James P. Kreindler | Partner

jkreindler@kreindler.com 212.973.3449

Overview

James Kreindler leads our effort in the 9/11 terrorism litigation case representing of the 9/11 families to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for its role in the September 11, 2001 attacks. A longtime specialist in aviation accident and terrorism litigation, James previously took the lead role as a member of the Plaintiffs’ Committee in the Pan Am 103 families’ lawsuit against Pan Am and Libya.


The Libya-Pan Am Flight 103 litigation resulted in the largest financial recovery for a single disaster in the history of aviation — nearly $3 billion.

Partner Jim Kreindler on Fox News about Saudia Arabia’s links to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
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Transcript
Aviation attorney Jim Kreindler discusses 9/11 accountability in CNN news story.
We take pride and work diligently to achieve record-setting victories on behalf of our clients.
~ James Kreindler | Partner and Attorney

James joined Kreindler in 1983 and became a partner in 1987. He is a magna cum laude graduate of Dartmouth College and later received his J.D. degree from Columbia University where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone scholar. He began his career as an Assistant District Attorney in the Kings County (Brooklyn) District Attorneys’ Office.


Jim has worked tirelessly since 2001 to hold those responsible for 9/11 to account.

The September 11th lawsuit presents many challenging facets, alleging that members of the government of Saudi Arabia provided critical financial and logistical support to the 9/11 hijackers prior to the attacks in 2001.

This case is the first to proceed under the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, also known as JASTA, passed by Congress in 2016. James has played a major role in many notable airline disaster cases including: 

  • Chairman of the Plaintiffs’ Committee for the 2009 Colgan Flight 3407 crash in Buffalo, New York 
  • Member of the Plaintiffs’ Committee for the 1998 Swissair Flight 111 disaster near Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia 
  • Member of the Plaintiffs’ Committee for the 1996 TWA Flight 800 disaster off Long Island, New York 

Jim is a frequent lecturer on aviation accident litigation and terrorism litigation throughout North and South America and Europe. He is the only plaintiffs’ attorney in the United States, other than Lee Kreindler, asked to lecture at International Airline Transportation Association meetings.

Jim In the media

Kreindler partner James Kreindler discusses the Mumbai terror attacks on Fox News

Attorney James Kreindler appears on Fox News Insider to discuss the lawsuit that alleges Pakistan's spy agency, the ISI, was directly involved in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that killed 164 people.

Articles by Jim
Awards & Events
  • Selected as 2020 Super Lawyer®: 2006-2020
  • Awarded 5.0/5.0 Peer Reviewed Rating, Martindale Hubbell®
  • Selected to 500 Leading Litigators in America, Lawdragon Fellow, International Academy of Trial Lawyers
  • Recipient, 2009 Public Justice Lawyer of the Year Award
  • Selected as New York City Best Lawyers Survey, 2017-2019
  • Selected to Trial Lawyers of the Year, Trial Lawyers for Public Justice Organization, 2009
  • New York Chair, State Chair Committee, International Academy of Trial Lawyers, 2019-2020
  • Panelist, Progress Report on the September 11 Litigation, 2019 Voices of September 11th Forum
  • Keynote Speaker, 9/11: The Greatest Untold Story, 12th Annual McGill Conference: International Aviation Liability, Insurance & Finance, 2019, Montreal, Canada
  • Board of Directors, International Academy of Trial Lawyers, 2018-2019
  • Panelist, Progress Report Since the Enactment of JASTA, 2018 Voices of September 11th Forum
  • Speaker, Utah State Bar Conference, 2013
  • Speaker, Preemption and Punitive Damages - The Colgan Flight 3407 Buffalo Crash, 23rd Annual Aviation Law and Insurance Symposium 2012, Orlando, FL
  • Chairman Plaintiffs’ Committee for Colgan Air 3407
  • Speaker, Update on Air Mass Disaster Cases – Colgan Crash, The National Air and Transportation Law Conference, 2010, Washington, DC
  • Panelist, From Warsaw to Montreal: Creative Litigation of Airline Accidents, 2008 International Airline Transportation Association (IATA) Legal Symposium, Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • Speaker, The Pan Am 103 Story – a 20 Year Saga, 2008 American Bar Association, Aviation and Space Law Litigation National Program in Washington DC
  • Member, Executive Committee of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee for Egypt Air Flight 990
  • Member, Plaintiffs’ Committee for Swissair Flight 111
  • Member, Plaintiffs’ Committee for TWA Flight 800
  • Donor, Lee S. Kreindler 1945 Conference Center, Dartmouth College
  • Fellow, International Academy of Trial Lawyers
  • Speaker, International Airline Transportation Association Meeting
Education
  • Columbia Law School, New York, NY, J.D. - 1980 Honors: Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
  • Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, B.A. (Magna Cum Laude) - 1977
Bar Admissions
  • New York 
  • United States Supreme Court
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Second, Fifth, and Ninth Circuits 
  • United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York