Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz

Caren Decter is a partner in the Litigation Group, focusing on commercial and intellectual property litigation, and white collar defense. Named to Benchmark Litigation’s 2019 and 2021 40 & Under Hot List and listed as a 2022 Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers magazine, Ms. Decter represents clients in civil and criminal matters pending in state and federal courts around the country. 

Clients benefit from her skill in managing complex litigation aggressively and efficiently, as well as her responsiveness and ability to forge creative solutions to complicated problems before they grow into drawn-out litigation.

In her sophisticated white collar defense practice, Ms. Decter represents individuals and corporations in regulatory and criminal investigations involving allegations of accounting fraud, securities fraud, insider trading, antitrust violations, and violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. She frequently handles matters involving the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Department of Justice, various U.S. Attorney Offices and various District Attorney Offices. She also assists clients in their responses to time-sensitive data security incidents and breaches.

In addition, Ms. Decter has a wide-ranging commercial and intellectual property litigation practice. She advises clients in the finance, legal, consumer goods, advertising, art, and media and entertainment industries — on “business divorces”, contract, fraud, copyright, trademark, false advertising, ADA compliance and other matters. Her recent work includes:

• Obtaining dismissal of copyright claims against the world’s largest online clearinghouse of stock 3D models;
• Successfully arguing an appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirming an $8 million judgment;
• Negotiating multi-million dollar “business divorce” settlements for numerous clients;
• Defending numerous clients against class action lawsuits alleging that their websites and mobile apps fail to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and related state laws; and
• Obtaining dismissal on summary judgment of a $30 million art fraud complaint. 

Ms. Decter takes on significant pro bono matters. The Anti-Defamation League awarded Ms. Decter and several of her colleagues the Edward Brodsky Founders Award in recognition of their work on an amicus brief arguing against President Trump’s travel ban.

Ms. Decter is on the Board of Directors for the New York County Lawyers Association and a member of the Federal Courts Committee of the NYC Bar Association. Prior to joining Frankfurt Kurnit, Ms. Decter was an attorney with Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, where she represented clients in complex commercial litigations. She also spent a year clerking for the Honorable Colleen McMahon, Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

She is admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey, and the federal courts in the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, the District of New Jersey, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.