What McLaughlin & Stern LLP does

McLaughlin & Stern LLP is a privately held New York-headquartered law firm organized as a Limited Liability Partnership, founded in 1898 and currently operating from eight offices across the East Coast plus a newly opened San Francisco office (February 2026). The firm offers a full-service legal practice spanning more than 25 areas including Corporate and Securities, Mergers & Acquisitions, Real Estate, Litigation (civil, criminal, and class action), Labor & Employment, Intellectual Property, Insurance Subrogation, Matrimonial and Family Law, Taxation, Trusts and Estates, Healthcare, Art Law, White Collar Defense, and Personal Injury/Mass Tort, with additional dedicated verticals such as Cannabis, Elder Law, Fiduciary Litigation, Brazil Practice, and China Practice serving cross-border clients. Its core clientele consists of business and corporate clients, high-net-worth individuals and families, family offices, insurance industry participants, and healthcare providers.

The firm operates a traditional partner-led professional services business model under hourly billing with retainer arrangements, accepted via credit card and eCheck through third-party payment processors (LawPay and IMS). It generates revenue through direct attorney-client engagement across offices rather than through any technology-enabled distribution channel, and has no proprietary software, app, API, or AI/ML capabilities disclosed. Marketing is conducted through content (website publications, news releases), earned media in outlets such as the New York Times and Super Lawyers, and CLE and bar association speaking engagements. Client relationships include both enterprise engagements (e.g., Huntleigh USA Corp bank financing, Bloomberg LP class action, Apple Inc. $30.5 million wage-and-hour settlement) and individual high-net-worth representation (e.g., Nam June Paik Estate gift to the Smithsonian).

The firm is bootstrapped with no external institutional investors, PE/VC ownership, or parent entity, and is owned and managed by its equity partners. Recent growth has come via organic expansion of practice areas, lateral partner additions (including former Surrogate Court Judge Renee R. Roth), and a February 2026 merger with Dillingham & Murphy, LLP that established its first West Coast presence. Operating geographies span the United States (NY, NJ, FL, CA) plus strategic-relations coverage in the Americas (notably Brazil), Asia (notably China), and Europe.

Name

McLaughlin & Stern LLP

Legal name

McLaughlin & Stern, LLP

Website

https://mclaughlinstern.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1898

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

McLaughlin & Stern LLP is a privately held, New York-headquartered full-service law firm founded in 1898, operating eight offices across the East Coast and San Francisco. It serves business clients, high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and insurance and healthcare industry participants across more than 25 legal practice areas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) & Securities Law (BPAHAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK)

Keywords

• Corporate legal services
• Litigation and dispute resolution
• Trusts and estates
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Intellectual property law

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Billing: Traditional hourly billing for legal services across multiple practice areas including Corporate, Securities, Mergers & Acquisitions, Real Estate, Civil and Criminal Litigation, Labor & Employment, Intellectual Property, Insurance Subrogation, Matrimonial, Tax and Trusts & Estates.
2. Client Payment Processing: The firm accepts credit card payments through LawPay and IMS merchant portals for invoice payments and retainer payments from clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

McLaughlin & Stern, LLP is a New York-headquartered full-service law firm providing sophisticated legal counsel across a broad range of practice areas including Corporate, Securities, Mergers and Acquisitions, Real Estate, Civil and Criminal Litigation, Labor and Employment, Intellectual Property, Insurance Subrogation, Matrimonial, Tax, and Trusts and Estates. The firm bills on a traditional hourly model (with retainer payments accepted) and serves enterprise clients and high net worth individuals through partner-led engagements from offices in New York, Garden City, Naples, West Palm Beach, and San Francisco.

Product overview

McLaughlin & Stern LLP is a full-service law firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of legal services across multiple practice areas rather than a unified technology product. The firm provides legal counsel through distinct practice areas including Corporate Law, Litigation, Real Estate, Trusts and Estates, Taxation, Employment Law, and Personal Injury & Mass Tort, among others. The firm operates from multiple offices across the East Coast (New York, Garden City, New Jersey, Naples, West Palm Beach) and has recently expanded to the West Coast (San Francisco). The practice areas function as distinct service lines rather than modular product components, with attorneys specializing in specific areas while clients may receive integrated services across multiple practice areas for complex matters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Art Law Legal services covering art transactions, authentication, provenance issues, and art market disputes for artists, collectors, estates, and galleries.
• Bankruptcy Law Representation in bankruptcy proceedings, restructuring, and related litigation for debtors, creditors, and bankruptcy trustees.
• Corporate Law Corporate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, securities matters, and corporate & project finance and development for business clients.
• Employment Law Labor and employment representation covering workplace disputes, discrimination claims, employment contracts, and Title IX matters.
• Environmental Law Legal services on environmental compliance, regulatory matters, and contaminated site litigation.
• Family Office & Private Wealth Advisory Comprehensive wealth management legal services, including integrated estate planning, business succession, and asset protection for high net worth families and family offices.
• Healthcare Law Legal services for healthcare providers, regulatory compliance, and medical malpractice defense, supported by partner Carla J. Hartley's leadership in the California Society for Healthcare Attorneys.
• Intellectual Property IP litigation, trademark protection, and intellectual property counseling for individuals and media clients.
• Litigation (Civil and Criminal) Civil and criminal litigation services, including business disputes, class actions, business litigation, and alternative dispute resolution for plaintiffs and defendants.
• Matrimonial and Family Law Legal services on divorce, custody, prenuptial agreements, and other family law matters for individual clients.
• Real Estate Real estate transactions, development, and property litigation for owners, developers, investors, and lenders.
• Taxation Tax planning, controversy matters, and tax-related litigation for corporations, partnerships, trusts, and individuals.
• Trusts and Estates Estate planning, trust administration, probate, fiduciary litigation, and wealth transfer services for high net worth individuals and families.
• White Collar Defense, General Criminal Defense and Investigations Criminal defense, government investigations, and regulatory enforcement matters for individuals and corporations.
• Personal Injury & Mass Tort Plaintiff-side personal injury litigation and mass tort actions, including catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases.
• Insurance Subrogation Insurance subrogation recovery, coverage disputes, and claims litigation for insurance carriers.
• Class Action Practice Wage and hour class actions, employment litigation, and consumer class action representation, including cases against employers such as Apple Inc. and Bloomberg LP.
• Fiduciary Litigation Fiduciary litigation, including disputes over estates, trusts, and guardianships, co-chaired by Dennis Wiley.
• Cannabis Practice Legal services for cannabis industry participants, including regulatory compliance, licensing, and transactional work, anchored by partner Mollie Hartman Lustig's speaking engagements at NJ Cannabis Insider and the NJ State Bar Association Cannabis Symposium.
• China Practice Cross-border legal services for China-related corporate transactions, disputes, and strategic relations, supported by the firm's bilingual website and international affiliate network.
• Brazil Practice Cross-border legal services for Brazil-related corporate transactions, disputes, and strategic relations across the Americas.
• Emerging Markets Legal counsel for transactions and disputes in emerging markets across the Americas, Asia, and Europe, leveraging the firm's strategic international affiliate network.
• Entertainment and Sports Legal services for entertainment and sports clients, including representation in sports franchise acquisitions, media deals, and entertainment transactions.
• Maritime Maritime law representation for shipping, vessel, and offshore matters.
• Municipal Law Legal services for municipal law matters, including representation of municipalities and public-sector entities.
• Professional Liability Defense and counsel on professional liability matters for licensed professionals and firms facing malpractice or disciplinary exposure.
• Hospitality Legal services for hospitality industry clients, including hotels, restaurants, and related businesses.
• Education Law Legal services for educational institutions on Title IX, governance, faculty matters, and representation in education-related appellate work.
• Elder Law Legal services for elderly clients and their families on guardianship, long-term care planning, and related protective matters.
• Philanthropy & Private Client Practice Legal counsel on philanthropic giving, charitable planning, and private client matters for high net worth individuals and foundations.
• Business Litigation Commercial and business litigation services for corporations, partnerships, and business owners in contract, shareholder, and other commercial disputes.
• Alternative Dispute Resolution Alternative dispute resolution services, including mediation and arbitration, for clients seeking non-trial resolution of disputes.
• San Francisco Office via Dillingham & Murphy Merger New West Coast office at 155 Sansome Street, San Francisco, combining McLaughlin & Stern's platform with the litigation and employment expertise of Dillingham & Murphy to serve California clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• $30.5 million settlement secured in Frlekin v Apple class action
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dillingham & Murphy, LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 February 2026McLaughlin & Stern expanded into San Francisco by acquiring the lawyers and staff of Dillingham & Murphy, LLP, effective February 2, 2026. This merger established McLaughlin & Stern's first West Coast office at 155 Sansome Street, bringing the firm's presence to California for the first time. The new office retained the existing team and focused on litigation and employment matters.
• LawPayminorOthersThird-party payment processing platform for credit card and eCheck processing for client invoice and retainer payments. Used for Garden City, New Jersey, and West Palm Beach office payments.
• IMS (IMS Merchant Portal)minorOthersThird-party payment processing platform for credit card payments for New York and Naples office invoice and retainer payments.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lowenstein Sandler LLP: Mid-Atlantic / NYC full-service firm with deep corporate, litigation, and private client practices, comparable in scale and client profile to McLaughlin & Stern's HNW and middle-market focus.
• Blank Rome LLP: Multi-office full-service firm with comparable practice breadth including corporate/M&A, litigation, real estate, and private client services, recently expanding its East Coast and West Coast footprint.
• Phillips Nizer LLP: Long-established NYC mid-size firm with overlapping corporate, litigation, real estate, and trusts & estates practices serving a similar HNW and middle-market client base.
• Loeb & Loeb LLP: Full-service firm with comparable depth in corporate, litigation, IP, entertainment, and private client services; similar focus on HNW individuals, family offices, and middle-market corporates.
• Kelley Drye & Warren LLP: Mid-sized New York–headquartered full-service law firm with comparable practice breadth across corporate, litigation, real estate, and trusts & estates; directly competes for similar mid-market corporate and HNW clients in NYC.
• Moses & Singer LLP: New York full-service firm of similar scale with strong trusts & estates, corporate, and litigation practices, competing for the same HNW family-office and middle-market corporate mandates.
• Pryor Cashman LLP: NYC-based full-service firm with overlapping practice areas including corporate, litigation, IP, and real estate, serving comparable mid-market enterprise and HNW clients.
• Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, PC: Long Island–based full-service firm with strong corporate, healthcare, and litigation practices, competing in the same NYC-Long Island corridor for similar mid-market clients.
• Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP: New York full-service firm with strong corporate/M&A, litigation, and trusts & estates practices, competing for similar Fortune 500 litigation and HNW wealth management work.

Regional players

• Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP: New York–based full-service firm with overlapping corporate, litigation, and government relations practices serving comparable HNW and business clients in the NYC market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mclaughlinstern

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles24 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about McLaughlin & Stern LLP