Kleinberg, Kaplan, Wolff & Cohen, P.C.

What Kleinberg, Kaplan, Wolff & Cohen, P.C. does

Kleinberg, Kaplan, Wolff & Cohen, P.C. is a privately held boutique law firm headquartered at 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, founded in November 1971 by Fred Kleinberg, Myron Kaplan, and Norris Wolff (with Jim Cohen joining shortly thereafter), all former partners at large Wall Street firms. The firm has grown from four lawyers in a two-room office to more than 100 lawyers and staff, making it one of the longest-lived multi-practice boutique law firms of its size in New York City. It operates as a New York professional corporation (P.C.) and has remained independently owned throughout its 50-plus-year history, with no parent company, subsidiary, or institutional investment backing disclosed.

The firm delivers legal services across six integrated core practice areas: Corporate Transactional & Finance (including M&A, emerging companies and venture capital, investor activism, securities, business restructuring, and special situations), Litigation & Risk Management (commercial, bankruptcy, employment, investment fund, partnership, regulatory defense, and trusts and estates litigation), Private Funds & Investment Management (hedge funds, private equity, private capital, derivatives, digital assets and cryptocurrency, executive compensation, and family offices), Real Estate (acquisitions, development, distressed assets, financing, joint ventures, leasing, and medical office buildings), Tax (planning and controversy), and Trusts & Estates (estate planning, business succession, tax-exempt organizations, and international planning). It serves private investment funds, real estate investors and operators, family offices, high-net-worth individuals, and entrepreneurs/emerging companies.

The firm's business model is professional services revenue generated through negotiated legal fees, with no publicly disclosed pricing schedule. GTM is partner-led direct engagement, leveraging lateral-only hiring from prestigious larger institutional law firms (rather than entry-level associate training) to assemble lean teams that evolve from singular matters into ongoing advisory relationships. The firm markets through its website, LinkedIn and Twitter presence, client alerts and newsletters, and earned third-party validation via consecutive Chambers USA, Chambers Global, Legal 500, IFLR1000, and Super Lawyers rankings. Operations are U.S.-headquartered but extend internationally to clients in the United Kingdom, Israel, and Nordic/Swedish regions.

Name

Kleinberg, Kaplan, Wolff & Cohen, P.C.

Legal name

Kleinberg, Kaplan, Wolff & Cohen, P.C.

Website

https://kkwc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Kleinberg, Kaplan, Wolff & Cohen, P.C. is a privately held boutique law firm in New York, founded in 1971, serving private investment funds, real estate investors, family offices, high-net-worth individuals, and entrepreneurs across six core practice areas including private funds, litigation, corporate transactions, real estate, tax, and trusts and estates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Boutique Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Strategy Advisory (BPAHADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK), Real Estate Investment Advisory (Acquisitions/Dispositions, Capital Allocation) (BPAJANAA)

Keywords

• Boutique law firm
• Private funds counsel
• Corporate transactional law
• Investment management law
• Real estate legal services

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Fees: The firm generates revenue through providing legal services to clients including investment funds, companies, real estate investors, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals across multiple practice areas.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kleinberg Kaplan is a boutique law firm offering six integrated core service areas: Corporate Transactional & Finance, Litigation & Risk Management, Private Funds & Investment Management, Real Estate, Tax, and Trusts & Estates. The firm represents private investment funds (hedge funds, private equity funds), entrepreneurs, real estate investors, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals across fund formation, M&A, securities, litigation, regulatory compliance, tax planning, and estate planning matters. The firm assembles leanly staffed, highly-experienced teams to handle complex transactions and disputes, drawing on attorneys hired exclusively as lateral recruits from prestigious larger institutional law firms.

Product overview

Kleinberg, Kaplan, Wolff & Cohen, P.C. is a boutique law firm offering six integrated core service areas: Corporate Transactional & Finance, Litigation & Risk Management, Private Funds & Investment Management, Real Estate, Tax, and Trusts & Estates. These practice groups work collaboratively to provide comprehensive legal counsel to private investment funds, entrepreneurs, real estate investors, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals. The firm's services span the full lifecycle of business operations, from formation and financing through restructuring and litigation, with specialized expertise in areas such as digital assets and cryptocurrency, hedge fund formation, and complex bankruptcy matters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corporate Transactional & Finance

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Seward & Kissel LLP: NYC-based boutique law firm with a similarly strong focus on investment management, hedge funds, and private investment funds. Highly comparable in size, geography, and practice area mix, and a direct competitor for fund formation and regulatory work.
• Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP: NYC-based firm with one of the largest hedge fund practices in the U.S. and similar focus on private investment funds, securities, and investment management. A top-tier direct competitor in the same New York private funds market.
• Dechert LLP: Global law firm with a leading hedge funds and private funds practice, plus significant financial services and corporate capabilities. Closely comparable practice mix to Kleinberg Kaplan, and a known source of lateral hires to the firm.
• Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP: NYC-headquartered firm with strong practices in private funds, asset management, M&A, and corporate transactional work. Similar size and similarly focused on sophisticated clients in the alternative investment space.
• Proskauer Rose LLP: NYC-based firm with a leading private investment funds practice alongside real estate, corporate, and litigation practices. Highly comparable in client base (funds, RE investors, HNW) and practice area mix.

Broad incumbents

• Sidley Austin LLP: Global mega-firm with a top-tier investment funds practice and full-service capabilities across corporate, litigation, and tax. Competes for many of the same large private fund clients but as part of a much broader portfolio.
• Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP: Elite Wall Street firm with leading investment management and private funds practices. Competes for the largest hedge fund and PE fund clients, though as part of a much broader, larger full-service platform.
• Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP: Global firm with strong practices in investment management, private equity, and real estate. Direct competitor for private fund formation and real estate transactions, though as a broader and larger incumbent.
• Ropes & Gray LLP: Global firm with top-tier practices in private investment funds, asset management, and private equity. Comparable client base in the alternative investment space, though as a much larger firm with broader geographic reach.
• Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP: Elite Wall Street firm with leading private funds, M&A, and securities practices. A direct competitor for large private fund clients and a known source of lateral hires to Kleinberg Kaplan (e.g., recent Tax partner Eli Shalam).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KleinbergKaplan
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kleinberg-kaplan-wolff-&-cohen-p.c.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Kleinberg, Kaplan, Wolff & Cohen, P.C.