Kaufman Lieb Lebowitz & Frick LLP

What Kaufman Lieb Lebowitz & Frick LLP does

Kaufman Lieb Lebowitz & Frick LLP (KLLF) is a New York-based civil rights litigation boutique founded in 2020 by four attorneys — Alanna Kaufman, Doug Lieb, David Lebowitz, and Ali Frick — who collectively hold J.D.s from Yale Law School and Columbia Law School and previously practiced at Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady LLP and other premier civil rights organizations, including the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, ACLU National Prison Project, and Civil Rights Corps. The firm operates with a total team of seven professionals plus a paralegal from a single Midtown Manhattan office at 18 E. 48th Street, Suite 802.

KLLF's practice spans a unified civil rights portfolio: police misconduct, jail and prison abuse, wrongful conviction, employment discrimination and sexual harassment, housing discrimination, educational discrimination, disability abuse and discrimination, and First Amendment and voting rights matters, complemented by appellate advocacy before state, federal, and U.S. Supreme Court courts and a non-litigation advising and compliance line covering NYC Human Rights Law, anti-discrimination training, and internal investigations. The firm serves individuals and organizations across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, with a client base spanning individual plaintiffs (e.g., Ralph Birch, Derrick Ingram, the Barnett brothers) and advocacy organizations (NAACP New Jersey, League of Women Voters of New Jersey, Fair Housing Justice Center, NYCLU). Notable case outcomes include a roughly $150 million class action settlement (Lebowitz), more than $30 million recovered for wrongfully imprisoned individuals (Lieb), and a $12.6 million settlement plus $7.6 million jury verdict in the Ralph Birch wrongful conviction matter.

The firm generates revenue through professional services billing, primarily contingency fees on civil rights and discrimination cases, supplemented by hourly billing and fixed fees for advising and appellate work, with all client acquisition occurring through a community-led motion — referrals from advocacy organizations, high-profile media coverage of cases, content marketing via the firm's website and news articles, and a newsletter. Co-counsel relationships with Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler, Emery Celli, NYCLU, and the Campaign Legal Center extend the firm's reach on matters that exceed its internal capacity. KLLF holds no external funding, no parent company, and is independently owned and operated by its four named partners.

Name

Kaufman Lieb Lebowitz & Frick LLP

Legal name

Kaufman Lieb Lebowitz & Frick LLP

Website

https://kllf-law.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kaufman Lieb Lebowitz & Frick LLP is a New York-based civil rights litigation boutique founded in 2020 by four partners from premier NYC civil rights practices, serving individuals and advocacy organizations in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut across police misconduct, wrongful conviction, discrimination, and related civil rights matters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Rights Litigation Legal Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), Offices of Lawyers (541110), All Other Legal Services (541199)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Employment & Labor Law (BPAHAAAD)

Keywords

• Civil rights litigation
• Employment discrimination law
• Police misconduct representation
• Wrongful conviction appeals
• Appellate advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Revenue: The firm generates revenue through legal representation of clients in civil rights matters including employment discrimination, police misconduct, wrongful conviction, housing discrimination, and other civil rights violations. Revenue is derived from contingency fees, hourly billing, and fixed fees depending on case type.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Kaufman Lieb Lebowitz & Frick LLP is a civil rights litigation boutique that provides legal representation to individuals, advocacy organizations, and businesses in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The firm handles employment discrimination, police misconduct, wrongful conviction, housing discrimination, disability abuse, First Amendment and voting rights, jail and prison abuse, educational discrimination, appellate, and advising matters, generating revenue through contingency fees, hourly billing, and fixed fees.

Product overview

Kaufman Lieb Lebowitz & Frick LLP is a civil rights litigation boutique providing legal services in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The firm offers a unified portfolio of legal practice areas centered on civil rights and discrimination cases, including Employment Discrimination & Sexual Harassment, Police Misconduct, Jail and Prison Abuse, Wrongful Conviction, Disability Abuse and Discrimination, First Amendment and Voting Rights, Housing Discrimination, and Educational Discrimination. The practice is complemented by Appellate Litigation services and Advising and Compliance offerings for pre-litigation counsel and corporate compliance needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Employment Discrimination & Sexual Harassment Legal representation for victims of workplace discrimination, retaliation, and sexual harassment in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
• Police Misconduct Legal representation for victims of law enforcement violence, abuse, and wrongful arrest by police departments.
• Jail and Prison Abuse Legal representation for individuals who have been hurt or mistreated while incarcerated in New York City jails and state prisons.
• Wrongful Conviction Legal representation for innocent people convicted of crimes they did not commit, helping to overturn false convictions and win compensation.
• Disability Abuse and Discrimination Legal representation for people with disabilities who have been abused or neglected by caregivers and government agencies.
• First Amendment and Voting Rights Legal representation challenging violations of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the right to vote freely and without intimidation.
• Housing Discrimination Legal representation for people who have been unfairly denied equal housing opportunity because of race, gender, disability, or family status.
• Educational Discrimination Legal representation for individuals who have faced discrimination or harassment in school settings.
• Appellate Litigation Sophisticated appellate advocacy before state and federal appeals courts as well as the United States Supreme Court to preserve or overturn litigation results.
• Advising and Compliance Advice and counsel on complex legal issues including compliance with the New York City Human Rights Law, anti-discrimination training, and internal investigations into workplace misconduct.

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & MaazelminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCo-counsel relationship on specific litigation matters. KLLF co-counseled with this firm on the Nassau police illegal arrest case.
• Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLPminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCo-counsel representing the family of Tyshon Jones in lawsuit against City of Rochester.
• Campaign Legal CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-counsel in voting rights litigation including LWV New Jersey v. Way lawsuit challenging ballot signature match processes.
• New Jersey Institute for Social JusticeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-plaintiff in voting rights litigation. Partnered on lawsuit challenging New Jersey's ballot signature match system.
• League of Women Voters of New JerseyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-plaintiff in voting rights lawsuit. Led to settlement establishing notice and cure process for mail-in ballots.
• NAACP New Jersey State ConferenceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-plaintiff in voting rights litigation challenging ballot signature matching processes in New Jersey.
• RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFiled amicus brief on behalf of RAINN urging U.S. Court of Appeals to adopt broad Title IX remedies for campus sexual assault survivors.
• NYCLUminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-counsel with NYCLU on lawsuit challenging construction of supportive housing for people with disabilities in Elmira.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Wigdor LLP: Plaintiff-side New York employment discrimination and sexual harassment firm; directly comparable on the employment discrimination and sexual harassment practice area, with similar boutique size and high-profile plaintiff matters.
• Neufeld Scheck & Brustin LLP: NYC civil rights boutique renowned for wrongful conviction and Section 1983 police misconduct litigation. Closest peer on the wrongful conviction and police misconduct practice areas KLLF highlights on its website.
• Sanford Heisler Sharp LLP: Plaintiff-side employment and civil rights firm with offices in NY and other metros; comparable focus on discrimination, whistleblower, and civil rights class actions including historic settlements.
• Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC: Plaintiff-side class action boutique with significant civil rights and employment practices; comparable on class action capabilities and contingency economics in civil rights work.
• Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP: National civil rights and employment class action boutique with significant civil rights plaintiff practice (housing, disability, employment, sexual abuse). Comparable plaintiff-side class action economics and contingency model.
• Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP: Premier NYC civil rights litigation boutique where KLLF's four founding partners all previously worked. Most direct peer given identical practice focus (police misconduct, employment discrimination, civil liberties class actions) and same New York-based staffing model.
• Phillips & Associates, Attorneys at Law: NYC-based employment discrimination law firm; comparable in workplace discrimination, harassment and retaliation plaintiff representation in NY/NJ markets.
• Relman Colfax PLLC: Washington, D.C.-based civil rights and consumer protection litigation boutique; long-running peer in fair lending, police accountability, and civil rights class actions with very similar firm shape, mission, and appellate practice.

Broad incumbents

• Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP: Full-service New York litigation firm and existing KLLF co-counsel (Tyshon Jones Rochester case). Comparable in civil rights and commercial litigation work though broader portfolio than a pure boutique.

Others

• NAACP Legal Defense Fund: Civil rights legal organization that David Lebowitz previously worked at; operates as an institutional stakeholder in the same civil rights litigation ecosystem and a frequent referral/co-counsel counterpart for boutique firms like KLLF.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kaufman-lieb-lebowitz-frick-llp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Kaufman Lieb Lebowitz & Frick LLP