times Square hotel from unilaterally terminating its hotel management agreement with our client.
• Limited Liability Companies
  Our Matrimonial and Family Law group also has experience in property disputes relating to complex financial structures, real estate and real estate investment vehicles, venture capital and financial services firms, stock options and deferred compensation packages, trusts, limited partnerships, limited liability companies and privately held companies, and professional practices and other high-income careers.
• Trade Secrets
• Intellectual Property
  Kasowitz's Intellectual Property Litigation group has extensive experience in all aspects of patent, trademark, trade secret, false advertising, copyright, right of publicity, and related antitrust and unfair competition litigation. Our lawyers handle matters for some of the world’s largest technology and pharmaceuticals companies as both plaintiff and defendant.
• Unfair Competition
  Financial technology pioneer FinancialApps’s $100 million lawsuit for trade secret misappropriation, tortious interference, and unfair competition against wealth management company Envestnet – whose acquisition by Bain Capital in a $4.5 billion deal was approved by shareholders earlier this week – is now headed to a jury trial in Delaware Federal Court.
• Antitrust
  Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Antitrust Litigation, International Disputes Litigation, Real Estate Litigation, Securities Litigation, White Collar Defense and Investigations

Employment Law

• Employment Discrimination
  The New York Post in defending a race discrimination lawsuit brought by two reporters, resulting in summary judgment dismissing all claims.
• Employment Contract
  Northwell Health, one of the largest hospital systems in the U.S., in a lawsuit to enforce employment agreements, including covenants not to compete.
• Employment Litigation
  Kasowitz has decades of experience advising hedge funds in high-stakes litigation and crafting creative solutions for issues relating to their investments.  We handle sophisticated commercial litigation, complex financial products and securities litigation, financial restructuring and employment litigation for our hedge fund clients.  We have successfully represented hedge funds in numerous litigations, negotiations and potential disputes involving securitizations and other structured finance products.
• Non-compete Agreement
  XPO Logistics and GXO Logistics in multiple state and federal court litigations stemming from disputes over warehouse management services contracts, transportation contracts, theft of trade secrets and non-compete agreements.
• Severance Agreement
  Our lawyers have experience in all areas of employment litigation and arbitration including discrimination, harassment and retaliation claims; enforcement and defense of non-competition agreements, confidentiality agreements, and breaches of fiduciary duty; wage and hour issues under the FLSA, New York and California Labor Laws and other statutes; disciplinary matters before FINRA and other regulators; and disputes under executive employment, consulting and severance agreements.
• Sexual Harassment
  The Burton Awards recognized Mr. Lerner for exceptional legal writing for his article “When Sexual Harassment Is Also a Crime,” published by the

Property Law

• Real Estate Litigation
  Kasowitz has a full-service real estate group that has extensive experience handling litigation, transactional and bankruptcy matters for our clients in the real estate and hospitality industries.  Our real estate litigation team regularly advises and collaborates with our transactional real estate lawyers concerning the litigation implications of particular provisions, agreements and/or transactions.
• Construction Litigation
  JLL in a construction dispute against a major Bay Area construction company over a development in Walnut Creek, California which required negotiating around standard clauses in the AIA contracts.  While settling the main dispute, we had to fight off more than a dozen subcontractor suits.  The matter settled confidentially.
• Real Estate Transactions
  Kasowitz’s Real Estate Transactions group advises clients in a full array of complex issues relating to office, residential, lodging, gaming, shopping center and mixed-use projects throughout the United States.  We represent clients in acquisitions and dispositions of single properties and property portfolios; acquisitions and participations of mortgage and mezzanine debt; workouts and restructurings; financings of real estate properties and projects; office and retail leasing; and joint venture development.
• Eminent Domain
  Successfully challenging the New York Power Authority’s exercise of eminent domain to take property belonging to a tri-state area real estate developer, and transfer it to Calpine Corporation, a national power company, for its $100 million expansion of an existing power plant.
• Land Use and Zoning
• Landlord-Tenant Disputes
  Leading diversified natural gas company in numerous matters, including the formulation and documentation of various corporate policies, advising with respect to various landlord-tenant issues, and negotiating and preparing company agreements.
• Property Damage
  Southern Union, a natural gas provider, in four consolidated environmental contamination suits brought by 200 residents of Tiverton, Rhode Island, who alleged personal injuries, property damage, and other consequential losses from contamination of residential soil by cyanide, arsenic, lead, tar, and other pollutants.  Plaintiffs claimed the pollutants were deposited on their land more than 50 years ago.

Health Law

• Personal Injury
  Celanese Chemicals in defense of over 600 claims for personal injury and property damages resulting from the alleged airborne release of toxic chemicals from a hazardous waste dump, resulting in a complete dismissal.
• Disability Discrimination

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
  . Special counsel to the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Verestar in prosecuting estate litigation claims for alter ego and breach of fiduciary duty against the Fortune 500 public parent company of Verestar and its directors for over $150 million.  The primary claims against the defendants survived a motion to dismiss and the action proceeded to mediation, resulting in a favorable settlement for creditors.

Finance Law

• Bankruptcy
  Kasowitz’s Bankruptcy Litigation and Restructuring team is one of the leading bankruptcy groups in the country.  We have extensive experience representing parties in out-of-court workouts, restructurings, insolvency and bankruptcy litigation, and all related and attendant state and federal court litigations.
• Foreclosure
  Kasowitz attorneys represented an indigent mother of four in a contentious divorce proceeding and foreclosure action.  The mother’s husband had taken out a million dollar mortgage on their home and fled the country with the loan proceeds, leaving her with little support and a looming foreclosure action. Kasowitz attorneys engaged in extensive discovery to locate hidden assets of the husband, and were able to avoid foreclosure of the client’s home.  In addition, Kasowitz attorneys negotiated the sale of the marital property in order to provide funds for the family to relocate and for the mother to support her children.  The client’s divorce action went to trial in Brooklyn Family Court, where Kasowitz attorneys were successful in obtaining for the client the release of all of the proceeds, as well as substantial foreign assets that were being held in escrow for the client.