Kennedy Lillis Schmidt & English

What Kennedy Lillis Schmidt & English does

Kennedy Lillis Schmidt & English is a New York-based boutique law firm founded in 1986 that provides legal representation in three practice areas: maritime law (admiralty matters including marine casualties, charter-party disputes, cargo claims, general average, salvage, vessel construction contracts, COGSA, CISG, and Carmack Amendment cases), insurance law (ocean and inland marine policies, commercial coverage, OPA pollution coverage, D&O coverage, coverage disputes, and subrogation), and commercial law (commercial contracts, international trade, sale of goods under UCC and CISG, transportation agreements, commercial leasing, and real-estate litigation). The firm is led by three named attorneys — John T. Lillis Jr. (Partner, AV-rated since 1982, Super Lawyers since 2009), Nathan T. Williams (Partner, LL.M. from the University of Hong Kong), and Charles E. Schmidt (Attorney, AV Preeminent, 2025 Super Lawyers) — and relies on a network of correspondent attorneys in the United States, the United Kingdom, Asia, and Europe to handle cross-jurisdictional matters.

The firm's revenue model is professional-services fees, with each engagement priced on a case-by-case basis. It offers a free one-hour initial consultation as a top-of-funnel mechanism, with subsequent fees determined by case complexity. Go-to-market is direct and unsophisticated: the firm markets primarily through its klselaw.com website (practice-area pages, attorney profiles, and contact forms) and accepts matters via phone (+1-917-933-2861) or online form submission. It is a member of the International Network of Boutique and Luxury Firms (INBLF) and maintains a co-counsel relationship with a large national firm for matters requiring additional legal personnel. The firm is privately held, with no external institutional investors, and operates from a single office at 125 Maiden Lane, Suite 5C, New York, NY.

Operationally, the firm is a small, partner-led boutique with approximately five total personnel. Its stated track record includes handling cases worth hundreds of millions of dollars across the U.S., U.K., Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, with engagements ranging from consultation and contract drafting through mediation, arbitration, litigation, and trial. The firm does not publish rates, does not list named clients, and has no disclosed technology, AI, or product offerings beyond traditional legal services. Its competitive positioning rests on senior-attorney expertise, peer-rated credentials, and global correspondent reach rather than scale, technology, or recurring panel appointments.

Name

Kennedy Lillis Schmidt & English

Legal name

Kennedy Lillis Schmidt & English

Website

https://klselaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kennedy Lillis Schmidt & English is a New York boutique law firm founded in 1986 providing maritime, insurance, and commercial legal representation to commercial clients globally through three named partners and a network of international correspondent attorneys.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331), Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Protection & Indemnity (P&I) / Marine Liability Insurance (FSAJAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine & Aviation War-Risk Insurance (FSAJAHAG), Aviation Liability Insurance (Passenger & Third-Party) (FSAJAHAD)

Keywords

• Maritime law services
• Admiralty and insurance law
• Commercial law counsel
• Marine cargo claims
• International legal representation

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, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Professional Fees: The firm generates revenue through professional legal services in maritime law, insurance law, and commercial law. Services include case handling, consultations, litigation, arbitration, mediation, and contract drafting/review. The firm offers free one-hour initial consultations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Kennedy Lillis Schmidt & English is a boutique commercial law firm providing legal representation in maritime law, insurance law, and commercial law. The firm handles marine casualties, charter party disputes, cargo claims, vessel construction contracts, insurance coverage disputes, subrogation claims, and commercial contract matters for commercial clients across the United States, United Kingdom, Asia and Europe, with matters resolved through settlement, mediation, arbitration, litigation or trial.

Product overview

Kennedy Lillis Schmidt & English is a law firm offering three distinct legal service areas: Maritime Law Services covering admiralty cases, cargo claims, and shipyard disputes; Insurance Law Services addressing marine and commercial policy coverage and subrogation; and Commercial Law Services handling contract formation, international trade, and business disputes. These practice areas collectively serve international clients in the shipping, insurance, and commercial sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Maritime Law Services Legal representation in admiralty law cases including cargo subrogation, blue water and brown water casualties (collisions, groundings, damage, personal injury, death), shipyard contracts, charter party agreements, vessel construction, repair or conversion contracts, COGSA, CISG, and Carmack Amendment matters. For commercial clients in the shipping and marine insurance sectors.
• Insurance Law Services Legal services covering ocean marine policies, inland marine policies, commercial coverage, OPA pollution coverage, directors and officers coverage, policy coverage disputes, policy wording drafting and review, subrogation claims, reinsurance, and general average matters. For insurers, reinsurers, and commercial policyholders.
• Commercial Law Services Legal counsel for commercial contracts, international trade matters, sale of goods under UCC and CISG, shipyard contracts, transportation agreements, commercial leasing, real estate litigation, and partnership matters. For commercial enterprises engaged in international trade, shipbuilding, transportation, and real estate.

Segments1 record

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.

• Large National Law FirmminorOthersOn certain large matters requiring multiple legal personnel, the firm maintains a co-counsel relationship with a large, national law firm with multiple offices. This relationship enables handling of large-scale cases that require additional legal personnel.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kennedy-lillis-schmidt-&-english

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Kennedy Lillis Schmidt & English