Roberta A. Kaplan’s Departure from Kaplan Hecker & Fink

Roberta A. Kaplan, the prominent lawyer known for her high-profile cases including challenging former President Donald J. Trump and contributing to the fight for marriage equality for the LGBTQ+ community, has made the decision to step down from the law firm she co-founded. Kaplan Hecker & Fink, established in 2017, will undergo a transformation as a result.

Internal sources reveal that Ms. Kaplan’s departure stemmed from internal conflicts surrounding her interactions with colleagues within the firm. Concerns about her behavior towards fellow lawyers led to her removal from the management committee and subsequently prompted her exit from the firm.

The remaining partners of the firm, now to be known as Hecker Fink, expressed gratitude towards Ms. Kaplan for her role in bringing them together. In an internal memo obtained by The New York Times, they stated, “Robbie brought us together and for that we owe her a debt of gratitude.”

In a statement, the firm’s named partners, Julie Fink and Sean Hecker, acknowledged Ms. Kaplan’s choice to leave and wished her success in her future endeavors. They also expressed anticipation for potential collaborations with Ms. Kaplan and her new venture.

Ms. Kaplan, speaking to Bloomberg, shared that her decision to depart was influenced by a desire to return to a smaller, more agile practice as Kaplan Hecker & Fink had grown beyond her initial vision in terms of size and complexity. She emphasized the need for a more nimble approach, prompting her to start anew with a colleague.