Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP

Since its founding in 2017, Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP (Kaplan Hecker) has quickly grown into one of the country’s elite litigation boutiques, fusing a high-stakes, cutting edge litigation practice with a groundbreaking commitment to serving the public interest. Kaplan Hecker’s highly experienced litigators help clients navigate their most pressing legal challenges: from complex commercial litigation for some of the country’s biggest companies, to high-profile white-collar criminal defense, to sensitive internal investigations and intricate regulatory and securities matters. The firm leads some of the nation’s most prominent public interest litigation and also frequently files amicus briefs – at all levels of the judiciary – to support the most vulnerable. Kaplan Hecker’s team of New York and Washington, DC-based litigators share a mission to provide the highest level of client service and advocacy, while at the same time maintaining a deep commitment to principles of integrity, fairness, and public service.

Kaplan Hecker has been named by Benchmark Litigation as “Boutique Firm of the Year” in 2022, 2021, and 2020. Since 2019, Benchmark Litigation has also recognized us as one of the “Top Boutiques” in the country. The publication has also consistently given the firm its highest ranking as a “Highly Recommended Law Firm – New York,” making Kaplan Hecker one of the very few litigation boutiques – and the only firm founded by women – to achieve that top designation. Kaplan Hecker is routinely recognized in Chambers, Legal 500, Crain’s New York, National Law Journal, The American Lawyer, New York Law Journal, among many others.

Kaplan Hecker is recognized for the extensive trial experience of its lawyers, who have tried numerous civil and criminal cases to verdict in both federal and state court. The team includes six former federal prosecutors and three former public defenders – experience that uniquely positions the firm to take any case to trial and secure the best possible results for its clients. In what has been recognized by Benchmark Litigation as a 2020 “Impact Case” and by Global Investigations Review as “Most Important Court Case of the Year,” Kaplan Hecker secured a “rare” acquittal at trial in a market manipulation case against a former Barclays trader in early 2019. Kaplan Hecker was also recently honored at the 2022 Benchmark Litigation East Coast Awards with “Impact Case of the Year” for our work on Sines v. Kessler. Kaplan Hecker won a history $26 million settlement for our clients, representing ten plaintiffs in a groundbreaking lawsuit against twenty-five white supremacists and neo-Nazis, bringing claims based on their roles in organizing the racial and religious-based violence in Charlottesville during the summer of 2017. In a recent notable case, Kaplan Hecker successfully represented writer E. Jean Carroll in a sexual assault and defamation suit against Donald Trump, securing a substantial $5 million jury verdict after under three hours of deliberation.

Kaplan Hecker lawyers have consistently been recognized as among the leading litigators in the country, with partners Roberta Kaplan and Sean Hecker having been honored as two of the nation’s top litigators in commercial litigation and white-collar criminal defense respectively.

As a peer noted to Benchmark Litigation, Kaplan Hecker’s lawyers “are unwaveringly committed to staring down injustice without blinking, and their work proves that. They are ambitious, feisty and fearless, especially tailor-made for these tumultuous times.”

Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is more than a value of our firm, it is who we are. Our firm was founded by women and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Over 80% of our attorneys identify as women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, or some combination thereof. We strive to make sure that our policies, the way we practice, and opportunities for advancement at our firm all actively reflect our prioritization of building an equitable and inclusive workplace. We are extremely proud that The American Lawyer has recognized this work, naming Kaplan Hecker its 2021 inaugural “Best Diversity Initiative” award recipient.

Kaplan Hecker has built a track record of impressive results in high-stakes litigation, fueled by a small team of litigators with extensive trial experience and wide-ranging subject matter expertise.