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Kevin M. Kearney

Partner, General Counsel
Related Info

Practices & Industries

  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of New York
  • U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • Associate Justice Harry A. Blackmun, U.S. Supreme Court (October 1988 term)
  • Judge James L. Oakes, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
  • Judge Harold Holtzmann, Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal, The Hague, Netherlands

Boston College, B.A., summa cum laude

Boston College, M.A.

Emory University School of Law (Woodruff Fellow in Law), J.D., with distinction

In addition to serving as the firm's general counsel, Kevin's practice focuses on federal court litigation. He has defended clients in securities and antitrust class actions, and litigated a wide variety of corporate governance disputes. He also devotes a substantial portion of his practice to advising other lawyers on professional responsibility and malpractice issues, and on state and federal appellate issues. 

Kevin clerked for Judge James L. Oakes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and for Associate Justice Harry A. Blackmun of the U.S.Supreme Court during the October 1988 term. After his federal clerkships, Kevin served as a confidential advisor to Judge Howard M. Holzmann of the Iran/U.S. Claims Tribunal at The Hague, which dealt with a variety of public and private international law issues.

Honors

  • Listed, Best Lawyers in America (Commercial Litigation) 2007 - 2020, 2022 - 2024
  • Listed, Upstate New York Super Lawyers, (Business Litigation) 2020 - 2023
  • ECBA Volunteer Lawyers Project Immigration Award Recipient, 2020
  • Fr. Bissonette Pro Bono Award, Erie County Bar Association, 2017
  • Buffalo Business First/Buffalo Law Journal's Legal Elite of Western New York, 2014
  • New York Bar Association Pro Bono Award for the Eighth Judicial District, 2001
  • Martindale-Hubbell AV Rating
  • Former editor-in-chief, Emory Law Journal

Experience

Kevin has represented clients in complex federal litigation for over twenty-five years, including criminal and civil antitrust, class-action defense, and corporate governance matters. He also serves as the Firm's General Counsel and often counsels other lawyers on legal ethics and professional obligations.

Presentations & Events

Professional Associations

  • American Bar Association
  • Bar Association of Erie County

Community & Pro Bono

  • President, Erie County Volunteer Lawyers Project, 2010 – present
  • Director, Erie County Volunteer Lawyers Project, 2004 – present
  • Local Rules Committee for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, 2002