Zachary Rosenbaum. Courtesy photo

Zachary Rosenbaum, a partner who led Lowenstein Sander's capital markets litigation group, has joined Kobre & Kim in New York.

Rosenbaum, who arrived Wednesday as a partner, said that he hadn't considered many other firms but Kobre & Kim's special focus on high-stakes litigation for an elite client base resonated with him. He said he'd known founders Steve Kobre and Michael Kim for a long time and said discussions about his move took roughly a year.

"The ultimate deciding factor for me is, and has been, the cross-border capabilities" at Kobre & Kim, Rosenbaum said. "On a New York-centered platform up until now, I've been able to attract work abroad, but this gives me access at an entirely different level."

Rosenbaum's past matters include a $475 million arbitration win in Hong Kong arbitration on behalf of a Chinese insurance company as part of a dispute related to a $5 billion transaction. That client has been mentioned in public documents as Huaxia, with the award resulting from a dispute with AIG.

Rosenbaum said his practice includes representing hedge funds and other asset managers who are often doing business with investment banks. The cases he focuses on aren't just investment disputes, but also intellectual property matters, and said Kobre & Kim lends itself to growing those parts of his practice.

He declined to comment on whether any other people from Lowenstein would be joining him in his lateral move. He declined to name any clients but said, "I have deep and strong relationships with my clients and expect to maintain them."

Kobre & Kim lists 120 lawyers on its website across 14 offices around the world and in offshore financial centers. One of the firm's most prominent clients has been Jho Low, whose other lawyers included Lowenstein and Chris Christie; the lawyers received $15 million in fees as part of a deal Low struck with the government last year.

Asked about his prior firm, Rosenbaum praised Lowenstein. Gary Wingens, the chairman and managing partner of the firm, wished him well in a statement but said the securities litigation practice would still "fully support" its clients.

"Zach Rosenbaum left our firm on the best of terms, and we wish him great success in the next chapter of his career," Wingens said. "Our representation of investment funds in securities litigation has been one of the drivers of our firm's growth in recent years. Our securities litigation practice has a full complement of lawyers with the capabilities to fully support our investment fund clients in all of their litigation needs. Last year was an incredibly strong year for the firm and our securities litigation practice, and we anticipate that 2020 will be even better."