Three former federal prosecutors who left the Southern District U.S. Attorney's Office last month have launched their own firm, Krieger Kim & Lewin, to focus on offering services for government enforcement, investigations, commercial litigation and cybersecurity.

Ed Kim, Paul Krieger and Nick Lewin opened the firm Monday.

While other firms have been founded in recent years by former federal prosecutors who moved from large firms, Krieger said Krieger Kim & Lewin is the first since Petrillo Klein & Boxer opened in 2009 with partners directly from the Southern District U.S. Attorney's Office.

The firm also claims to be the only firm opened by three departing Southern District criminal division supervisors.

Krieger said the three explored their job options with other law firms but decided they wanted to be “small and lean” and offer conflict-free service. Krieger said he doesn't believe opportunities at large firms for former federal prosecutors are drying up.

“This was not something that Ed, Nick and I chose to embark on because we didn't think there are other options out there for us,” he said. “We thought this would be a more interesting and more challenging and personally better way for us to practice.”

For now, the three are subletting office space from Lankler Siffert & Wohl, where two of the attorneys previously practiced. “We're spending our own savings to capitalize our firm,” he said. “We are in Midtown, but our offices are pretty spare.”

Krieger, declining to provide billing rate details, said the firm will be competitive on price and alterative billing arrangements, while the partners are exploring using contract attorney services for larger matters.

Kim served for nearly a decade in the Southern District office, becoming chief of the General Crimes Unit and a chief of the Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit.

Krieger served for more than nine years, including as chief of the Narcotics Unit and a chief of the Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit.

Lewin served for more than a decade as a federal prosecutor and senior FBI official, including as the special counsel to former FBI directors Robert Mueller III and James Comey in 2012 and 2013. He was most recently deputy chief of the Southern District's Criminal Division.