What Hodgson Russ LLP does

Hodgson Russ LLP is a private, full-service U.S. law firm organized as a New York limited liability partnership, founded in 1817 and headquartered in Buffalo, NY. It is one of the oldest law firms in the United States and is currently ranked among the Am Law 200 (the second tier of the largest U.S. law firms by revenue). The firm employs over 230 attorneys and over 250 support staff (475+ total) operating across more than 90 practice groups, with eleven offices spanning the U.S. Northeast (Albany, Buffalo, Hackensack, NYC, Rochester, Saratoga Springs), Southeast (Greensboro, Palm Beach), and Canada (Toronto). Notable historical figures among its alumni include two former U.S. presidents, Millard Fillmore and Grover Cleveland.

The firm's core service offering is the delivery of sophisticated U.S. legal counsel across high-value practice areas, with principal practices concentrated in Bankruptcy, Restructuring & Commercial Litigation; Renewable Energy (solar, onshore/offshore wind, storage, transmission, clean transportation); Administrative, Regulatory & Municipal Litigation; State & Local Tax; Canada-U.S. Cross-Border; and Immigration Law. It serves a hybrid client base that includes foreign clients (notably Canadian entities and individuals with U.S. legal needs), U.S. enterprises with cross-border interests, debtors and creditors in restructuring matters, renewable energy developers and investors, and municipalities. Marketing and demand generation operate through a multi-channel content engine (Grid & Green environmental and energy blog, client alerts, CLE webinars, podcasts, and partner quotes in Bloomberg Law, POLITICO, and Law360).

Revenue is generated through traditional professional services billing (hourly and matter-based fees) negotiated based on complexity, client size, and service requirements; specific rates are not publicly disclosed. The firm's go-to-market motion is enterprise field sales via direct attorney-client relationships, with no third-party distribution channels. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed, consistent with private partnership structure, and the firm has no parent company, no external institutional investors, and no subsidiaries. In March 2024, Nathan Berti became Managing Partner with a stated agenda focused on culture, growth, and technology, succeeding Benjamin Zuffranieri, who stepped down in 2025 following what the firm described as a record year that also saw $2 million in building renovations and several key lateral hires.

Name

Hodgson Russ LLP

Legal name

Hodgson Russ LLP

Website

https://hodgsonruss.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1817

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Hodgson Russ LLP is an Am Law 200 U.S. law firm founded in 1817, headquartered in Buffalo, NY, with 230+ attorneys across 90+ practice groups serving enterprise, government, and cross-border clients in bankruptcy, renewable energy, tax, regulatory, and immigration matters from eleven U.S. and Toronto offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Immigration Legal Services & Representation (Law Firms) (THACAKAF)

Keywords

• Legal services
• Corporate law
• Cross-border legal
• Bankruptcy restructuring
• Renewable energy law

Headquarters

HQ city

Buffalo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 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: Professional legal services provided to enterprise, mid-market, and SMB clients across multiple practice areas including bankruptcy, restructuring, commercial litigation, renewable energy, corporate, tax, and real estate law. Services billed on traditional legal billing models.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hodgson Russ LLP is an Am Law 200 full-service U.S. law firm providing legal counsel across more than 90 practice areas, including bankruptcy and restructuring, commercial litigation, renewable energy, administrative and regulatory law, state and local tax, immigration, and Canada-U.S. cross-border matters. The firm serves enterprise, mid-market, government, and individual clients across the U.S., Canada, and Europe through 11 offices, with a distinctive full-time Toronto office practicing exclusively U.S. law.

Product overview

Hodgson Russ LLP is an Am Law 200 law firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of U.S. legal services through over 90 practice groups. The firm's core service offerings span Bankruptcy, Restructuring & Commercial Litigation, Renewable Energy Practice, Administrative/Regulatory & Municipal Litigation, State & Local Tax, Canada-U.S. Cross-Border Practice, and Immigration Law. These services are delivered through a network of 11 offices across New York State, Toronto, and other locations, with a team of over 230 attorneys serving clients across the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bankruptcy, Restructuring & Commercial Litigation Legal representation for complex bankruptcy and insolvency matters, including workouts, restructuring arrangements, Chapter 7/11/12/13/15 proceedings, creditor rights, and commercial litigation before federal and state courts in New York. For debtors, creditors, financial institutions, trustees, and examiners.
• Renewable Energy Practice Comprehensive legal counsel for large-scale solar, offshore and onshore wind, energy storage, transmission, clean transportation, and energy efficiency projects, covering development, permitting, financing, regulatory compliance, construction, and operations. For developers, lenders, landowners, permitting agencies, suppliers, project acquirers, and investors.
• Administrative, Regulatory & Municipal Litigation Representation before federal, state, and local agencies, including permit acquisition, regulatory compliance, enforcement defense, and litigation in administrative and judicial forums for healthcare, energy, environmental, securities, tax, and labor matters. For regulated businesses, municipalities, and government-facing entities.
• State & Local Tax Tax advisory and controversy services including nexus analysis, withholding rules, income allocation, and representation in state tax audits and disputes. For businesses and individuals with multi-state tax exposure, including hedge funds and financial services firms.
• Canada-U.S. Cross-Border Practice Legal services for Canadian clients with U.S. business or personal dealings and U.S. clients with interests in Canada, covering corporate, tax, immigration, and commercial matters. For Canadian and U.S. clients with cross-border needs.
• Immigration Law U.S. immigration legal services including visa eligibility, work authorization, border compliance, I-94 record documentation, G-325R registration, and immigration due diligence for M&A transactions. For businesses, individuals, and cross-border travelers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Metropolitan Tier 2 ranking in Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Blaney McMurtry LLP: Major Toronto-based Canadian law firm with cross-border U.S. work and a comparable cross-border transactional practice. Functions as a regional counterpart for Canada-U.S. matters, often co-counsel or competitor on cross-border mandates.

Direct peers

• Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman LLP: Buffalo-based full-service firm with a strong energy, regulatory, and corporate practice. Closely comparable on geography and overlapping practice areas including renewables and commercial litigation, competing head-to-head in the same upstate NY enterprise market.
• Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC: New York-based full-service firm with deep upstate presence (Syracuse, Buffalo, Rochester) and strong higher education, labor, and litigation practices. Comparable in size, geography, and the same enterprise/government client segments Hodgson Russ serves.
• Jaeckle Fleischmann & Mugel LLP: Buffalo-headquartered full-service firm with strong corporate, real estate, and litigation practices. A direct competitor in the same upstate NY market, particularly for mid-market and enterprise clients needing sophisticated transactional counsel.
• Barclay Damon LLP: New York-based full-service firm formed through merger of prominent upstate firms, with strong energy, insurance, and litigation practices. A direct regional peer with similar Am Law-tier ambition and overlapping bankruptcy/restructuring and energy regulatory capabilities.
• Harter Secrest & Emery LLP: Western New York-based law firm with offices in Rochester and Buffalo, offering corporate, litigation, and regulatory services. A direct regional competitor with similar mid-market to enterprise client focus and overlapping energy and real estate practices.
• Phillips Lytle LLP: Buffalo-headquartered New York law firm with comparable full-service practice including energy, corporate, litigation, and cross-border capabilities. The most direct local competitor to Hodgson Russ in the upstate NY market, similar size band, and overlapping enterprise client base.

Broad incumbents

• Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC: Am Law 200 full-service firm with strong energy, financial services, and healthcare practices and offices across the U.S. A broader incumbent that competes with Hodgson Russ for renewable energy, bankruptcy, and corporate transactional mandates.
• Greenberg Traurig LLP: Am Law 10 global law firm with extensive energy, environmental, and cross-border practices, including offices in New York and globally. A much larger broad incumbent that competes for the same enterprise, energy, and cross-border mandates, typically with deeper bench and international reach.
• Nixon Peabody LLP: Am Law 200 full-service firm with offices across the U.S. including Albany, Buffalo, and Rochester. Larger and broader incumbent competing for the same upstate NY enterprise and government mandates, with comparable energy, real estate, and litigation practices.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HodgsonRuss
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hodgson-russ-llp
• Instagraminstagram.com/HodgsonRussllp

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Hodgson Russ LLP