Litigation boutique Kaplan Hecker & Fink is viewed by peers as “the place to be” at the moment. “They chose the right time to form that firm,” says one. “Their model is superb, and their approach dovetails perfectly with the issues of this moment in history.” Another states, “They are all fantastic attorneys, and the firm has really expanded. They picked up some recent attorneys from the US Attorney’s office.” A client testifies on the firm’s behalf: “The firm provides excellent advocacy for its clients. The lawyers are strategic and relentless.”
The firm’s partners continue to demonstrate the fierce commitment to social justice that has been in its DNA since it was founded in 2017, and its partners, all formerly with “big law” firms, boast a remarkably trial-tested résumé for their relatively young vintage. Historically a New York-based shop, the firm recently expanded, opening a DC office and welcoming back Joshua Matz, who returned to the firm after serving as counsel to the US House Judiciary Committee, as a partner in February 2020. The firm’s partners continue to demonstrate the fierce commitment to social justice that has been in its DNA since its 2017 founding. All formerly with “Big Law” firms, they have a remarkably trial-tested résumé for their relatively young vintage. Historically a New York-based shop, the firm recently expanded – opening a DC office and welcoming back
Joshua Matz, who returned to the firm after serving as counsel to the US House Judiciary Committee, as a partner in February 2020.
All three name partners attract considerable praise. Founder and all-purpose trial lawyer
Roberta “Robbie” Kaplan, who earned her stripes at Paul Weiss before initially launching this firm as Kaplan & Company, continues to earn plaudits for her role as a mentor and driver of the firm’s culture – as well as for her unwavering commitment to pursuing cases dedicated to progressive causes. “She is a relentless advocate, who is afraid of no one. She adopts her clients’ causes and does an excellent job at messaging.”
Kaplan grabbed headlines in October 2017 when she was one of two partners retained by non-profit organization Integrity First for America to represent 11 plaintiffs from Charlottesville against 26 defendants implicated in the white nationalist/neo-Nazi rally that took place in Charlottesville that August and culminated in violence and other shameful events. The defendants include named people and several organizations, such as the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan and Nationalist Front. This case set a precedent at the 2018 Benchmark awards ceremony as the only case to be acknowledged with a prestigious “impact case” recognition, well before a favorable decision was reached, simply on the strength of the principles and audacity of the case. The case set further precedent when it became the only case to receive the “impact case” honor twice, when it was recognized once again at the 2022 ceremony after jurors in the November 2021 trial found that more than a dozen white supremacist and hate groups were liable under state law for injuries to counter-protesters and ordered them to pay the plaintiffs more than $25 million in damages. The final reward for this case came in the form of a $4.9 million award in expenses and legal fees – vindication that was all the more remarkable as Virginia typically doesn’t allow attorney fees except in certain contractual and civil rights claims. It will be a significant deterrent and expense for defendants. In a more recent development that bookends the Donald Trump era, Kaplan represents E. Jean Carroll, a journalist who is suing Trump for having defamed her after she publicly recounted her experience of being sexually assaulted in the mid-1990s. In one lawsuit, she alleges a defamation claim arising from statements that Trump made in 2019. In a second suit, she alleges a battery claim for the underlying assault and a defamation claim for a 2022 statement. The case went to trial in April 2023 and was met with a $5 million verdict on Carroll’s behalf in May. Subsequent attempts by Trump to reduce this verdict have thus far failed. Kaplan also was retained by the NCAA to conduct an independent investigation into gender-equity issues in connection with the association, focusing on NCAA championships.
Sean Hecker, a white-collar specialist, is a peer and client favorite, with accolades elicited on a near-unanimous basis. “Sean Hecker is just crushing it,” says one contemporary. “There are a lot of levels of performance that he hits, and he is also just a super great guy to be around.” Hecker acts with
Jenna Dabbsin filing a suit on behalf of the Federal Defenders of New York in the wake of a humanitarian crisis at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, NY arising from an electrical fire in the middle of winter, resulting in loss of heat, light, hot water, and proper medical care, as well as the cancellation of all attorney visits – violating applicable regulations. The Kaplan Hecker duo quickly secured a Temporary Restraining Order, ensuring that the jail resumed legal visitation. However, the court later found that Federal Defenders was not the proper party to pursue the claims. In March 2020, the firm’s team secured a favorable ruling from the Second Circuit on behalf of the Federal Defenders of New York, reversing and vacating that decision. Since that ruling, Kaplan Hecker has continued to represent Federal Defenders. Dabbs is championed by a client as “very knowledgeable, with good business sense.” Julie Fink is representing several former players in the National Women’s Soccer League who came forward about widespread sexual harassment and abuse in the League.
