In Memoriam: Ezra G. Levin

The article below was published in the Friday, Nov. 4, and Sunday, Nov. 6, editions of The New York Times. We invite Ezra’s friends, family and acquaintances to share their memories with us via email.

We mourn the loss of our former senior partner, colleague and friend Ezra G. Levin, who passed away on Monday, Oct. 31, 2022. He was 88.

Ezra joined Kramer Levin in 1979 as a name partner. At the time of his retirement in May 2020, he was the firm’s chairman emeritus. A consummate strategist, a superb corporate lawyer, and above all a gentleman, he was a go-to adviser for boards, CEOs and other senior executives on their most sensitive and bet-the-company matters. There was no more effective advocate for clients than Ezra, but he always represented their interests with a quiet and unflagging dignity that reflected his deep personal integrity.

Ezra was born on Feb. 10, 1934, to Harry Levin and Bertha Lebendiger Levin in Brooklyn, NY. He received an A.B. from Columbia University in 1955 and an LL.B. from Columbia Law School in 1959 and then served in the U.S. Army. Before joining Kramer Levin, he was a partner at Marshall, Bratter, Greene, Allison & Tucker.

Ezra’s affiliation with Kramer Levin in 1979 was a pivotal event in the history of our firm. Through his leadership, Kramer Levin grew to one of the most prominent and respected law firms in the City of New York. Always approachable, Ezra was a mentor to colleagues of all ages, many of whom owe their successful careers to his wise guidance.

During his illustrious career, Ezra served on the board of directors of several public companies; acted as a court-appointed trustee tasked with winding down a failed brokerage firm; and held various judicial appointments as special master. He lectured at Columbia University and other institutions on corporate law, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and securities regulation.

Ezra was also involved in numerous civil rights and Jewish community activities. In the 1960s and 1970s, Ezra served as secretary of the Scholarship, Education and Defense Fund for Racial Equality. In 1974, as co-chair of the New York Coalition for Soviet Jewry, he traveled to the Soviet Union, where he advocated for the civil and social rights of Soviet Jews. He served as president of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York and the Hebrew Free Loan Society and was the founding chair of Solomon Schechter High School. In 2016, he was inducted into the Bronx Jewish Hall of Fame.

Ezra is survived by his wife, Batya, children Zachary and Ayala (David) Levin-Kruss and grandchildren Yedidya (Ora), Elazar, Yarden, Matan and Yonatan. We the partners of Kramer Levin and our colleagues extend our heartfelt sympathies and condolences to Ezra’s family. Condolences may be sent to ayala.levin.kruss@gmail.com or zacharylevin@hotmail.com. The family requests that donations be sent to the American Heart Association, the Lymphoma & Leukemia Society or the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York.