Our Roots
More Than 80 Years of Experience
In 1945, Benedict Wolf and Martin Popper decided to leave government/public service and enter private practice. Benedict Wolf had been the National Labor Relations Board’s First Secretary and Chief Trial Examiner and Martin Popper had been a Consultant for the U.S. Delegation of the Founding Conference of the United Nations. Wolf and Popper established the Firm in a small office at 160 Broadway, New York City.
Committed to Constitutional Rights
In its early years, Wolf Popper litigated constitutional rights in highly publicized trials. The McCarthy era and the Red Scare of the 1940 's engendered the prosecution of many important people in the movie industry, who were subpoenaed to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee on suspicion of holding communist loyalties. Pursuing a goal of strengthening the American system, Wolf Popper played a key role in defending the First Amendment rights of the so called “Hollywood Ten,” counting among them some of the best film industry talent of the time. The Firm also represented, in various legal matters, many of those artists, among them Paul Robeson, Ring Lardner Jr., Dalton Trumbo and Albert Maltz.
Leading the Fight Against Fraud
Wolf Popper was one of the first law firms to practice securities litigation representing shareholders who had been defrauded or treated unfairly. We began our securities litigation practices in 1957 with the case Bauer v. Servel, Inc., 168 F. Supp. 478 (S.D.N.Y. 1958). Since then, the Firm has been praised by courts nationwide for our “extraordinary” and “highly expert” representation of clients in securities litigation.
Diversity and Inclusion as Core Values
Wolf Popper was at the forefront of diversity and inclusion by encouraging and supporting women lawyers for many years before it was in vogue. In 1961, Shirley Thau became a partner in the securities litigation department. (For some historical perspective, Ruth Bader Ginsburg graduated Columbia Law School joint first in her class in 1959, yet despite her excellent credentials, she struggled to find employment as a lawyer.) Thau was very active in the New York Women’s Bar Association and was its President from 1964-1965. She passed away in 2014.
Standing Up For Civil Rights
In the early 60's, busloads of students, known as the "Freedom Riders," traveled from the northern states down to Mississippi to support every American's right to vote. In the often-recalled history, three of these students disappeared. Among them was Andrew Goodman, a 20-year-old college student. As a direct result of the meeting between Martin Popper and Andrew Goodman's parents with President Lyndon B. Johnson, this disappearance was elevated from a local to a federal concern. The FBI set up a headquarters in the Goodmans' apartment in New York City and worked closely with Wolf and Popper until the discovery of the boys’ bodies; they had been murdered by members of the Ku Klux Klan.
Advocating For Consumers
Wolf Popper is an advocate for consumers, including those who have been surprised by outlandish medical bills, purchased products that do not work as advertised, or have been deceived by investment, insurance, or lending companies, among other frauds.The Firm’s practice in this area has been lauded as “lawyering of the highest quality.”
Effective, Relevant, and Future-Focused
In 2021, Wolf Popper was ranked in the top 10 by Institutional Shareholder Services in its annual comprehensive list of the top 50 plaintiff law firms, ranked by cash amount of securities class action settlements in North America.