Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman Joins Latham

 

January 7, 2016, New York…Latham & Watkins LLP¹ is pleased to announce that The Honorable Jonathan Lippman has joined the firm’s New York office as Of Counsel in the Litigation & Trial Department. Chief Judge Lippman retired as Chief Judge of the State of New York and Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals last month after a distinguished four decade career, including service in both trial and appellate courts, in the New York State Court system. He will provide strategic counsel to clients, including advice on New York law and appellate matters, investigations and monitorships. Chief Judge Lippman will also continue his efforts to champion access to justice for all, including those most in need.

During his tenure on the Court of Appeals, New York’s highest court, Chief Judge Lippman authored major decisions addressing constitutional, statutory and common law issues shaping the law of New York, the contours of state government and the lives of all New Yorkers.  As the state’s Chief Judge, he championed a broad range of novel pro bono efforts and took an active leadership role in identifying permanent funding streams for civil legal services.

“I am honored for the many opportunities I have had to serve the people of New York and fortunate to have worked with incredibly hard-working, talented and dedicated judges and court staff,” said Chief Judge Lippman. “I look forward to this new chapter in my career.  Latham has an incredible reputation globally and a great pool of talent here in New York. I also enthusiastically anticipate  working with clients facing  difficult legal challenges, and enhancing even further Latham’s leading pro bono platform to continue to focus on access to justice for all the underserved and those most in need.”

Michèle Penzer, Office Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins in New York, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Chief Judge Lippman to the firm. Like Latham, he has been a part of the New York legal community for decades, and his arrival is a great testament to the strength of our practice here in New York and our position within the legal industry. It seems only appropriate to have someone so well-respected and deeply committed to the New York legal community join our firm.”

“New York is a key strategic market for our firm and our clients. It is also invariably a center of gravity for the major legal and business issues that are most important to our global clients,” said Bill Voge, Chair and Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins. “Chief Judge Lippman is an accomplished leader and he shares our values.  He will contribute much to the growth of our litigation practice and will continue to make an impact for the most vulnerable New Yorkers.”

Chief Judge Lippman joins a diversified and formidable litigation team in New York and globally, with one of the largest litigation practices in the world.

Miles Ruthberg, Chair of the Litigation & Trial Department in New York, said, “Chief Judge Lippman has not only had a prestigious career, but he is an incredibly energetic and thoughtful consensus-builder who knows how to get things done.  He truly cares about making a difference in society and in the institutions he touches. We are honored that he’ll be here as a colleague and mentor.”

Gregory Garre, Chair of the firm’s Supreme Court and Appellate Practice, added:  “Chief Judge Lippman has extensive experience at the top of one of the country’s most important state courts.  His knowledge of the New York courts adds a dimension to our global practice that is of great value to clients facing their most important challenges.”

Chief Judge Lippman has served at all levels of the New York State Court system throughout his career, including as staff attorney, administrator and Judge. His administrative service includes six years as Chief Clerk and Executive Officer of the New York Supreme Court for New York County (Civil Term) and six years as the Deputy Chief Administrator for Management of the New York State Courts, during which time he was responsible for managing and overseeing the day-to-day operation of the statewide court system.

Chief Judge Lippman was appointed by Governor Pataki as Judge of the New York Court of Claims in 1995, and subsequently served by appointment from 1996 to 2007 as Chief Administrative Judge of the New York State Courts, the longest tenure of anyone to have held this position. In that role, he was responsible for the administration and management of the statewide court system, including oversight of 3,600 state and locally-paid judges and a US$2.5 billion judicial branch budget. He was elected to New York’s Supreme Court in 2005 and, in 2007,  Governor Spitzer appointed Judge Lippman as Presiding Justice of the New York Appellate Division, First Department. He was appointed by Governor Paterson as Chief Judge of New York State and Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals two years later, serving in those roles until 2015.

About Latham & Watkins

Latham & Watkins is a global law firm with more than 2,200 lawyers in its offices located in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States.  The New York office is the firm’s largest office, with nearly 400 lawyers.

The firm has one of the largest pro bono programs in the world, donating 2.5 million hours in free legal counsel since 2000. In New York, Latham & Watkins takes on matters in nearly every area of public interest law, working with the city’s key legal services organizations including The Legal Aid Society, New York Legal Assistance Group, Lawyer’s Alliance for New York, Sanctuary for Families and the Fair Housing Justice Center.

For more information on Latham & Watkins, please visit the website at www.lw.com.