When you walk into the New York offices of Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel, you don’t get that cold, marbled museum vibe that usually defines the elite legal world. Honestly, it’s a bit different. While other BigLaw firms were busy building global empires in the 90s, Kramer Levin stayed lean. They focused on being a "New York powerhouse."
Then 2025 happened.
The legal world shook when Kramer Levin merged with Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) to form HSF Kramer. It was a massive pivot. For decades, the firm was the quintessential New York boutique-at-scale. Suddenly, they were part of a 2,700-lawyer global monster. But if you think they lost their soul in the merger, you're probably getting the story wrong.
The Myth of the "Standard" BigLaw Firm
People often lump Kramer Levin in with the "White Shoe" firms like Sullivan & Cromwell or Davis Polk. That’s a mistake. They weren't born in the 1800s. They started in 1968. In law firm years, they’re practically Gen X.
They didn't start with old-money railroad clients. They started with six partners and a lot of hustle. That "entrepreneurial" tag you see on their recruitment brochures? It’s actually real. Because they grew up in the competitive fire of the 70s and 80s, they had to be more creative than the firms with century-old relationships.
Why the "Naftalis" Name Matters
Gary Naftalis isn't just a name on the letterhead. He is a literal legend in the white-collar defense world. You’ve seen his work even if you didn’t know it was him. Remember the Disney shareholder case involving Michael Ovitz? Naftalis defended Michael Eisner. He won.
The firm’s DNA is fundamentally rooted in trial work. Many big firms want to settle. Kramer Levin? They’re kinda famous for being willing to actually go to court. They’ve defended everyone from Rajat Gupta to the City of New York in the wake of the Deutsche Bank fire.
The Bankruptcy Kings You’ve Never Heard Of
If you want to know what really keeps the lights on at a firm like this, look at the "distressed" situations. Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel basically wrote the playbook for modern creditor-side bankruptcy.
When Toys R Us went under, who was representing the big creditors like Lego and Mattel? Kramer Levin. When Caesars Entertainment was falling apart? They were right there. They are often the ones making sure the people who are owed money actually get paid.
- The Rite Aid Case: Recently, they served as counsel to the official committee of unsecured creditors.
- The Puerto Rico Debt Crisis: They played a massive role in one of the biggest municipal restructurings in history.
- Retail Meltdowns: From Sears to JC Penney, they are almost always in the room.
It’s messy work. It’s not as glamorous as a $50 billion M&A deal, but it’s high-stakes and incredibly complex. It requires a specific kind of aggressive intelligence.
Reshaping the NYC Skyline (Literally)
Next time you’re walking down 57th Street in Manhattan—the "Billionaires' Row"—take a look up. Kramer Levin had a hand in almost all of those supertall buildings. Their land use and real estate group is widely considered the best in the city.
Most people don't realize how political New York real estate is. You don't just build a skyscraper because you have the money. You need zoning approvals. You need to navigate the city’s Byzantine bureaucracy. You need to talk to the community boards.
Kramer Levin’s lawyers are the ones who make that happen. They worked on the Time Warner Center, the Waldorf Astoria redevelopment, and the Moynihan Train Hall. If you like how New York looks today, or even if you hate it, they likely had something to do with it.
The 2025 HSF Merger: What Changed?
In June 2025, the firm officially became part of HSF Kramer. This was a "transformational" move, according to co-managing partner Howard T. Spilko. But why do it?
Basically, the legal market in 2026 is obsessed with scale. Clients want a firm that can handle a patent dispute in Silicon Valley, a bankruptcy in New York, and a regulatory investigation in London simultaneously. By merging with HSF, Kramer Levin got that global reach overnight.
Does it still feel like the same firm?
It’s a fair question. The "New York-centric" identity was their brand for 50 years. But the core leadership didn't just disappear. The New York office remains the heart of their US operations. They’ve kept their focus on high-stakes litigation and complex restructuring, just with a much larger travel budget.
Pro Bono and the "Radical" Side
One thing that surprises people is their commitment to civil rights. They aren't just corporate drones. They were co-counsel in Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court case that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.
They also represented a lesbian student who was told she couldn't wear a tuxedo to her prom. This wasn't for the money; it was because the firm has a long-standing culture of taking on cases that push the needle on social issues. They routinely rank in the top tier for pro bono hours per lawyer.
What to Actually Do With This Information
If you’re a business owner or a legal professional looking at Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel (or HSF Kramer, as we now call them), here is the deal.
Don't go to them for a simple contract. You’ll pay too much and you're wasting their time. You go to them when you’re in a "bet-the-company" situation.
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- If you’re facing a federal investigation: Gary Naftalis’s team is still the gold standard for white-collar defense.
- If you’re a creditor in a massive bankruptcy: They are the ones who will fight for your piece of the pie.
- If you’re developing real estate in NYC: You almost have to use them to navigate the land-use laws.
The legal landscape has shifted toward these "global giants," but at the end of the day, a firm is only as good as the partners in the room. Even with the new name on the door, the aggressive, New York-born spirit of the original Kramer Levin hasn't gone anywhere.
If you want to dig deeper into their recent wins, you should look specifically at the 2025 Impact Case of the Year award they won for the Centripetal Networks patent suit. It’s a masterclass in how they handle intellectual property. Focus on their litigation record rather than just their size; that’s where the real value is found.