Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith

What Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith does

Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith LLP (CSK&D) is a national plaintiff-side class action law firm that has prosecuted complex federal and state class actions for over 30 years. The firm represents institutional investors (public pension plans, Taft-Hartley funds, transportation authorities), individual consumers, employee benefit plans, public stockholders, and REIT and real estate investors. Its 12 practice areas span consumer fraud and defective products, corporate mismanagement and shareholder derivative suits, securities fraud litigation, mergers and acquisitions challenges, ERISA and healthcare disputes, data breach class actions, non-listed REIT litigation, qui tam and whistleblower representation, employment, sexual assault civil lawsuits, and other complex litigation. The firm has generated billions of dollars in cumulative client recoveries, including the $1.7B Philips CPAP resolution, a $440M Delaware Chancery derivative settlement (City of Roseville v. Ellison), a $200M M&A common fund (Kinder Morgan), and a $185M jury verdict (Real Estate Associates).

The firm operates on a contingency fee model, with attorneys receiving a percentage of settlements or judgments recovered, supplemented by portfolio monitoring and claims evaluation services for institutional clients. It reaches clients through its website, organic search, social media, earned media from high-profile case results, and direct institutional relationships; intake is via phone, website forms, and referrals. The firm is a Pennsylvania Limited Liability Partnership with no external investors, no parent company, and no disclosed funding, owned and managed by its eight equity partners. Office locations include the Haverford, PA headquarters, a Wilmington, DE office positioned within the Delaware Chancery Court ecosystem, and a Scottsdale, AZ office. The team comprises 8 partners, 3 of counsel, 6 associates, and 2 paralegals (19 named professionals), with total headcount in the 101–250 range. The firm is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has received recognitions including Best Lawyers 2026, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the Thaddeus Stevens Award, and the Public Justice Award.

Name

Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith

Legal name

Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith LLP

Website

https://chimicles.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith LLP is a national plaintiff-side class action law firm representing institutional investors, consumers, and employee benefit plans across 12 practice areas on a contingency fee model, with offices in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Arizona.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Haverford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Contingency Fee Litigation: The firm represents clients in class action litigation on a contingency fee basis, where attorneys receive a percentage of settlements or judgments recovered. This is the primary revenue model for plaintiff-side class action firms.
2. Institutional Client Services: Provides portfolio monitoring, claims evaluation, and securities litigation counsel to institutional clients including public pension plans, Taft-Hartley funds, and transportation authorities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CSK&D is a national plaintiff-side class action law firm that prosecutes complex federal and state class actions on behalf of shareholders, consumers, employee benefit plans, and institutional investors. The firm represents lead plaintiffs in securities fraud, shareholder derivative, M&A, consumer fraud, defective product, data breach, ERISA, antitrust, non-listed REIT, whistleblower, employment, and sexual assault matters, recovering billions of dollars through contingency-fee arrangements. Dedicated Institutional Client Services provide portfolio monitoring, claims evaluation, and securities litigation counsel to public pension plans and Taft-Hartley funds.

Product overview

Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith LLP (CSK&D) is a national class action law firm offering litigation services across 12 practice areas. The firm represents consumers, shareholders, institutional investors, and whistleblowers in complex federal and state class actions. Core services include Consumer Fraud & Defective Products litigation, Corporate Mismanagement and shareholder derivative actions, Securities Fraud Litigation, Data Breach class actions, ERISA/Healthcare representation, Mergers & Acquisitions litigation, Non-Listed REIT representation, Institutional Client Services for portfolio monitoring and claims evaluation, Qui Tam/Whistleblower Representation, Employment law, Sexual Assault civil lawsuits, and Other Complex Litigation. The firm operates from offices in Haverford, PA, Wilmington, DE, and Scottsdale, AZ.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Consumer Fraud & Defective Products Legal Services Class action litigation representing consumers injured by false advertising, deceptive marketing, or defective goods and services. Practice covers automotive defects, electronics (e.g., Apple iPhone/iPod warranty, MacBook Keyboard), and other consumer-product class actions.
• Corporate Mismanagement Legal Services Shareholder rights and derivative litigation addressing breaches of fiduciary duty by corporate officers and directors, including self-interest transactions and lack of independence. Engaged on matters such as Marchand v. Barnhill (Blue Bell Creameries) and Freeport-McMoRan derivative suits.
• Data Breach Legal Services Class action lawsuits representing consumers impacted by large-scale data breaches involving unauthorized access to company payment systems and personal information.
• Employment Legal Services Representation of employees in federal and state courts involving discrimination, wage theft, breach of fiduciary duty, and improper plan termination claims.
• ERISA/Healthcare Legal Services Legal representation for healthcare consumers and ERISA plan participants regarding health plan rights, coverage disputes, and fiduciary duty breaches. Engaged on matters such as the SAG-AFTRA Health Fund and American Federation of Musicians Pension Plan.
• Institutional Client Services Services for institutional investors including portfolio monitoring, claims evaluation, securities litigation counsel, and shareholder rights representation. Targeted at public pension plans, Taft-Hartley funds, transportation authorities, and other institutional investor pools.
• Mergers & Acquisitions Legal Services Shareholder litigation for breach of fiduciary duty in corporate restructuring, including helping increase merger prices and improve transaction terms. Engaged on cases such as In re Kinder Morgan ($200 million) and In re Genentech.
• Non-Listed REITs & Other Real Estate Investments Legal Services Representation of non-listed REIT shareholders and real estate limited partnership investors addressing related-party transactions, false information about investment values, and unfair merger terms. Includes cases such as CNL Hotels & Resorts and Inland Western Retail Real Estate Trust.
• Other Complex Litigation Wide variety of large, complex class action lawsuits including disputes related to medical equipment, employment, tax refund actions, environmental disasters, and civil rights.
• Qui Tam/Whistleblower Representation Representation of whistleblowers advancing claims under the False Claims Act, SEC whistleblower programs, IRS whistleblower programs, and state statutes.
• Securities Fraud Litigation Class action litigation on behalf of institutional and individual investors victimized by securities fraud, including stock purchase misrepresentations and proxy solicitation fraud. Notable matters include In re Real Estate Associates ($185 million verdict) and SEPTA v. Orrstown Financial Services.
• Sexual Assault Legal Services Class action lawsuits against institutions, corporations, and individuals who enabled sexual assault, including investigations into abusive medical professionals and organizational cover-ups.

Quantifiable outcome

• Recovered billions of dollars on behalf of clients through settlements and judgments
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Public JusticeminorOthersThe firm is a member of Public Justice, a public interest law organization. This membership supports the firm's commitment to consumer protection and environmental litigation.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro: Plaintiff class action firm with strong consumer protection and securities practice. Direct peer with overlapping consumer fraud class action work (similar to CSK&D's Honda Civic Hybrid and Whirlpool matters).
• Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check: Major securities class action firm representing institutional investors in complex litigation. Direct peer with similar institutional client focus, comparable mid-Atlantic presence, and overlapping M&A and shareholder derivative practice.
• Labaton Sucharow: Securities class action firm with national reach focused on institutional investors. Direct peer with similar contingency fee model, comparable track record of major recoveries, and overlapping practice in shareholder litigation.
• Pomerantz LLP: One of the oldest plaintiff securities firms with deep institutional relationships. Direct peer with similar practice focus on shareholder rights and securities fraud, comparable mid-size structure, and shared client overlap with public pension funds.
• Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann: Leading institutional investor class action firm with strong public pension fund relationships. Direct peer competing for lead plaintiff appointments in securities fraud cases; similar contingency fee model and institutional client base.
• Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll: Plaintiff class action firm with strong consumer protection, securities, and civil rights practice. Direct peer with similar public interest orientation and comparable case types including consumer fraud and ERISA.
• Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law: Plaintiff securities and antitrust class action firm with similar institutional focus. Direct peer with overlapping securities fraud practice and comparable mid-size structure competing for lead counsel roles.
• Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein: National class action firm with strong consumer fraud and mass tort practice. Direct peer with overlapping consumer class action work (defective products, false advertising) and similar contingency fee economics.
• Grant & Eisenhofer: Delaware-based shareholder litigation firm with deep Chancery Court expertise. Direct peer with similar M&A and shareholder derivative focus, complementary geographic positioning, and competing for lead plaintiff appointments in Delaware.

Broad incumbents

• Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd: The largest plaintiff securities class action firm in the US, with 100+ attorneys and a national footprint. Directly competes with CSK&D for lead counsel appointments in securities fraud and shareholder derivative cases, but at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/chimicleslaw
• Facebookfacebook.com/ChimiclesLaw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chimicles

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 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 Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith