2024 DIVERSITY DATABASE UNDERWRITER Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer (HSF Kramer)

HSF Kramer is a firm with exceptional transatlantic and transpacific reach. The firm employs about 2,700 lawyers, including about 630 partners, across 26 offices. The firm’s three U.S. offices are in New York, Northern California, and Washington, DC.

Better Together

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer is the result of a 2025 merger between international giant Herbert Smith Freehills and U.S. firm Kramer Levin.  HSF’s New York City office focused on commercial litigation, international arbitration, and investigations, offering associates the opportunity to do international and cross-border work with attorneys in the firm’s 25 global offices. Kramer Levin embraced a diversified practice model, with particular strengths in bankruptcy, immigration, litigation, M&A, real estate, and white collar.

Litigation Muscle

HSF Kramer is known for its litigation strength, and its lawyers leverage the firm’s international reach to handle complex cross-border matters. In particular, the firm frequently handles commercial litigation, class actions, financial services litigation, and product liability matters. The firm has a strong international arbitration practice that has been active in more than 100 countries. Many of the firm’s lawyers have served as arbitrators, providing an insider perspective on the process, and have handled arbitrations under civil law, common law, and public international law. The firm has arbitrated cases in myriad industries, including the energy, manufacturing, financial, infrastructure, pharmaceutical, mining, insurance, and real estate sectors.

HSF Kramer has stuck by its diversified practice model. Its litigators handle everything from advertising, commercial, antitrust, real estate, and securities litigation to white collar defense and other matters. Among the firm’s notable matters is the U.S. Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges, which determined that denying same-sex couples the freedom to marry violates the Constitution. The firm is recognized for its work in restructuring. Legacy firm Kramer Levin was involved in some of the largest and most complex bankruptcies filed in the country, including those of Caesar’s Entertainment, Puerto Rico, and Toys R Us.

Rising to the Challenge

Pro bono work isn’t an afterthought at HSF Kramer. The firm was a charter member of Volunteers of Legal Service, Inc., and through its partnership with the organization pledges a minimum of 30 hours each year per lawyer. That’s more than 11,000 hours. In addition, the firm was a signatory of the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge established through the Pro Bono Institute.