About Us

Tom Dewey, Dave Pegno, and Steve Kramarsky founded the boutique law firm Dewey Pegno & Kramarsky in 1998. We have an established record of successfully representing our clients in complex litigation matters, including trials, appeals, and investigations. Each dispute requires a bespoke approach and does not mandate an army of lawyers or a biglaw “playbook.” We provide a team-based, tailored, and flexible process to working with our clients to reach a successful outcome.

Chambers USA says, “Dewey Pegno & Kramarsky is a respected litigation boutique fielding expertise in a broad range of complex commercial disputes, including contractual breaches, shareholder litigation and arbitral enforcement. It is regularly retained by prominent names in the finance, real estate and insurance sectors.”

Practice Areas

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Our practice areas include: Appellate, Bankruptcy, Employment, Financial Services, Insurance, Intellectual Property and Technology, Internal Investigations and Regulatory Enforcement, Pro Bono, Real Estate, and Securities. The National Law Journal recognizes DPK on its Litigation Boutiques Hot List, a distinction recognizing ten “small but powerful” law firms that achieved significant litigation victories.

Appellate

We represent companies and are hired by some of the best known law firms to appeal cases before the United States Supreme Court, many Circuit Courts of Appeal, the New York Court of Appeals, and Appellate Divisions.

Employment

We represent clients in lawsuits and arbitrations involving many different kinds of employment issues, ranging from alleged violations of non-competes to severance and indemnification disputes.

Securities

We litigate alleged violations of the securities laws, and handle arbitrations and disputes regarding broker-dealer matters, compliance issues, and credit derivatives.

Team Members

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Our lawyers and staff have a keen understanding of the legal issues our clients face. We help companies, individuals, and boards to navigate the intersection of business and the law. Meet the lawyers and staff at Dewey Pegno & Kramarsky who can help you move your business forward.

The New York Times says, “Other successful practices have remained decidedly small. The grandson of Thomas E. Dewey, for example, has his own firm, Dewey Pegno & Kramarsky, a litigation boutique in Manhattan that he started in 1998. Thomas E.L. Dewey’s 14-lawyer shop, which represents large corporate clients... markets itself as a cost-effective alternative to large, expensive firms.”

Jen Salzberg

Jen’s practice focuses on complex commercial litigation involving a wide range of corporate governance, securities, and competition issues.

Ariel Cannon

Ariel’s practice focuses on securities, employment litigation and counseling, and other commercial litigation matters.

Sean Mullen

Sean represents clients in litigation and arbitration involving securities, international investments, contracts, and internal and regulatory investigations.

News

DPK Recognized in the 17th Edition of Best Law Firms

We are proud to announce that Dewey Pegno & Kramarsky has been recognized in the 17th edition of Best Law Firms. We are grateful to our clients and colleagues for their trust and support, and we extend congratulations to our entire team for this distinguished recognition. The firm is ranked in Commercial Litigation, National Tier 3 and Regional Tier 2 in New York City.

The Best Law Firms rankings highlight firms that have demonstrated exceptional legal expertise, industry insight, and professional achievement.

Insights

Second Circuit Rejects Challenge to Settlement Agreement Announced on Record

By Thomas E.L. Dewey

Parties often reach oral settlement agreements following settlement conferences before the court. Such settlements can mean final resolution of the case, but in certain instances, one party may later challenge the validity of a settlement that others believed to be binding.

The Second Circuit considered this scenario in Smith v. Home Depot U.S.A., Inc. To determine whether the oral agreement reached after the settlement conference was enforceable, the court considered the parties’ conduct preceding and immediately following the settlement.

Chambers USA

Chambers & Partners recommends us as a leading law firm for New York General Commercial Litigation. Chambers ranks Tom Dewey and Ariel Cannon.

Legal 500

Legal 500 ranks us in the USA Nationwide: Commercial Disputes: Boutique Firms table. Tom Dewey and Keara Bergin are recognized in the City Elite Guide for New York Commercial Disputes.