The Firm was founded in 1963 as Matson Kass Goodkind LLP. Located in the heart of New York’s Financial District, the Firm launched its Securities Litigation Practice that same year.
In 1979, the Firm underwent a significant transformation, rebranding as Kass Goodkind Wechsler & Labaton LLP to honor notable trial and appellate litigator Edward Labaton joining the Firm. Throughout his illustrious career, Edward emerged as a distinguished leader and a titan of the plaintiffs’ bar.
Pioneering diversity and women's initiatives, Linda Nussbaum achieved a groundbreaking milestone as the first woman elected to the Firm’s partnership.
In 1992, the Firm rebranded as Goodkind Labaton Rudoff & Sucharow LLP to acknowledge esteemed litigator Lawrence Sucharow joining the Firm. Larry subsequently assumed the role of Chairman for over two decades, steering the Firm to its status as one of the premier plaintiffs' securities and class action firms in the nation.
Edward Labaton is appointed to the Board of Directors of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, a nonpartisan organization formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy. In 2020, he became an Honorary Lifetime Trustee.
Partner Edward Labaton founded the Institute for Law and Economic Policy, a leading research and educational foundation dedicated to enhancing investor and consumer access to the civil justice system.
For decades, the Firm’s Corporate Governance and Shareholder Rights Practice has pursued Delaware corporate law matters, providing counsel to institutional investors on a diverse range of corporate governance issues. In 2009, the Firm opened an office in Wilmington, Delaware, the traditional seat of much U.S. corporate litigation, to better serve its growing corporate governance practice and our clients.
In 2017, the Firm expanded the reach of its Non-U.S. Securities Litigation Practice with the opening of its Washington, D.C. office. Always on the forefront of investor representation, the Firm has achieved a level of specialization and facility that is unmatched by our peers in the burgeoning field of non-U.S. securities litigation.
Christopher J. Keller, a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee and Chair of Firm’s Case Evaluation Group, was named Chairman. As Chairman, Chris is responsible for the Firm’s direction and the growth of its diverse practice areas.
In 2020, the Firm launched its Alternative Dispute Resolution Practice which quickly became one of the nation’s premier practices focused on representing consumers and investors in large volume arbitrations, or so-called “mass arbitrations.”
In recognition of Christopher J. Keller’s stellar career and his strategic contributions to the Firm, the Firm underwent a significant transformation, rebranding as Labaton Keller Sucharow LLP. In his role as Chairman, Chris has been responsible for establishing and executing upon the Firm's strategic priorities, including advancing business initiatives and promoting a culture of performance, collaboration, and collegiality.
Labaton has long had a significant presence in the U.K. and Europe, representing some of the most influential institutional investors. To meet the needs of this diverse client base, the Firm opened its London office, marking its first office outside the U.S.
An accomplished trial and appellate lawyer, Edward Labaton devoted 50 years of practice to representing a full range of clients in class action and complex litigation matters. Ed is a founder of the Institute for Law and Economic Policy and an Honorary Lifetime Member of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
Lawrence A. Sucharow served as Chairman of the Firm for more than 20 years and retired from the practice of law after 45 years. Under his guidance, the Firm earned its position as one of the top plaintiffs' securities firms in the country.
A titan of the plaintiffs’ bar, Christopher J. Keller devoted nearly 30 years to Labaton, playing a pivotal role in expanding the Firm’s global footprint and strengthening its core practice areas. As Chairman and Head of the Executive Committee, Chris led the Firm through a period of remarkable growth. His leadership was instrumental in navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and in launching Labaton’s industry-leading ADR practice. Known for his strategic vision, innovative leadership, and unwavering commitment to a culture of excellence, collaboration, and collegiality, Chris was a driving force behind the Firm’s continued success and leadership in the industry.
We invest heavily and intentionally in our Firm’s capabilities, technology, and resources. Our robust infrastructure includes one of the largest in-house investigative teams in the plaintiffs’ bar, as well as an internal team dedicated to the development and utilization of best-in-class data and analytics tools. This all-in approach allows us to deliver results effectively and efficiently.
Our team comprises the industry’s top talent: skilled and seasoned attorneys, investigators, client service professionals, and data experts who draw upon an arsenal of knowledge, experience, and insights to achieve success on behalf of our clients. The results are indisputable: we survive more motions to dismiss than any other firm, we have recovered billions of dollars on behalf of investors and consumers, and we have secured corporate governance reforms on behalf of the nation’s largest institutional investors.
Our culture of integrity goes hand-in-hand with our legacy of advancing market fairness and transparency. We are upstanding, cohesive, and aligned in the ways we treat our clients and each other. While we are ferocious in our advocacy, we are committed to a philosophy of mutual respect within the legal profession. These beliefs serve as the foundation of our steady, deliberate, and unyielding support of clients in the face of corporate malfeasance.
We are dedicated to fostering enduring client relationships by delivering dedicated and meaningful work. Our commitment goes beyond being “client-centered;” we are “client-led,” actively investing in connections, serving as trusted partners, and ensuring our clients have a significant voice in every collaboration. We empower our clients with objective, unbiased analysis and recommendations to determine a course of action that aligns with their objectives.
We are in pursuit of excellence – which means that we’re not just great at what we do, we lead the industry in our achievements, our demonstration of expertise and insight, and in our efforts to uphold the highest of standards. Every team member is a vital contributor to the culture, ideas, and knowledge that guide our Firm and serve as a model for others.
We are uncompromising in our ideals and singularly focused on the pursuit of justice. We’ve got the acumen and resources to work quickly and decisively, the flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances, and the endurance to persist tirelessly until we reach our desired result.
