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New York Aviation Accident Lawyer
Overview
James P. Kreindler joined Kreindler & Kreindler LLP in 1983 and became a partner in 1987. He is a magna cum laude graduate of Dartmouth College, 1977. He received his J.D. degree from Columbia University in 1980, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone scholar. He began his career as an Assistant District Attorney in the Kings County (Brooklyn) District Attorneys' Office.
A specialist in aviation accident and terrorist litigation, Mr. Kreindler took the lead role as a member of the Plaintiffs' Committee in the Pan Am 103 families' suit against Libya, which produced $2.7 billion in additional compensation for the families of the Lockerbie victims. Mr. Kreindler played a major role in the litigation against Pan Am arising from the Flight 103 disaster over Lockerbie, Scotland as a member of the Plaintiffs' Trial Team.
He has played a major role in many notable airline disaster cases, including:
the EgyptAir 990 crash on October 31, 1990 (as a member of the Executive Committee of the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee);
the Swissair Flight 111 disaster near Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia on September 2, 1998 (serving as a Plaintiffs' Committee member);
and the TWA Flight 800 disaster off Long Island, New York (appointed a member of the Plaintiffs' Committee).
He is now co-chair of the Plaintiffs' Committee in the 9/11 Litigation proceeding against financiers and sponsors of al-Qaeda. He currently serves as Chairman of the Plaintiffs' Committee in the February 12, 2009 Colgan Air crash in Buffalo, New York.
Mr. Kreindler is a frequent lecturer on Aviation Accident Litigation and Terrorism Litigation throughout North and South America and Europe. He is the only Plaintiffs' attorney, other than Lee Kreindler, asked to lecture at International Airline Transportation Association meetings.
Mr. Kreindler is a fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. He also has been recently selected by Lawdragon for their latest 500 Leading Litigators in America's list.
Mr. Kreindler's proudest professional accomplishments are:
Recipient of the 2009 Public Justice Lawyer of the Year Award.
Securing a $2.7 billion payment from Libya for the Pan Am 103 victims — the only time any foreign state ever made such a payment to terrorist victims.
Obtaining a record-settling wrongful death award ($9 million) for the family of Harry Bainbridge, a Pan Am 103 victim, after a 13-week trial where we obtained a willful misconduct verdict.
Obtained the highest wrongful termination verdict for a partner fired from Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, the oldest law firm in the U.S.
About James P. Kreindler
Practice Areas
- Aviation Accident
- Terrorism Litigation
Litigation
- 100%
Current Employment Position(s)
- Partner
Qualifications
Bar Admissions
- New York, 1981
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, 1981
- U.S. District Court Southern District of New York, 1981
- U.S. Federal Courts, 1981
- U.S. Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit, 1981
- U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 1985
- U.S. Supreme Court, 1983
- U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit
Other Affiliations
- American Bar Association (Member, Committee on Aviation Litigation)
- American Association for Justice (Member)
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association (Member, Board of Directors)
- New York County Lawyers Association (Member, Subcommittee on Aviation)
- Plaintiffs’ Committee 9/11 Terrorism Litigation (Co-Chair)
- State Chair Committee, International Academy of Trial Lawyers, 2019 - 2020 (New York Chair)
- International Academy of Trial Lawyers, 2018 - 2019 (Board of Directors)
- Chairman Plaintiffs’ Committee for Colgan Air 3407
- Member, Executive Committee of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee for Egypt Air Flight 990
- Member, Plaintiffs’ Committee for Swissair Flight 111
- Member, Plaintiffs’ Committee for TWA Flight 800
- Fellow, International Academy of Trial Lawyers
Education
- Columbia Law School, New York, New York, 1980
J.D.
Honors: Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar - Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, 1977
B.A.
Honors: magna cum laude
Fraternities and Sororities
- Kappa Kappa Kappa
Past Positions
- Kings county District Attorney, A.D.A., 1980 - 1983
Pro Bono Activities
- Donor, Lee S. Kreindler 1945 Conference Center, Dartmouth College
Classes and Seminars
- Panelist, Progress Report on the September 11 Litigation, 2019 Voices of September 11th Forum
- Keynote Speaker, 9/11: The Greatest Untold Story, 12th Annual McGill Conference: International Aviation Liability, Insurance & Finance, 2019, Montreal, Canada
- Panelist, Progress Report Since the Enactment of JASTA, 2018 Voices of September 11th Forum
- Speaker, Utah State Bar Conference, 2013
- Speaker, Preemption and Punitive Damages - The Colgan Flight 3407 Buffalo Crash, 23rd Annual Aviation Law and Insurance Symposium 2012, Orlando, FL
- Speaker, Update on Air Mass Disaster Cases – Colgan Crash, The National Air and Transportation Law Conference, 2010, Washington, DC
- Panelist, From Warsaw to Montreal: Creative Litigation of Airline Accidents, 2008 International Airline Transportation Association (IATA) Legal Symposium, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Speaker, The Pan Am 103 Story – a 20 Year Saga, 2008 American Bar Association, Aviation and Space Law Litigation National Program in Washington DC
- Speaker, International Airline Transportation Association Meeting
Achievements
Other Sources of Feedback About James P. Kreindler
Included on the 2024 New York Metro Super Lawyers list
Past Lists
- 2023 New York Metro Super Lawyers list
- 2022 New York Metro Super Lawyers list
- 2021 New York Metro Super Lawyers list
- 2020 New York Metro Super Lawyers list
- 2019 New York Metro Super Lawyers list
- 2018 New York Metro Super Lawyers list
- 2017 New York Metro Super Lawyers list
- 2016 New York Metro Super Lawyers list
- 2015 New York Metro Super Lawyers list
- 2014 New York Metro Super Lawyers list
- 2013 New York Metro Super Lawyers list
- 2012 New York — Metro Super Lawyers list
- 2011 New York Metro Super Lawyers list
- 2010 New York Metro Super Lawyers list
- 2009 New York Metro Super Lawyers list
- 2008 New York Metro Super Lawyers list
- 2007 New York Metro Super Lawyers list
- 2006 New York Metro Super Lawyers list
Honors
- Selected as 2020 Super Lawyer®: 2006-2020
- Awarded 5.0/5.0 Peer Reviewed Rating, Martindale Hubbell®
- Selected to 500 Leading Litigators in America, Lawdragon Fellow, International Academy of Trial Lawyers
- Recipient, 2009 Public Justice Lawyer of the Year Award
- Selected as New York City Best Lawyers Survey, 2017-2019
- Selected to Trial Lawyers of the Year, Trial Lawyers for Public Justice Organization, 2009
Office Information
Address
750 Third Avenue32nd Floor New York, NY 10017
Phone
Fax
- (212) 972-9432
Websites
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