Kenneth Lipman is a nationally-renowned attorney who has conducted more than 50 federal and state jury trials, as a federal prosecutor, criminal defense and civil trial attorney, including many high profile civil and criminal cases. He was voted one of Florida ’s “Legal Elite” in balloting by his peers conducted by Florida Trend magazine. The “Legal Elite” honor was bestowed on only 1.6% of the 54,000 Florida Bar members.
As a criminal defense attorney, Kenneth Lipman has represented numerous clients facing charges for white-collar crimes, including economic fraud, mail and wire fraud, money laundering, political corruption and conspiracy.
Earlier in his career, as Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Criminal Division, he established the outstanding record of winning all but one of the 40 cases he prosecuted.
As a civil trial lawyer, Kenneth Lipman has represented such national clients as US Airways, T-Mobile U.S.A. , Prudential Insurance Company of America and Bankers Trust Company/Deutsche Bank. He also acted as local counsel in U.S. District Court in Miami for President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney in the 2000 Florida election case, one of the cases ultimately decided by the United States Supreme Court.
Kenneth Lipman was successful in gaining an acquittal for his client in a complex case involving embezzlement, money laundering and theft of government funds from the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel characterized the acquittal as a “stunning defeat for the federal government.” Shortly before that, he was also successful as local trial counsel assisting in the victorious defense of a multi-billion dollar civil lawsuit against The Prudential Insurance Company.
His civil and criminal litigation is largely focused on commercial, corporate, real estate law, securities, trusts and estates, white-collar crime and general civil litigation. He also represents both plaintifs and defendants in numerous mortgage forclosure actions.
Mr. Lipman has given many lectures over the years to audiences in Florida and Washington, D.C. He has spoken on numerous trial related subjects such as “How To Win and Lose A Trial” and “Successful Cross-Examination.” He lectured new assistant U.S. Attorneys on trial technique on behalf of the U. S. Department of Justice. As a recipient of the coveted Simon Weisenthal Community Service Award and a life-long student of the Holocaust, he has lectured on “The Lessons of the Holocaust For Today.” He has spoken at a symposium at the University of Miami honoring its great former Dean, Soia Mentschikoff, who selected Mr. Lipman for the University of Miami faculty, and has given the welcoming speech on behalf of the Palm Beach County Bar Association to new citizens at swearing-in at ceremonies at the United States District Court. He has spoken about the famous 2000 Presidential election, in which he was actively involved as a counsel in the Bush v Gore case, at Barry University Law School and before the South Palm Beach County Bar Association.
Kenneth Lipman has been admitted to practice before the Bars of the State of New York, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, State of Florida, United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, and the United States Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and Eleventh Circuits.
He was the recipient of an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell in 1982, one of the youngest attorneys at the time to have received the coveted AV rating.
A New York native, Kenneth Lipman graduated from the University of Rochester , Phi Beta Kappa, 1971; studied at the London School of Economics, 1969-70; and earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Chicago , 1974.
Upon graduation, he served for a year as an instructor-at-law at the University of Miami Law School, teaching the federal income tax and evidence courses and then moved into private practice with law firms in New York and Miami .
As an attorney with Davis, Polk & Wardell, 1975-78, he gained valuable experience in federal and state court litigation with this major Wall Street law firm whose clients included a number of the world’s largest corporations and financial institutions.
Subsequently, he joined the firm of Paul & Thompson, Miami , where he was involved in all phases of corporate and commercial litigation at the state and federal level. He handled cases for many of the firm’s major clients, including The Miami Herald, Miami Dolphins, GAF Corporation and General Development Corporation.
In June 1980, Kenneth Lipman was appointed Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Criminal Division. His work involved writing briefs and legal memoranda relating to pre-trial and post-trial motions, and writing and arguing appellate briefs before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth and Eleventh Circuits.
He returned to private practice in 1983.
Kenneth Lipman is a member of the Florida Bar Association (member, Litigation, Criminal Bar section), Palm Beach County Bar Association, South Palm Beach County Bar Association, Federal Bar Association, and served as chairman of the Florida Bar Grievance Committee for the Fifteenth Judicial District.
Kenneth Lipman is active in many charitable and civic organizations. Mr. Lipman received the Simon Weisenthal Community Service Award in 2007, and was the donor of Lipman Family Scholarship for Minority Students to the Pinecrest School.