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.
Education:
- Columbia Law School, New York, New York
- J.D. – 1980
- Honors: Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
- Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
- B.A. (Magna Cum Laude) – 1977
Professional Associations and Memberships:
- 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
Cost
Rate : $$$