Alan Levine is a partner in the Commercial Litigation, Securities Litigation and White Collar & Regulatory practice groups of the Firm's Litigation department. He joined Kronish Lieb Weiner & Hellman LLP in 1980, which was merged into Cooley Godward Kronish LLP in 2006. He is resident in the New York office.
For nearly 40 years, Mr. Levine has represented individuals and companies in complex civil, criminal and regulatory matters. Mr. Levine has successfully tried numerous civil and criminal cases and appeared in federal and state courts throughout the country. Public companies, private companies and individuals in sensitive situations - some leading to litigation, some not - have retained Mr. Levine to analyze, solve, settle or litigate matters to resolution.
Recognized by the New York Law Journal for his prominence and experience in litigating cases involving complex financial transactions, Mr. Levine has handled trials and arbitrations involving derivative trading practices and structured transactions for institutions such as Allied Irish Bank, Goldman Sachs, the former Republic National Bank of New York, as well as all kinds of governance and transactional disputes for hedge funds, private equity firms and venture capital funds.
In the aftermath of the Enron bankruptcy, St. Paul Fire and Marine Company and Travelers Indemnity Company turned to Mr. Levine to defend them against claims made by JPMorgan Chase on surety bonds issued with respect to Enron's structured commodities business. Ultimately, JPMorgan Chase's claims totaling $1 billion were tried against nine of the nation's largest insurance companies with Mr. Levine as lead trial counsel. The case was settled following Mr. Levine's summation on terms favorable to his clients. In another standout representation, Mr. Levine represented Sumitomo Corporation for five years in the well-publicized derivative copper trading scandal, commencing and successfully resolving multi-million dollar fraud claims against major financial institutions, and defending antitrust claims arising out of the scandal.
Some of the nation's largest law firms have retained Mr. Levine to handle professional malpractice actions and to represent the firms in partnership disputes, insurance coverage disputes and other matters arising out of the business of law firms.
In addition, Mr. Levine has extensive experience representing clients in major government investigations conducted by federal and state grand juries, the SEC, and other regulatory agencies.
Over the last several years, Mr. Levine has also served as special counsel to Audit Committees directing investigations of accounting and transactional issues in conjunction with public accounting firms.
Mr. Levine served for six years on the Management and Compensation Committees of the firm and for the prior eight years (1998-2006) as Managing Partner of Kronish Lieb Weiner & Hellman LLP, a premier, 110-lawyer firm in Manhattan. Prior to joining Kronish Lieb, Mr. Levine served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York, where he played a key role in the investigation and prosecution of union corruption on the New York City waterfront.
He graduated from New York University School of Law, where he was a member of the Law Review. Mr. Levine earned his BS from University of Pennsylvania.
A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, Mr. Levine has repeatedly been recognized by his peers, having been asked to assume leadership roles over his career in the American College of Trial Lawyers, The Legal Aid Society, the American Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association. From 2007 through 2010, Mr. Levine served as Chairman of the Board of The Legal Aid Society, the largest public law firm in the United States. In 2003, he was called upon to represent the Legal Services Corporation in a landmark case involving federal legal services funding, which he argued before the United States Supreme Court.
In 2012, the Honorable Jonathan Lippman, Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals, appointed Mr. Levine as Co-Chair of the Advisory Committee on the New York State Pro Bono Bar Admission Requirements. In 2013, he was appointed to New York Commercial Division Advisory Council.
Mr. Levine is listed in Chambers USA – America's Leading Business Lawyers, New York Magazine – The New York Area's Best Lawyers, Benchmark Litigation Legal Guide, The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers, The International Who's Who of Commercial Litigators, Who's Who in American Law, Who's Who Legal, New York Super Lawyers and The Best Lawyers in America, as well as Who's Who in America.
In 2007, Chambers said of Mr. Levine, "...'standout' trial lawyer who demonstrates 'trademark panache and insight' in court. To a diet of high-profile work that includes representing individuals and institutions in complex civil, criminal and regulatory matters, he has added the prestigious position of chair of the Legal Aid Society."
Mr. Levine has long been active in civic and community affairs. He was named by former Governor George Pataki to serve as a member of the New York State Commission on Public Authority Reform. He is also Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Theological Seminary. He serves on the New York State Courts Appellate Division, First Department Disciplinary Policy Committee.
Mr. Levine has received numerous awards for his contributions including The Pro Bono Award from The Legal Aid Society, The Torch of Learning Award from American Friends of the Hebrew University and The Human Relations Award from the Anti-Defamation League. In 2006, the Police Athletic League honored Mr. Levine with The Robert M. Morgenthau Award for being "a tireless advocate for the community."
In May 2011, Mr. Levine received the Servant of Justice Award from The Legal Aid Society. Mr. Levine was recognized by the New York Law Journal as a 2014 honoree for "Lawyers Who Lead by Example" for his demonstration of leadership through his devotion to improving the legal system and the profession in New York.
Mr. Levine is admitted to practice in New York.
