Phillip C. Hamilton is a seasoned trial attorney and litigator with a diverse practice spanning high-stakes civil, commercial, criminal, and regulatory matters throughout the nation’s state and federal courts.
Over the course of his career, Phillip has successfully tried dozens of cases to verdict, and his clients have included financial executives, chief legal officers, public officials, public and private institutions, Fortune 100 companies, civil rights organizations, and insurance providers. Companies often call on Phillip for his responsiveness and goal-oriented approach, trusting him to deliver innovative solutions, assemble top-tier teams, and craft winning strategies that advance their business objectives.
Phillip represents some of the world’s best-known companies in a variety of areas, including multimillion-dollar commercial disputes, government and internal investigations, and regulatory enforcement actions. Notable matters include securing dismissals for a leading online marketplace in a high-profile misconduct action filed in two federal jurisdictions, negotiating favorable outcomes for a pharmaceutical executive named in a multi-million dollar healthcare fraud indictment and related qui tam action, and representing New York City’s tech industry in litigation against proposed legislative challenges to the city’s robust sharing economy. A veteran of complex white-collar and criminal defense litigation, Phillip recently secured a full acquittal for a client charged with conspiracy before the Honorable Jed S. Rakoff in the Southern District of New York, and a full acquittal for a corporate VP charged with attempted murder in New York State Supreme Court.
In an era marked by the Me-Too movement, Phillip has established a distinctive practice focused on defending individuals wrongly accused of sexual misconduct, thereby redressing the balance of justice. This niche expertise extends across both civil and criminal realms, and includes his former role as an external Title IX Advisor for New York University, where he aided college students and professors facing allegations of serious sexual misconduct.
Outside of the courtroom, Phillip is an Adjunct Professor of Law at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, and regularly guest lectures trial advocacy and negotiation seminars in law schools around the New York City metropolitan area. Phillip serves on the Board of Directors for the New York Metropolitan Black Bar Association where he has developed strong relationships with the Black legal and political elite of New York. Acknowledging his impact, Phillip was honored to serve on the Transition Committee for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and, in 2022, New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed Phillip to a four-year term as a Member of the State Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct. In 2023, Presiding Justice Dianne T. Renwick of the Appellate Division, First Department, appointed Phillip to the Attorney Grievance Committee.
Phillip’s expertise has been spotlighted in major media outlets, including The New York Times. A sought-after legal analyst, he regularly appears on platforms such as CNN, MSNBC, BBC World News, Fox News, ABC World News, CBS News, NBC News, CourtTV, and the Law and Crime Network.
Practice Areas:
- Commercial Litigation
- Complex State and Federal Criminal Defense
- Litigation Representing Plaintiffs
- Civil Rights Actions
- Labor & Employment
- Contractual Disputes and Breach of Contract
- Domestic U.S. Arbitration
- Title IX Investigations & Hearings
- White Collar and Regulatory Defense
- Government and Internal Investigations
Recent News:
Publications:
Bar Admissions:
- New York State
- Supreme Court of the United States
- United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- United States District Court, Northern District of New York
- United States District Court, Eastern District of Arkansas
Bar Associations:
- New York Metropolitan Black Bar Association (Board of Directors)
- Federal Bar Association
- National Bar Association
- New York Criminal Bar Association
- New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- New York City Bar Association
Honors:
- Super Lawyers (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
- The National Black Lawyers Top 100 (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
- The National Black Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 (2020, 2021, 2022)
Service:
- Criminal Justice Act Panel for the Eastern District of New York
Education:
- Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, JD (2009)
- Georgia State University, BA, BS (2005)
