Steven E. Fineman
Firm-Wide Managing Partner, New York Office
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212 355-9500
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“An unwavering commitment to achieving justice for our clients and a strong, principled sense of social responsibility are the defining characteristics of Lieff Cabraser.”
Steven E. Fineman
Steven E. Fineman

Steven E. Fineman is the Managing Partner of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, resident in the firm’s New York office. Under his leadership, Lieff Cabraser has become a “go-to” firm for plaintiffs’ litigation across multiple bars, including Mass Torts, Antitrust, Securities/ Financial Fraud, Consumer Protection, Product Liability, Employment Discrimination, and Whistleblower/False Claims Act. This commitment to excellence has led Lieff Cabraser to leadership roles in numerous major cases in recent years, and the firm to wide-spread recognition as one of the premier plaintiff-side litigation firms in the country. Most recently, in 2024, The New York Law Journal named Lieff Cabraser the “Best Class Action Litigation Department” of the year; in 2021, the firm was named the Boutique Litigation Firm of the year at The American Lawyer Industry Awards, and in 2021, Benchmark Litigation named the firm California Plaintiff Firm of the Year. For his leadership of the firm, Lawdragon has identified Mr. Fineman as one of the nation’s “100 Managing Partners You Need to Know.”

In addition to managing the firm, Mr. Fineman represents plaintiffs in class, group and individual civil litigation in the areas of securities and financial fraud, mass torts, consumer fraud, and whistleblower law. He has been consistently recognized as a top lawyer in his fields by Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, Benchmark Litigation, and The National Law Journal. Lawdragon has repeatedly identified Mr. Fineman as one of the nation’s “500 Leading Lawyers in America,” and in 2022, selected Mr. Fineman as one of 20 “2022 Lawdragon Legends.”

Mr. Fineman is the immediate past co-chair of the Anti-Defamation League’s Global Leadership Council, and is a member of the Growth Committee of ADL’s National Board of Directors, a member of ADL’s National Commission, a member of the ADL’s New York/New Jersey Regional Board, and is a past Chair of the New York/New Jersey Regional Board. In 2021, Mr. Fineman received the ADL New York/New Jersey’s Edward Brodsky Founders Award in honor of Mr. Brodsky’s “vision, dedication, and service” to ADL’s mission.

Mr. Fineman is a member of the Advisory Board for Stanford Law School’s Deborah L. Rhode Center on the Legal Profession, and is a frequent guest lecturer at Stanford Law School. Mr. Fineman is a past President of the Public Justice Foundation, which oversees and funds the national public interest law firm, Public Justice, P.C., is a past member of the Board of Directors of the American Constitution Society, and is a past Co-Chair of the American Association for Justice’s Securities Litigation Group.

Mr. Fineman is presently the co-chair of the Brandeis University Parents’ Leadership Council and served for nine years on the Board of Trustees of the Packer Collegiate Institute, a K-12 independent school in Brooklyn, NY. Mr. Fineman and his wife, Lori Fineman, were among the co-founders of the Jewish Community Project Downtown, a center for Jewish Life in lower Manhattan.

Mr. Fineman has an undergraduate degree from the University of California, San Diego, and earned his law degree from University of California Law, San Francisco. He also attended Stirling University in Stirling, Scotland.

Long form bio (click to open pdf).

  • University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
    J.D. – 1988
  • University of California, San Diego, California
    B.A. – 1985
  • Stirling University, Stirling, Scotland – 1984
    Major: English Literature
    Major: Political Science

  • California, 1989
  • District of Columbia, 1997
  • New York, 1997
  • U.S. Supreme Court, 1997
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 1st Circuit, 2020
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit, 1997
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit, 1996
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit, 2011
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit, 1995
  • U.S. District Court, Central District of California, 1989
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California, 1989
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, 1989
  • U.S. District Court, District of Colorado, 2006
  • U.S. District Court, of the District of Columbia, 1997
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, 1997
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, 1997

  • American Association for Justice, Co-Chair, Securities Litigation Group (2013-2016), Public Affairs Committee (2018-present)
  • American Bar Association
  • American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (Board of Directors, 2010-present)
  • Anti-Defamation League, Co-Chair, Global Leadership Council (2022-present); National Commission (2015-present); NY/NJ Regional Board Chair (2019-2021); NY/NJ Regional Board of Directors (2012-present); NY/NJ Regional Board, Executive Committee (2014-present)
  • Association of the Bar of the City of New York
  • Bar Association of the District of Columbia
  • California Bar Association
  • Civil Justice Foundation (Board of Trustees, 2004–present)
  • Fight for Justice Campaign
  • Human Rights First
  • National Association of Shareholder and Consumer Attorneys (Executive Committee, 2009–2014)
  • New York Bar Association
  • New York State Trial Lawyers Association (Board of Directors, 2001–2004)
  • New York State Trial Lawyers Institute, ‘Bill of Particulars’ (Editorial Board and Columnist, 2007–2014)
  • Office of the Attorney General, State of New York, Consultant in connection with an industry-wide investigation and settlement concerning health insurers’ use of the “Ingenix database” to determine usual and customary rates for out-of-network services (2008-2009)
  • Plaintiff Toxic Tort Advisory Council (Lexis/Nexis, Mealey’s Publications and Conferences Group, 2002–2005)
  • Public Justice Foundation, Board of Directors (2002-2018); Executive Committee (2006-2015); President (2011-2012)
  • Stanford University Law School, Center on the Legal Profession, Advisory Board (2011-present)
  • Supreme Court Historical Society
  • Thomson Reuters Legal Executive Institute, Advisory Board (2014-2019)

  • Anti-Defamation League, “Never Is Now” Summit on Antisemitism and Hate, Moderator of “Securing Democracy: Taking Hate and Extremism to Court” panel (November 10, 2022, Javits Center, New York, NY)
  • Stanford University Law School, Guest Lecturer for course on Global Litigation, Representing Plaintiffs in Global Litigation (October 19, 2022, Stanford, California)
  • Stanford University Law School, Guest Lecturer for course on Global Litigation, Representing Plaintiffs in Global Litigation (October 20, 2021, remotely from New York, NY)
  • Stanford University Law School, Guest Lecturer for course on Global Litigation, Representing Plaintiffs in Global Litigation (October 13, 2020, remotely from New York, NY)
  • Stanford University Law School, Guest Lecturer for course on Legal Ethics, Ethical Issues Unique to Plaintiffs’ Counsel (November 5, 2019, Stanford, California)
  • Stanford University Law School, Guest Lecturer for course on Global Litigation, Personal Jurisdiction and Other Issues for Plaintiffs in Global Litigation (October 24, 2018, Stanford, California)
  • Stanford University Law School, Center on the Legal Profession, Guest Lecturer for program on “Lawyer Leadership” (February 7, 2018, Stanford, California)
  • American Association for Justice, Continuing Education Program — Panel Member, The Future of Class Actions: Teamwork, Savvy Defense, and Smart Offense, “Going on Offensive: Developing a Proactive Plan” (May 11, 2017, Nashville, Tennessee)
  • Stanford University Law School, Guest Lecturer for course on Global Litigation, The VW Litigation and Other “Global” Cases (October 15, 2016, Stanford, California)
  • Stanford University Law School, Guest Lecturer for course on Complex Litigation, The Front End and Back End of Complex Cases From a Plaintiffs’ Lawyers’ Perspective (November 4, 2015, Stanford, California)
  • Global Justice Forum, Presented by Robert L. Lieff and The Richard Paul Richman Center for Business, Law, and Public Policy at Columbia University – Panel Member, Judicial and Regulatory Policy: Consumer Employment Contracts, Access to Courts and Arbitration (October 17, 2014, Columbia Law School, New York, New York)
  • Stanford University Law School, Guest Lecturer for course on Global Litigation, Building a Global Plaintiff Lawyers’ Network (October 8, 2014, Stanford, California)
  • Commonfund, Endowment Institute, Lecture, Securities “Opt-Out” Litigation, A Primer: Direct (or Non-Class) Negotiation/Litigation As a Way to Generate Returns of Investment Loss (July 30, 2014, Yale School of Management, New Haven, Connecticut)
  • American Association for Justice 2014, Annual Convention, Securities and Financial Fraud Litigation Group, Continuing Legal Education Program, Lecture and Paper, “Opt-Out”/Direct Actions As a Way to Maximize Recovery for Institution Investors (July 28, 2014, Baltimore, Maryland)
  • Stanford University Law School, Guest Lecturer for course on Complex Litigation, Federal Multi-District Litigation for New Practitioners (October 23, 2013, Stanford, California)
  • Global Justice Forum, Presented by Robert L. Lieff and The Richard Paul Richman Center for Business, Law, and Public Policy at Columbia University – Panel Member, Private Indices in the Public Service, the Case of LIBOR (October 11, 2013, Columbia Law School, New York, New York)
  • Stanford University Law School, Guest Lecturer for course on Complex Litigation, Representing Plaintiffs in Trans-National Litigation (April 24, 2012, Stanford, California)
  • Global Justice Forum, Presented by Robert L. Lieff and Columbia Law School — Moderator of Financial Fraud Litigation Panel and Participant on Financing of Litigation Panel (October 14, 2011, Columbia Law School, New York, New York)
  • The Canadian Institute, The 12th Annual Forum on Class Actions — Panel Member, Key U.S. and Cross-Border Trends: Northbound Impacts and Must-Have Requirements (September 21, 2011, Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
  • Bloomberg Law Reports, Securities Law, July 5, 2011, Vol. 5, No. 27, “The Basics of Obtaining Class Certification in Securities Fraud Cases: U.S. Supreme Court Clarifies Standard, Rejecting Fifth Circuit’s ‘Loss Causation’ Requirement” (with Michael J. Miarmi)
  • National Summit on the Future of Fiduciary Responsibility (American Conference Institute) — Panel Member, Mortgage-Backed Securities Litigation Past, Present and Future (June 9, 2011, New York, New York)
  • Stanford University Law School, Guest Lecturer for course on Complex Litigation, Representing Plaintiffs in Large-Scale Litigation (March 2, 2011, Stanford, California)
  • 4th Annual International Conference on the Globalization of Collective Litigation — Panel Member, Funding Issues: Public versus Private Financing (December 10, 2010, Florida International University College of Law, Miami, Florida)
  • “Bill of Particulars, A Review of Developments in New York State Trial Law,” The Supreme Court’s Decisions in Iqbol and Twombly Threaten Access to Federal Courts (Winter 2010)
  • American Constitution Society for Law and Policy, Access to Justice in Federal Courts — Panel Member, The Iqbal and Twombly Cases (January 21, 2010, New York, New York)
  • American Bar Association, Section of Litigation, The 13th Annual National Institute on Class Actions — Panel Member, Hydrogen Peroxide Will Clear It Up Right Away: Developments in the Law of Class Certification (November 20, 2009, Washington, D.C.)
  • Global Justice Forum, Presented by Robert L. Lieff and Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein, LLP — Conference Co-Host and Moderator of Mediation/Arbitration Panel (October 16, 2009, Columbia Law School, New York, New York)
  • Stanford University Law School, Guest Lecturer for course on Complex Litigation, Foreign Claimants in U.S. Courts/U.S. Lawyers in Foreign Courts (April 6, 2009, Stanford, California)
  • Stanford University Law School, Guest Lecturer for course on Complex Litigation, Foreign Claimants in U.S. Courts/U.S. Lawyers in Foreign Courts (April 16, 2008, Stanford, California)
  • Benjamin N. Cardozo Law School, The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy, and Public Justice, Co-Organizer of conference and Master of Ceremonies for conference, Justice and the Role of Class Actions (March 28, 2008, New York, New York)
  • Stanford University Law School and The Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, Oxford University, Conference on The Globalization of Class Actions, Panel Member, Resolution of Class and Mass Actions (December 13 and 14, 2007, Oxford, England)
  • “Bill of Particulars, A Review of Developments in New York State Trial Law,” Federal Multidistrict Litigation Practice (Fall 2007)
  • “Bill of Particulars, A Review of Developments in New York State Trial Law,” Pleading a Federal Court Complaint (Summer 2007)
  • Stanford University Law School, Guest Lecturer for course on Complex Litigation, Foreign Claimants in U.S. Courts (April 17, 2007, Stanford, California)
  • “Bill of Particulars, A Review of Developments in New York State Trial Law,” Initiating Litigation and Electronic Filing in Federal Court (Spring 2007)
  • “Bill of Particulars, A Review of Developments in New York State Trial Law,” Federal Court Jurisdiction: Getting to Federal Court By Choice or Removal (Winter 2007)
  • American Constitution Society for Law and Policy, 2006 National Convention, Panel Member, Finding the Balance: Federal Preemption of State Law (June 16, 2006, Washington, D.C.)
  • Global Justice Forum, Presented by Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein, LLP — Conference Moderator and Panel Member on Securities Litigation (May 19, 2006, Paris, France)
  • Stanford University Law School, Guest Lecturer for course on Complex Litigation, Foreign Claimants in U.S. Courts (April 25, 2006, Stanford, California)
  • Global Justice Forum, Presented by Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein, LLP — Conference Moderator and Speaker and Papers, The Basics of Federal Multidistrict Litigation: How Disbursed Claims are Centralized in U.S. Practice and Basic Principles of Securities Actions for Institutional Investors (May 20, 2005, London, England)
  • New York State Trial Lawyers Institute, Federal Practice for State Practitioners, Speaker and Paper, Federal Multidistrict Litigation Practice (March 30, 2005, New York, New York). Paper published in “Bill of Particulars, A Review of Developments in New York State Trial Law” (The New York State Trial Lawyers Institute, Spring 2005)
  • Stanford University Law School, The Stanford Center on Conflict and Negotiation, Interdisciplinary Seminar on Conflict and Dispute Resolution, Guest Lecturer, In Search of “Global Settlements”: Resolving Class Actions and Mass Torts with Finality (March 16, 2004, Stanford, California)
  • Lexis/Nexis, Mealey’s Publications and Conferences Group, Wall Street Forum: Mass Tort Litigation, Co-Chair of Event (July 15, 2003, New York, New York)
  • Northstar Conferences, The Class Action Litigation Summit, Panel Member on Class Actions in the Securities Industry, and Paper, Practical Considerations for Investors’ Counsel – Getting the Case (June 27, 2003, Washington, D.C.)
  • The Manhattan Institute, Center for Legal Policy, Rebuttal Commentator on Presentation by John H. Beisner, Magnet Courts: If You Build Them, Claims Will Come (April 22, 2003, New York, New York)
  • Stanford University Law School, Guest Lecturer for courses on Complex Litigation, Selecting The Forum For a Complex Case — Strategic Choices Between Federal And State Jurisdictions, and Alternative Dispute Resolution, ADR In Mass Tort Litigation, (March 4, 2003, Stanford, California)
  • American Bar Association, Tort and Insurance Practice Section, Emerging Issues Committee, Member of Focus Group on Emerging Issues in Tort and Insurance Practice (coordinated event with New York University Law School and University of Connecticut Law School, August 27, 2002, New York, New York)
  • Duke University and University of Geneva, “Debates Over Group Litigation in Comparative Perspective,” Panel Member on Mass Torts and Products Liability (July 21-22, 2000, Geneva, Switzerland)
  • New York Law Journal, Article, Consumer Protection Class Actions Have Important Position, Applying New York’s Statutory Scheme (November 23, 1998)
  • Leader Publications, Litigation Strategist, “Fen-Phen,” Articles, The Admissibility of Scientific Evidence in Fen-Phen Litigation and Daubert Developments: Something For Plaintiffs, Defense Counsel (June 1998, New York, New York)
  • The Defense Research Institute And Trial Lawyer Association, Toxic Torts and Environmental Law Seminar, Article and Lecture, A Plaintiffs’ Counsel’s Perspective: What’s the Next Horizon? (April 30, 1998, New York, New York)
  • Lexis/Nexis, Mealey’s Publications and Conferences Group, Mealey’s Tobacco Conference: Settlement and Beyond 1998, Article and Lecture, The Expanding Litigation (February 21, 1998, Washington, D.C.)
  • New York State Bar Association, Expert Testimony in Federal Court After Daubert and New Federal Rule 26, Article and Lecture, Breast Implant Litigation: Plaintiffs’ Perspective on the Daubert & New Federal Rule 26, Article and Lecture (May 23, 1997, New York, NY)

  • Selected for inclusion by peers in The Best Lawyers in America in field of “Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Plaintiffs,” 2005-2025
  • “Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America,” Lawdragon, 2025
  • “Lawdragon 500 Global Plaintiff Lawyers,” Lawdragon, 2024
  • “Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers in America,” Lawdragon, 2020-2024
  • “Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers in America,” Lawdragon, 2019-2024
  • “Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America,” Lawdragon, 2020-2024
  • “Super Lawyer for New York Metro,” Super Lawyers, 2006-2024
  • “Plaintiffs’ Lawyer Trailblazer,” The National Law Journal, 2023
  • “Legends of the 500,” Lawdragon, 2022
  • “Edward Brodsky Founders Award,” Anti-Defamation League, 2021
  • “Game-Changer” in the Practice of Law, University of California, San Francisco Law, 2019
  • “Recommended – Dispute Resolution, Securities,” The Legal 500, 2018-present
  • “Lawyer of the Year,” Best Lawyers, recognized in the category of Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Plaintiffs for New York City, 2016
  • “National Litigation Star,” “New York Litigation Star,” Benchmark Litigation, 2013-present
  • Member, Best Lawyers Advisory Board, a select group of U.S. and international law firm leaders and general counsel, 2011-2012
  • “100 Managing Partners You Need to Know,” Lawdragon, 2008
  • “Top Attorneys In Securities Law,” Super Lawyers Business Edition, 2008-present
  • Consultant to the Office of Attorney General, State of New York, in connection with an industry-wide investigation and settlement concerning health insurers’ use of the “Ingenix database” to determine usual and customary rates for out-of-network services, April 1, 2008-February 1, 2009
  • “40 Under 40,” selected as one of the country’s most successful litigators under the age of 40, The National Law Journal, 2002
AAJ Founders Circle 2024