Kohn Dumain LLP today announced the launch of its website, formally introducing the emerging New York-based law firm built on a simple idea: litigation and strategic counsel are not separate practices, but complementary disciplines informed by the same judgment. Kohn Dumain was founded earlier this year by Brian Kohn and Ian Dumain, who met twenty-five years ago in law school, began their legal careers together at Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP, and were partners at a litigation boutique for several years before the firm’s launch.
Clients turn to Kohn Dumain at pivotal moments. Some come to resolve disputes. Others seek guidance on structuring transactions, navigating sensitive situations, fulfilling fiduciary obligations, conducting investigations, or avoiding disputes altogether. Many require both. Kohn Dumain was founded on the premise that the judgment that drives effective litigation is the same judgment that helps clients make their most important business and legal decisions. Whether trying a case, negotiating a transaction, advising a board, or counseling a client through a crisis, the firm’s role is the same: helping clients navigate consequential decisions with clarity and confidence.
“Our clients’ most significant challenges rarely fit neatly within a single practice area. This requires thoughtful judgment, practical solutions, and lawyers who understand both the legal issues and the business objectives at stake. That’s the firm we set out to build.”
Ian Dumain
Underlying the firm’s mission to provide exceptional client service are five principles that have guided the firm’s founders throughout their careers: loyalty, stewardship, candor, discernment, and ingenuity. Those principles shape every aspect of the firm—from the lawyers it hires and the matters it accepts to the advice it gives and the relationships it builds with clients. They also shape how the firm serves its clients: through lean staffing, direct partner involvement, practical advice grounded in experience, and fee arrangements designed to align the firm’s interests with those of its clients.
“Kohn Dumain has become far more than outside counsel to our company—the firm combines exceptional technical ability and judgment with direct, highly responsive communication, and they approach every issue with a rare level of energy, creativity, and personal commitment," said Ryan Fletcher, founder and CEO of Vibrant Building Technologies, Inc. and Fletcher Development LLC. "We trust them completely, not only to protect our interests, but to give us the candid advice we need to make the right decisions."
Kohn Dumain’s philosophy reflects the relationship Brian and Ian have built over twenty-five years. After meeting in law school, they practiced together at Boies Schiller before pursuing separate careers that included leadership positions at nationally recognized law firms and service as general counsel of an investment manager that, at the time, managed more than $2 billion in hedge fund assets. They later reunited as partners at a litigation boutique before launching Kohn Dumain on January 12, 2026.
In its first nine months, the firm has grown from its two founding partners to a team of six lawyers and a director of operations. The firm’s sixth lawyer, a former longtime Boies Schiller partner, joined Kohn Dumain in late September.
“From the beginning, our goal has been to build the kind of firm we would want to hire ourselves: a firm where clients work directly with experienced lawyers, receive candid advice, and know the lawyers handling their matters are personally invested in achieving the best possible outcome.”
Brian Kohn
