Phillip C. Hamilton is a highly sought-after trial attorney and litigator whose reputation precedes him as an experienced, bottom-line results achiever for his clients.
Phillip regularly litigates a broad range of high-stakes civil, criminal, and regulatory matters throughout the nation’s state and federal courts, and has successfully tried dozens of cases to jury verdict. Phillip’s clients have included high-net-worth individuals, licensed attorneys, public and private institutions, including Fortune 500 companies, public officials, tech startups, small businesses, civil rights organizations, and insurance providers.
His recent successes include multiple six-figure settlements for clients subject to unlawful discrimination, retaliation, and termination by their employers; the successful resolution of a six-year multi-million-dollar lower Manhattan real estate dispute on the eve of jury selection in a federal civil trial; a full acquittal for a client charged with Conspiracy in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York; and a full acquittal for an executive-level accountant charged with attempted murder in New York State Supreme Court. Additionally, Phillip has quietly resolved a number of matters – both civil, and criminal – for dignitaries and white-collar executives hailing from Luxembourg, Turkey, Israel, the United Kingdom, and South Africa, which has cemented his reputation in said circles as a strategic facilitator known for resolving sensitive legal matters.
In the post Me-Too era, where many people have bravely used the moment to hold their abusers accountable, there have also been instances where people have been wrongly accused. In response to the latter, Phillip has developed a niche practice of defending individuals - including men, women, and gender nonconforming individuals - who have been wrongly alleged to have committed acts of sexual misconduct in both the civil, and criminal context. Moreover, as an external Title IX Advisor for New York University, Phillip regularly represents college students upon allegations of serious sexual misconduct under the Code of Federal Regulations.
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. He has taught national CLE’s on topics ranging from the importance of diversity and inclusion within jury selection, to successfully attacking the “science” behind historical cell site analysis in both civil and criminal cases. Phillip proudly serves on the Board of Directors for the New York Metropolitan Black Bar Association where he has developed strong relationships with the Black legal elite of New York, screened and interviewed judicial candidates vying for election to the New York State Supreme Court, and has testified in support of systemic reform to the New York State Senate Standing Committee on the Judiciary. In 2022, New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed Phillip to a four-year term as a Member of the State Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct.
Phillip’s legal work has been featured across media platforms, including The New York Times, and he regularly appears as a legal analyst for BBC World News, ABC World News, CBS News, CourtTV, and the Law and Crime Network.
Practice Areas:
- Complex State and Federal Criminal Defense
- Litigation Representing Plaintiffs
- Civil Rights and Employment Discrimination
- Contractual Formation, 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:
- 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)
- New York Criminal Bar Association
- New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- New York City Bar Association
Honors:
- Super Lawyers (2021, 2022, 2023)
- The National Black Lawyers Top 100 (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)
- The National Black Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)
Education:
- Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, JD (2009)
- Georgia State University, BA, BS (2005)
