Kenneth E. Lee represents corporations, Boards of Directors, and individuals in their most important litigation matters, internal investigations, and corporate crisis situations. Chambers USA has written that he “combines an encyclopedic knowledge of legal matters with a completely calm demeanor that instills complete confidence,” adding that he “maneuvers quickly around all circumstances” and that clients find his strategic input to be “highly valuable.” Legal 500 writes that he represents clients facing “their biggest challenges.” The National Law Journal has written that he pairs “a sense of credibility” with “zealous” advocacy.
Mr. Lee’s practice has encompassed securities litigation, SEC investigations, antitrust litigation, corporation and partnership disputes, and intellectual property matters. He has argued cases in numerous federal and state courts of appeal and trial courts around the country. He also regularly counsels Boards of Directors and special committees regarding shareholder demands, disputes arising from mergers and acquisitions, and fiduciary duties, and has led significant internal investigations into purported securities, accounting, financial, and other regulatory irregularities. His clients have included: committees of the Board of Xerox; Expedia Group; ErosSTX Global Corp; Eros Media World plc; Lazard; and the bankruptcy trustees for Lehman Brothers Inc. and MF Global.
Matter examples:
- Represented demand review and special committees of the Board of Xerox investigating allegations of accounting fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and insider trading.
- Represented a major international media conglomerate in an SEC investigation, a $400 million securities class action, litigation against short-sellers, and strategic discussions involving potential merger and divestiture partners.
- Obtained vacatur in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit of one of the largest sanctions awards ever issued in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
- Represented the Bankruptcy Trustee of Lehman Brothers Inc. in a $40 billion dispute with Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., as well as a $98 million dispute with Wells Fargo.
- Represented the Bankruptcy Trustee of MF Global Inc. in a $20 million dispute with an affiliate of Koch Industries.
- Filed an Amicus Brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in Ohio v. American Express, on the side of American Express.
- Mr. Lee’s career began at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, where he handled antitrust and complex litigation matters. He is a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School, where he received the Thomas Mulroy prize for oral advocacy and the Tony Patiño Fellowship, and Harvard College. He has been recognized by Chambers USA, Legal 500, Benchmark Litigation, and New York SuperLawyers.
- Mr. Lee serves on Senator Schumer’s Judicial Screening Committee. He is a member of the Federal Bar Council and the Asian American Bar Association of New York, and a former Trustee of the Museum of the City of New York.
Updated Sep 2023
