Victor A. Kovner

Victor A. Kovner is senior counsel at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP and a nationally recognized leader in First Amendment law. With more than five decades of legal experience, he has been instrumental in strengthening constitutional protections for media organizations, authors, publishers, and filmmakers. Throughout his career, he has built a reputation as a trusted advisor to clients facing their most complex legal issues, offering clear, strategic guidance rooted in a deep understanding of the law.

Victor earned his J.D. from Columbia Law School and his B.A. from Yale University. He has been admitted to practice in New York since 1962 and is also admitted before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second and Third Circuits. His extensive education and bar admissions reflect a career committed to excellence across multiple areas of law.

Victor is widely recognized for his groundbreaking First Amendment advocacy, but his practice also spans estate and foundation planning, nonprofit and corporate governance, and counseling clients navigating complex government regulations. He has served as Corporation Counsel of the City of New York and Chair of the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct, and has held leadership roles in numerous professional and civic organizations. As a founder of Lankenau Kovner & Outten—later merged into Davis Wright Tremaine LLP—he has had a lasting impact on the legal community and on the development of media, nonprofit, and governance law.

Victor A. Kovner has been consistently recognized by Chambers USA, Best Lawyers in America, Lawdragon, and Super Lawyers, among others. He has received numerous honors, including the Freedom of the Press Award and a Lifetime Achievement recognition by the New York Law Journal. His career reflects an enduring dedication to client service, legal advocacy, and the protection of fundamental rights.

Law Office Affiliations

• Senior Counsel, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
• Board Member & Former Chair, The Fund for Modern Courts
• Board Member & Former Chair, Association of Magazine Media, Legal Affairs Committee
• Co-founder, Media Law Resource Center
• Advisory Board, Media Law Reporter
• Former Chair, Association of the Bar of the City of New York, Committee on The Judiciary & The Committee on Communications & Media Law
• Member & Former Chair, New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct
• Corporation Counsel, City of New York

Licensed State

• New York

Education

• Columbia Law School
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• Yale University
  Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Awards & Badges