Cadwalader Litigator Joins Kaplan Boutique After Trump Deal (1)

Manhattan litigator Ellen Holloman left Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft to join trial lawyer Roberta Kaplan at a boutique firm she founded about a year ago, according to the firm.

Holloman spent nearly eight years at Cadwalader, where she was a partner in the litigation practice. Since October of last year, she and Kaplan have been representing Sabrina Morrissey, the court-ordered guardian of talk show host Wendy Williams, in Morrissey’s lawsuit contesting A&E Network’s documentary on Williams.

Holloman’s departure, announced Tuesday, follows the exits of Phara Guberman and Kenneth Breen, who left for Foley & Lardner last month. Cadwalader is one of nine firms that promised a total of nearly $1 billion free legal services in deals with President Donald Trump. The agreements were meant to avoid punitive executive orders such as those the White House aimed at other firms.

“We thank Ellen for her many contributions,” Cadwalder said in a statement. “Ellen has co-counseled with Robbie Kaplan for quite some time now, and the alignment of their practices is undeniable. We wish them continued success.”

Ellen Holloman

Roberta Kaplan is known for her work on high-profile cases, such as sexual abuse and defamation suits for New York advice columnist E. Jean Carroll against President Donald Trump and a landmark Supreme Court victory for same-sex couples in 2013. She is representing the Metropolitan Transit Agency in its fight with Trump over congestion pricing.

Kaplan Martin, which has more than two dozen attorneys, launched after Roberta Kaplan’s abrupt departure from her previous firm. Along with Kaplan and Martin, the firm’s two other founding partners are Steven M. Cohen and Mitra Hormozi, both of whom are former federal prosecutors with close ties to ex New York Mayor Andrew Cuomo, who is again vying for the role.

“The fact that a lawyer of Ellen’s caliber and reputation has joined our firm is a testament to the tremendous success we have enjoyed since launching last year,” Kaplan said in a statement.

Holloman said she is eager to continue working on high-stakes matters for sophisticated clients at a smaller shop. “There’s a misconception that only large law firms can do the work I do or work with the clients I have, that’s absolutely not true,” Holloman said in an interview.

Holloman was Cadwalder’s representative on the board of New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, a prominent civil rights organization. She’s also a member of the board of directors at the Center for Employment Opportunities, which helps formerly incarcerated people find job opportunities.

Cadwalader is Wall Street’s oldest law firm and the former professional home to deputy attorney general Todd Blanche, who left the firm in order to take on work defending Trump before he was elected for a second term. The firm has said one way it could fulfill the agreement it made with President Trump is to help the Brooklyn district attorney defend convictions.