Ira J. Lipton

Ira J. Lipton, a partner of the firm, has been litigating cases in federal and state trial and appellate courts for over 30 years.  His practice is focused on complex commercial litigation, construction disputes, employment, and the representation of public agencies.  Mr. Lipton has represented the firm’s clients in a wide range of matters, including cases involving lending agreements, investments, limited liability companies and partnerships, construction contracts, the uniform commercial code, unfair competition, and non-solicitation and non-compete agreements.

Mr. Lipton has also represented employers in litigation arising under federal and state anti-discrimination and retaliation laws, and he has represented many public agencies and officials in the areas of civil rights, the First Amendment, labor and employment, construction, and proceedings challenging governmental determinations and policies. Mr. Lipton recently led a team of HNRK attorneys representing New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority in a $300 million litigation against a national defense contractor over the development and installation of a high technology, software-based security system for the region’s mass transit system, culminating in a five-week trial in the Southern District of New York.

Mr. Lipton joined HNRK in 2001.  Prior to joining HNRK, Mr. Lipton served as a Senior Counsel for litigation for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and as an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the New York City Law Department, where he was Assistant Chief in the General Litigation Division.  During his tenure in public service, Mr. Lipton successfully argued Westinghouse v. New York City Transit Authority, 82 N.Y.2d 47 (1993), which resulted in a landmark decision upholding the alternative dispute resolution procedure contained in the MTA’s construction contracts.  Mr. Lipton also successfully argued Rogers v. New York City Transit Authority, 87 N.Y.2d 692 (1997), a leading First Amendment case where the Court established parameters for speech activities in public transportation facilities.

Mr. Lipton is a graduate of Skidmore College (B.A. History, Phi Beta Kappa) and the Brooklyn Law School.  He is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Brooklyn Law School, where he has taught a seminar on pretrial litigation and the discovery process.  He is the author of  “The Effects of Westinghouse on Construction Industry Suits,” New York Law Journal, p. 1, col. 1, December 10, 1993; and The Dependable Bank v. Aldrich: Case File (National Institute for Trial Advocacy, 2004).  In October 2015, Mr. Lipton presented on “What Public Safety Officials Need to Know About Technology Contracts & Disputes” at the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials’ (APCO) Atlantic Conference. Mr. Lipton is a member of the Bar Association of the City of New York and is currently serving on the Association’s Committee on Government Ethics, and heads the Committee’s working group on local government ethics.

Recognition

The American Lawyer Northeast Trailblazer, 2021

New York Super Lawyers, 2022 - 2024

City & State New York's 2024 Trailblazer in Law List

Benchmark Litigation Star, 2025

Leadership

Brooklyn Law School, Adjunct Professor of Law

Admissions

• Bar of the State of New York
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York