Phillips Nizer has long been known for its litigation practice, and with good reason. The legacy of Louis Nizer remains alive and well at the firm bearing his name, and his achievements are a continuing source of pride and inspiration for the litigation group.
 

Throughout his years as a leading trial lawyer in New York and nationally, Nizer combined relentless energy, formidable written and oral advocacy skills, and a detail-oriented, problem-solving approach to achieve an enviable record of success on behalf of many prominent clients. Nizer was creative, always prepared, and he consistently emphasized the importance of teamwork. He trained scores of Phillips Nizer litigators, including some who remain active today.
 

Today, the litigation group at Phillips Nizer combines homegrown talent with well-known and well-regarded lawyers who arrived from government, other prominent mid-size firms and, more recently, from some of the largest law firms in the country. It is a diverse group with enormous experience and bench strength.  Indeed, there is virtually no type of litigation, in any subject area, that one of our lawyers has not handled in the past, and our litigators enlist the help of attorneys from our other practice groups whenever it serves our clients’ interests.
 

We appear in state and federal courts and in private arbitrations in New York and around the country. Collectively, our litigators have tried hundreds of cases to verdict, taken and defended hundreds of expert depositions and thousands of fact witness depositions, and filed countless motions to dismiss and motions for summary judgment. We have also argued hundreds of appeals in federal and state courts. In short, we have the skills and experience to handle important cases, large or small, complex or simple. And we have been doing that successfully for close to 100 years.
 

Many litigators do not listen very well. We do. We want to know what our clients hope to achieve, in what time frame and at what expense. We provide an honest assessment of those goals and find strategies to achieve them. Staffing levels reflect the needs of each case, and we work with clients to find billing arrangements that work for our clients and the firm.
 

Most cases do not reach trial, and we do not occupy our clients’ resources by litigating all cases as if they will.  Rather, we take a disciplined approach by setting an initial strategy and adjusting that strategy as each case develops.
 

Clients do not like surprises, and neither do we.  We keep clients apprised of all developments that might impact a case, and we expect our clients to do the same in return.  Circumstances change, and it is important that everybody remain aware of how that might affect the progress and strategy of a case.
 

We are also adept at alternative dispute resolution, such as mediation and arbitration.  Our experience shows that unique skills are required to achieve success in these forums.  A lawyer should not mediate a case the same way he/she litigates a case.  We have been able to achieve outstanding outcomes in alternative dispute forums because we understand what is required and have the ability to deliver.  
 

Our litigators are especially well-known for handling the following types of cases: