John Lang

Overview: 
  
  John Lang's practice focuses on New York trust and estate litigation, probate litigation, will contests, commercial litigation, and white collar defense matters. He is equally at home in federal or state courts. Mr. Lang's practice also includes handling disputes between U.S. and overseas companies and individuals, as well as business crime and investigatory matters with an international dimension. The hallmark of Mr. Lang's legal style is an aggressive, result-oriented approach, executed with a strategic vision and tactical savvy developed through decades as lead counsel in trials and arbitrations.

On the civil side of his practice, Mr. Lang represents parties in commercial litigations and tax, trust, and estate controversies. Mr. Lang handles arbitrations and mediations, and is available to serve as a mediator or arbitrator. He also represents executives, professionals, companies, and high net worth individuals in sensitive matters where discretion and avoidance of publicity is paramount.

On the white collar side, Mr. Lang represents individuals and companies that are witnesses, subjects, and targets of investigations by grand juries, government agencies, and self-regulatory organizations. He has also represented executives and companies in matters involving internal corporate investigations. While Mr. Lang's goal is to obtain early and favorable resolutions of his clients’ matters, he is qualified to take the most challenging of cases to trial should that become necessary.

Reflecting the broad range of Mr. Lang's practice, he is also a published author on practice techniques in both white collar crime and commercial litigation. In November of 2012 John Lang made a presentation on trial technique to the Litigation Counsel of America, a trial lawyer honorary society.


In Public Service

Mr. Lang began his legal career by serving as a New York County Assistant District Attorney from 1970 to 1977. Mr. Lang rose to the position of Senior Trial Counsel in the Major Felony Program, prosecuting major crimes committed by career criminals. He distinguished himself in the case of State v. Carbone, where he proved the innocence of a mistakenly arrested honor student, obtaining a jury trial conviction of the real perpetrator of the crime - a look-alike for the student who had been previously convicted.

In 1975, Mr. Lang was promoted to Deputy Chief of the Frauds Bureau, where his focus was white collar crime investigations, and where he pioneered Medicaid fraud prosecutions. In 1977, Mr. Lang was appointed a Special Assistant Attorney General in the Special Prosecutions Bureau of the New York State Attorney General’s Office, where as Chief Assistant to the Special Prosecutor he investigated and tried official corruption cases.

In Private Practice

Mr. Lang transitioned into private practice in 1980 at Phillips Lytle, one of the oldest and largest law firms based in Upstate New York. There, he handled a broad spectrum of commercial litigations, including banking, tax, real estate, technology, and products liability cases. Among Mr. Lang's favorable trial verdicts while with Phillips Lytle was a U.S. District Court jury trial verdict of ‘no tax liability’ in a case brought by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) seeking to hold a bank vicariously liable for the tax liability of a commercial loan customer.

In 1991, Mr. Lang joined the international law firm Loeb & Loeb LLP, where he was a senior litigation partner for close to 20 years. At Loeb, he handled major cases on behalf of businesses and executives in the banking, insurance, and securities industries. He also developed an in-house litigation training program, and spearheaded the firm’s pro bono efforts on behalf of at-risk children. His pro bono work has attracted national attention, including a full profile in Inside Children’s Rights, and mentions in articles in the New York Law Journal, Corporate Board Member Magazine, and The Clarion Ledger. In recognition of his many contributions, Mr. Lang was awarded the 2006 Loeb & Loeb Professional and Community Service Award.

Mr. Lang may be best remembered at Loeb for obtaining the dismissal of the government’s bribery case against a West Coast businessman, in the midst of a jury trial. The defendant had been recorded making a bribe, had made a videotaped confession to the FBI at the time of his arrest, and had previously pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to the charges against him. Mr. Lang defended the case based on a theory of entrapment, proved perjury on the part of the lead federal agent, and secured the dismissal at trial of the case by the same judge before whom the defendant had previously pleaded guilty.

In 2010, Mr. Lang left Loeb and founded Law Offices of John F. Lang, bringing the expertise of his distinguished career to the most challenging of civil and criminal cases. Mr. Lang’s legal career reflects his commitment to public service, honest government, civil rights, and his passion to protect at-risk children from neglect and abuse. He continues to be an ardent champion of individual liberties who embraces the opportunity to represent parties and witnesses seeking justice in the areas of business litigation, investigations, tax controversies, and trusts and estates disputes. No case is too challenging, and no client is undeserving of Mr. Lang's vast experience, judgment, and dedication.


Education

Fordham Law School, J.D., 1967 (Intern, U.S. Attorney, SDNY; Summer Internship, North Carolina, Law Students Civil Rights Research Council; American Jurisprudence Prize for Excellence in Real Estate Law)

City College of New York, B.A., 1964 (Captain of Debate Team; Kelly Prize for Excellence in Debate)

Military Service

United States Marine Corps, 1967-1969 (service in Vietnam as a member of the 26th Marine Regiment, saw combat during the Tet Offensive)

Bar Admissions

New York State; United States Supreme Court; United States Tax Court; United States International Court of Trade; United States Courts of Appeals for the Second and Fifth Circuits; United States District Courts for the Eastern, Southern, Western, and Northern Districts of New York, the Connecticut District, the Northern District of California, the Northern District of Texas, and the Eastern District of Kentucky

Professional Affiliations

American Bar Association (International Law Section, International Litigation Committee; Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section); New York State Bar Association (Trusts and Estates Law Section; Dispute Resolution Section); Association of the Bar of the City of New York (Small Law Firm Committee); Litigation Counsel of America; and American Society of Legal Advocates..

Honors and Awards

John Lang has been honored with the highest peer rating of "AV Preeminent" (5.0 of possible 5.0) by Martindale-Hubbell.

Mr. Lang has been recognized as a "New York Super Lawyer" by Thompson Reuters both in Trusts and Estates Litigation, and in Business Litigation.

He has been honored with a "Superb" rating (10.0 of possible 10.0) by AVVO, the consumer website that rates legal and medical professionals.

The American Society of Legal Advocates selected John Lang as one of the "Top 100 Trusts and Estates Lawyers" in New York State.

John Lang has also been selected as a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, a trial lawyer honorary society.

Mr. Lang is an honored member of the Worldwide Who's Who Registry for Executives, Professionals and Entrepreneurs.

Appointment to the American Bar Association Parallel Proceedings Task Force.

Kentucky Governor Martha Layne Collins honored John Lang in 1986 by commissioning him as a Kentucky Colonel.

Publications

• The Executive's Guide to Depositions: A Practical Reference Explaining the Deposition
Stage Of Pre-Trial Discovery in Commercial Litigation. Aspatore Books, a division of
Thomson-West, 2008. ISBN 978-0-314-98716-7

• “White Collar Crime Attorneys Add Value,” lead chapter in The Executive's Guide to
Understanding the Laws Behind White Collar Crime. Aspatore Books, a division of
Thomson-West, 2006. ISBN 1-59622-374-X

• Co-Author: “Patenting Business Methods and Systems; the Aftermath of State Street Bank
and Trust Co. v. Signature Financial,” The Banking Law Journal, March/April 2000 [117.2
(2000):142-149.

• Co-Author: “Safeguarding Business from the Threat of White Collar Crime.” Directors
Monthly, October 1997 [21.10 1997)]