Roberta Kaplan,
Steven M. Cohen, Mitra Hormozi and Timothy Martin
Join Forces to Launch
a Premier Civil Litigation and Strategic Advisory Firm
NEW
YORK, June 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Founding
partners Roberta ("Robbie") Kaplan, Steven M. ("Steve") Cohen,
Mitra Hormozi, and Timothy S. ("Tim") Martin announce the formation
of their new civil litigation, investigations, and strategic
advisory firm, Kaplan Martin LLP. Robbie, Steve, Mitra, and
Tim will draw from their collective experience and expertise to
litigate some of the most challenging cases for individuals,
corporations, and other for-profit and not-for-profit clients on
both sides of the "v." They will also provide advisory services to
corporate boards, C-Suite executives and other senior leaders
in navigating their most sensitive and complicated legal matters.
Kaplan Martin will have its official
launch on Monday, July
15th.
The four founding partners have unparalleled track records of
successfully litigating some of the most high-profile and
consequential matters of the last 30 years, including landmark
legislative and Supreme Court victories for marriage equality and
scores of jury trials, arbitrations and settlements. Kaplan Martin partners have also served as
counsel and advisors to top government officials, Fortune 50
companies, and litigants in both the private and public sectors for
decades, and they are uniquely qualified to devise the most
innovative, 360-degree, and lasting solutions to their clients'
problems.
Founding Partners
Robbie Kaplan is a
renowned litigator, trial lawyer, and civil rights advocate with
decades of experience in commercial and civil rights litigation.
She has won numerous prestigious awards for her legal work and is
perhaps best known for her landmark victory in the 2013 Supreme
Court decision that led to nationwide recognition of marriage
equality only two years later. In just the last five years,
Robbie won a $26 million jury verdict
against the neo-Nazis and white supremacists responsible for the
violent "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, VA, and two separate jury
verdicts on behalf of E. Jean
Carroll against Donald Trump
that resulted in $5 million and
$83.3 million in damages,
respectively. Robbie co-founded the firm that is now known
as Hecker & Fink in 2017 after a 25-year tenure at Paul,
Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP.
Ms. Kaplan said, "I came up with the idea of what became the
Kaplan Hecker law firm after the 2016 presidential election
seeking to use all that I had learned at Paul, Weiss in order to
combine a sophisticated commercial litigation practice with a
commitment to bringing truly groundbreaking cases in the public
interest. I'm proud to say that we more than accomplished that
goal. Thanks to the hard work and brilliance of my former
colleagues, our firm grew in scope and size in ways I never
contemplated." Ms. Kaplan added, "But now, together with a group of
long-time, trusted friends who collectively have dealt with pretty
much every kind of legal problem imaginable, it's time for me to
return to my roots with a small and nimble civil litigation and
advisory boutique that will give us flexibility to handle the
thorniest problems and devise the most creative solutions for a
broad range of clients. Not only do I intend to continue to bring
the most innovative cases in pursuit of justice, but I plan to do
so in close collaboration with my former colleagues."
Steve Cohen has more than
30 years of experience advising clients in both the private and
public sectors. He is the founding member of Blue Raven LLP, a
legal advisory firm focused on providing strategic advice to
businesses, corporate boards and executives as well as providing
outside General Counsel services. His unparalleled experience
includes serving as General Counsel and Chief Administrative
Officer at MacAndrews & Forbes, Secretary to former
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, and his Counselor and Chief of
Staff throughout his tenure as New
York's Attorney General. Mr. Cohen was also a federal
prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, a law firm partner, Chair of
New York's Economic Development
Agency, and Vice Chair of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
"Kaplan Martin is the product of
years of collaboration, friendship, and collective problem solving.
We are focused on creating a new kind of firm that will operate
where we have all lived: the intersection of law, politics, and
public policy. Our expertise lies in successfully confronting the
most challenging issues," Mr. Cohen said. "Robbie and I first
collaborated on the passage of the New York Marriage Equality Act
in the Cuomo administration and subsequently on a diverse array of
cases both in and out of government. I have also worked closely
with Mitra and Tim for many years and am thrilled we are joining
forces once again. I honestly cannot think of a group of people
with whom I would rather work." Mr. Cohen will be at the firm
beginning August 1, 2024.
Mitra Hormozi is a veteran trial attorney and the former
General Counsel at Revlon with years of litigation experience in
private practice as well as in the New
York Attorney General's office and as a federal prosecutor
in the Eastern District of New
York. She was responsible for spearheading some of the most
high-profile cases in the US Attorney's Office and the NYS
AG's Office. In addition to having served as a law firm partner,
Ms. Hormozi is an expert in corporate governance with
significant experience derived from her roles as both counsel and
board member to public companies.
"Kaplan Martin is the kind of
firm I wish I could have turned to during my years as an in-house
attorney. Our experience advising clients ranging from high profile
litigants to senior government officials makes us highly sensitive
to the nuances and demands of today's intertwined legal and
political landscape. I can't imagine a more impactful group of
individuals coming together, and I am excited for the value that
our collective prowess will bring to our clients," Ms. Hormozi
said.
Tim Martin has
distinguished himself through his decades-long track record of
success as a litigator and advisor to companies and senior
executives facing complex civil and commercial litigation matters
and disputes of virtually every kind, most recently at Kaplan
Hecker. Mr. Martin's prior experience includes serving as General
Counsel at MacAndrews & Forbes and as a litigator at Paul,
Weiss.
"During the course of my legal career, I have been incredibly
fortunate to have worked with Robbie, Mitra, and Steve – three of
the most dedicated and talented attorneys I have ever known. I am
thrilled to be partnering with them to build a preeminent law firm
dedicated to high-stakes commercial litigation and dispute
resolution. Our collective experience makes us uniquely positioned
to provide top-notch counsel to clients on the most exigent and
sensitive issues," Mr. Martin said.
About Kaplan Martin LLP
Kaplan Martin is a New York-based litigation and advisory
boutique established in 2024 to help clients expertly navigate
their most challenging legal issues and business-defining
situations. Led by professionals with deep in-house, private
practice, and government/public sector experience, Kaplan Martin has an unmatched bench of creative
problem solvers and advocates dedicated to providing trusted and
innovative advice on the most challenging civil and commercial
litigation matters, investigations, and strategic situations.
Today's business and political environment is more dynamic and
complex than ever, and Kaplan Martin
is uniquely positioned to leverage the collective expertise of its
professionals to deliver critical advice and value to its clients.
To learn more about the firm, visit kaplanmartin.com.
Media Contact
August
Ellen
Davis/Steven Goldberg
Ellen.Davis@Augustco.com
Steven.Goldberg@Augustco.com
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SOURCE Kaplan Martin