Kenney Shelton Liptak Nowak

What Kenney Shelton Liptak Nowak does

Kenney Shelton Liptak Nowak LLP (KSLN Law) is a privately held, full-service civil litigation and business services law firm headquartered in Buffalo, New York, with five offices statewide (Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, White Plains, New York City). Founded in 1994 by three partners from a large Buffalo firm — Pat Kenney, Judi Shelton, and Tom Liptak — the firm initially focused on insurance defense and coverage and has since expanded to twelve practice areas, including civil litigation, business services, a General Counsel Program, constitutional and civil rights defense, construction risk management, employment and labor law, insurance coverage, public entities/municipal/education law, toxic tort and environmental, trucking and transportation, and insurance defense.

The firm operates a traditional professional services model anchored in hourly and flat-fee billing, with a subscription-style General Counsel Program offering retainer, flat-fee, and hourly options for ongoing outside counsel support. Revenue is generated primarily through civil litigation representation in state and federal courts, insurance coverage counseling and litigation, and transactional/business legal services for for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, insurance carriers, claims administrators, municipalities, school districts, and individuals. GTM is sales-led via direct outreach, referrals, consultations, toll-free phone intake (+1 800-447-9544), and a website contact form, supported by content marketing through an Insights & Firm Updates blog, LinkedIn presence, and active involvement in bar associations and defense research organizations.

Operationally, KSLN runs a near-paperless office with electronic filing and internal reporting systems, but offers no API, software platform, or proprietary technology product. The firm is owned by its equity partners (no PE/VC involvement), with leadership including Managing Partner James Nowak and an active partnership that has steadily added lateral partners (notably Shannon O'Connor in Syracuse in 2025 and returning mediator Tom Cunningham). KSLN is recognized as the top local law firm on Business First's 2025 list of largest women-owned WNY businesses, and partners hold Super Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent, IMLA, and NADN distinctions.

Name

Kenney Shelton Liptak Nowak

Legal name

Kenney Shelton Liptak Nowak LLP

Website

https://kslnlaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

KSLN Law is a Buffalo-headquartered, full-service civil litigation and business services law firm founded in 1994, serving insurance carriers, public entities, and businesses across New York State through five offices and twelve practice areas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services (Civil Litigation and Business Law)

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Personal Injury & Insurance Defense (BPAHAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Employment & Labor Law (BPAHAAAD)

Keywords

• Civil litigation services
• Insurance defense law
• Insurance coverage counseling
• General counsel program
• Municipal and education law

Headquarters

HQ city

Buffalo

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 - Civil Litigation: Comprehensive civil litigation representation in state and federal courts, including contract disputes, commercial litigation, employment claims, professional liability, construction disputes, premises liability, and general civil liability matters. Handles all phases from early case assessment through trial and appeal.
2. Legal Services - Business Services: Ongoing legal counsel to businesses including entity formation, governance, contract drafting, risk management, regulatory compliance, employment policies, and transactional support. Act as trusted outside counsel.
3. General Counsel Program: Boutique legal and consulting services for businesses with flexible and affordable retainer, flat-fee, and hourly programs providing reliable access to general counsel support.
4. Insurance Coverage Counseling: Insurance coverage counseling and litigation services with coverage attorneys evaluating and litigating coverage issues across New York State.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

KSLN Law is a full-service civil litigation and business services law firm representing clients in state and federal courts across New York State. Its core offerings include civil litigation (contract disputes, commercial, employment, professional liability, construction, premises liability), ongoing business counsel and transactional services, a retainer-based General Counsel Program, and specialized practices in insurance defense, insurance coverage, constitutional/civil rights defense, construction risk management, employment and labor law, public entities/municipal/education law, toxic tort and environmental law, and trucking and transportation.

Product overview

KSLN Law operates as a civil litigation and business services law firm with a multi-practice-area portfolio. The core offerings are Civil Litigation (representing clients in state and federal courts across New York), Business Services (ongoing legal counsel for businesses), and a General Counsel Program (retainer-based outside counsel for companies). These core areas are supported by specialized practice groups including Constitutional Law & Civil Rights Defense, Construction Risk Management, Employment & Labor Law, Insurance Coverage, Labor Law, Public Entities/Municipal/Education Law, Toxic Tort & Environmental, Trucking & Transportation, and Insurance Defense. The firm's structure is a unified legal services delivery model rather than a software platform, with all practices operating under one partnership to provide comprehensive legal support across the full business lifecycle.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Civil Litigation Comprehensive civil litigation representation in state and federal courts throughout New York State, including contract disputes, commercial litigation, employment claims, professional liability, construction disputes, premises liability, and other general civil liability matters.
• Business Services Legal and consulting services for businesses of all sizes covering entity formation, corporate transactions, contract management, employment matters, real estate, estate planning, not-for-profit corporations, bankruptcy, and cybersecurity.
• General Counsel Program Boutique legal and consulting services providing ongoing outside counsel support to businesses through all stages of development, including formation, contract management, human resources, governance, and dispute resolution, via flexible retainer, flat-fee, and hourly programs.
• Constitutional Law & Civil Rights Defense Defense of constitutional and civil rights claims including Section 1983 litigation, Fourth Amendment matters, excessive force, qualified immunity, ADA, and Monell claims for public entities and private enterprises.
• Construction Risk Management Construction industry legal services including contract review, insurance coverage counseling, construction defect litigation, and defense of Labor Law claims for owners, contractors, design professionals, and insurers.
• Employment & Labor Law Representation of public and private sector employers in all aspects of employment law, including discrimination claims, harassment, wage disputes, non-compete agreements, and administrative proceedings before the EEOC and state agencies.
• Insurance Coverage Insurance coverage counseling and litigation across all lines including builders risk, commercial general liability, auto, excess and surplus lines, directors and officers, and bad faith claims for insurers and policyholders.
• Labor Law Defense of construction industry labor claims under NYS Labor Law Sections 200, 240(1), and 241(6), including site accident investigations, third-party actions, and workers compensation matters.
• Public Entities, Municipal and Education Law Legal counsel and litigation defense for counties, cities, towns, villages, school districts, and other public entities in civil rights, employment, construction, premises liability, and regulatory matters.
• Toxic Tort & Environmental Defense of environmental, toxic tort, and mass tort cases including asbestos, chemical exposures, lead, mold, and site contamination claims, with national coordination counsel capabilities.
• Trucking & Transportation Defense of trucking and transportation companies in personal injury, property damage, DOT violations, and disciplinary proceedings in New York State and Pennsylvania courts.
• Insurance Defense Full-service insurance defense litigation including motor vehicle, premises liability, products liability, construction defect, medical malpractice, and municipal liability for insurers and self-insured entities.

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 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.

• Erie County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKSLN partners with the Erie County Bar Association's Volunteer Lawyers Project to provide pro bono legal representation to those who cannot otherwise afford an attorney. KSLN attorneys help defend individuals facing eviction proceedings in Buffalo Housing Court and represent clients in tort defense, wills and estates, and family law matters.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Goldberg Segalla: Buffalo-headquartered national insurance defense and civil litigation firm with significant NY presence across insurance, construction, transportation, and employment—directly overlapping KSLN's core insurance defense and specialty civil litigation offerings.
• Hurwitz Fine P.C. Buffalo-based full-service litigation firm with deep insurance defense, insurance coverage, and commercial litigation practices—closely comparable to KSLN in geography, client mix, and practice area mix.
• Lippes Mathias: Buffalo-headquartered full-service firm with strong insurance defense, banking, corporate, and litigation practices, also serving insurance carriers and public entities across NY—directly comparable to KSLN's service mix and regional footprint.
• Barclay Damon: Multi-office NY-based full-service firm (formerly Hiscock & Barclay) with significant insurance, employment, and municipal practices—directly comparable to KSLN's NY-wide footprint and insurance/government client mix.
• Harter Secrest & Emery: Rochester-based full-service firm with offices across NY serving insurance, business, and municipal clients—closely comparable to KSLN in service offerings, NY geography, and insurance/government client orientation.
• Rivkin Radler LLP: Long Island-based NY litigation firm with a strong insurance coverage and defense practice—closely comparable to KSLN's insurance defense, coverage, and commercial litigation offerings across NY courts.
• Tressler LLP: Mid-size regional litigation firm with deep insurance defense, coverage, and municipal practices across multiple states including NY—comparable to KSLN in insurance defense positioning and boutique scale.

Broad incumbents

• Jackson Lewis P.C. National employment and labor law boutique with deep NY presence—directly comparable to KSLN's Employment & Labor Law practice group, while operating at much greater scale and geographic reach.
• Marshall Dennehey: National insurance defense firm with NY offices offering the same carrier panel defense work as KSLN—comparable on insurance defense and civil litigation, but with materially larger scale and geographic reach.
• Wilson Elser: National insurance defense and civil litigation firm with substantial NY presence—directly comparable to KSLN's insurance defense, transportation, and toxic tort practices, but at national scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kenney-shelton-liptak-nowak-llp
• Xx.com/KSLNlaw
• Facebookfacebook.com/KenneySheltonLiptakNowakLLP

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 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 Kenney Shelton Liptak Nowak