Fredric S. Newman

Fredric S. Newman is a founding partner of Hoguet Newman Regal & Kenney. He is a legal generalist with decades of experience in commercial litigation, business advice, corporate transactions, employment counseling, and alternative dispute resolution.

Fred’s long and celebrated career as a commercial trial lawyer has included many litigation wins. His $126 million trial decision in a precedent-setting trademark licensing suit involving royalties to be paid for using the iconic Palm restaurant intellectual property was unanimously affirmed in May 2020, leading to his consideration by The American Lawyer as a “Litigator of the Week.” Shortly after the trial decision, New York Commercial Division Justice Andrea Masley, who tried the case, ordered defendants to pay $4.6 million in attorney’s fees and expenses to HNRK for its successful prosecution of the case. In her fees ruling, Justice Masley praised Fred for his leadership on the case, noting that his trial skills were “extraordinary.”

Other notable HNRK cases in which Fred was lead trial counsel include representing Market Data Corporation against Dow Jones which settled before trial for $202 million; International Cards Company against MasterCard International for conversion of a letter of credit that resulted in a multimillion-dollar jury verdict for HNRK’s financial services client; an investor in a five-month bench trial in the New York County Commercial Division involving a partnership dispute over the ownership of a Ukrainian television station; a major Brazilian energy equipment supplier in a precedent-setting case in the New York Court of Appeals involving the application of New York law to a Euro-denominated financing; Paula Zahn’s talent agent in the successful defense of a highly visible and hotly contested suit by Fox News that arose after Ms. Zahn left Fox for CNN immediately before the 9/11 attacks, resulting in the creation of the right of first negotiation — commonly used today; and an executive in his successful NASD (now FINRA) arbitration recovery of a $680,000 bonus from Banc of America Securities that resulted in an oft-cited decision upholding the award and establishing the New York standard of review for arbitrations.

Fred also advises corporate owners, executives, and entrepreneurs on business and personal issues. In addition, he has served on the board of directors of a private reinsurance company, was appointed CEO of a public company in dissolution by its major creditor, and was the general counsel and secretary of a public reporting subsidiary of a Fortune 50 company

Recognition

Recipient of New York Law Journal’s Lifetime Achievement Award, 2020

Named a Litigation Trailblazer by The National Law Journal, 2019

Named a Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation, 2019­-2025

Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business “Leading Lawyer” – General Commercial Litigation, New York

Martindale-Hubbell “AV” Rating

­Best Lawyers in America, 2025

Leadership

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, First Department, Grievance Committee and Departmental Disciplinary Committee, Member and Formal Panel Chair (2007-2019)

­Berman Institute of Bioethics of Johns Hopkins University, National Advisory Board

­Fordham University School of Law, Adjunct Professor

­Visiting Professor of Arbitration (Latvia) (2009)

­Congress of Fellows of the Center for International Legal Studies

­Southern District of New York, Mediator

­Columbia Law School Association, Director

­The Calhoun School, New York City, Trustee

­American Corporate Counsel Association, New York Chapter, Founding Director and Vice President

­New York Fire Safety Foundation, Director and Secretary

­American Bar Foundation, Sustaining Life Fellow

­Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act Committee, Treasurer

­New York State Ad Hoc Committee on the Future of Racing

Admissions

• ­   Bar of the State of New York
• ­   U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
• ­   U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
• ­   U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
• ­   U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit