Distinguished Judge James Catterson Joins Kaye Scholer As Special Counsel

NEW YORK—Distinguished New York State Supreme Court Justice James Catterson has joined Kaye Scholer’s Complex Commercial Litigation Department in New York as Special Counsel.

Catterson most recently served for nine years as an Associate Justice of the Appellate Division, First Department, where he participated in more than six thousand civil and criminal appeals. One of the most published judges in New York state history, with a strong reputation for scholarly writing, he has authored more than 250 signed opinions and dissents. Before his elevation to the Appellate Division, Catterson presided over hundreds of civil jury trials of a wide range of classifications in the Tenth Judicial District of the New York State Supreme Court.

“During his lengthy tenure as an appellate judge, Jim authored hundreds of judicial opinions on virtually every aspect of New York law, particularly complex commercial matters,” says Kaye Scholer Complex Commercial Litigation Department Co-Chair James Herschlein. “His energy and wealth of experience as both a judge and a litigator will be of great benefit to Kaye Scholer’s clients.”

Prior to his election to the Supreme Court, Catterson served as Suffolk County’s Deputy County Attorney and litigated on behalf of a broad spectrum of federal and local entities at the administrative, trial, and appellate levels in both federal and state courts. He has prepared and argued appeals before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department. He also served in the United States Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of New York as Chief of the Asset Forfeiture Unit.

A former adjunct professor for Cardozo Law School and Touro Law School, Catterson received his BA from Colgate University and his JD from St. John’s University School of Law.