Celebrated boutique Hecker Fink has earned itself a pride of place in the crowded New York litigation market. One client goes so far as to assert, “This is the best litigation shop in NYC.” The firm is in expansion mode, not only in terms of reputation and market share but also in terms of actual headcount. “Their firm has grown quite a bit,” observes one contemporary. “Every year, they get larger and so are in more matters, and they recruit more talent, and so their reputation is getting stronger even beyond the name partners. I would point to Jenna Dabbs as one example, she’s very effective. Also,
Mike Ferrara, he’s doing really well.” The firm did lose recently one partner – former name partner and trial lawyer Roberta Kaplan, who departed the firm this year, prompting its July 2024 name change from its former title of Kaplan Hecker & Fink.
Sean Hecker is a rare breed of white-collar trial lawyer, with an unassailable reputation that has been fortified by universal peer and client testimonials, and the representative work to support the commentary. “Sean is the best lawyer in [New York] city,” insists a client. “He offers strategic thinking, communication, and very strong written work product. It is difficult to identify a shortcoming. His representation of us was a home run.” Hecker represents law firm Dechert in multiple active lawsuits relating to an alleged scheme to hack a client’s adversary’s emails, publish and use some of the hacked material, and cover up the scheme. The principal RICO complaint seeks hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. Hecker and Ferrara represent John Patrick Gorman III in an action brought by the CFTC for allegedly manipulating the prices of US dollar interest-rate swap spreads, and for certain alleged misstatements, while working as the head of non-yen rate trading for Nomura in Japan. Hecker and Dabbs meanwhile act for Glen Point Capital founder and former Chief Investment Officer Neil Phillips, who was indicted by the Southern District of New York in 2022 on commodities and wire fraud charges for alleged manipulative trading in the FX spot market. Phillips was also charged by the CFTC in connection with the same alleged conduct.
David Gopstein, a future star who makes his debut in this edition, works with Hecker and Dabbs in this matter. On her own, Dabbs represents multiple individuals in connection with an investigation by the Southern District of New York and the SEC, which led to the indictment in the Spring of 2022 of the former CEO and CFO of investment firm and family office Archegos Capital Management, and guilty pleas pursuant to Informations filed against the firm’s former Head Trader and Chief Risk Officer. The charges include racketeering and fraud offenses relating to a market manipulation scheme. Archegos’s downfall also resulted in significant losses for many of the firm’s trading counterparties, all of which were large and established financial institutions. Trial against the indicted CEO and CFO of the firm is scheduled for the Spring of 2024, and the government’s investigation is ongoing.
