In Memoriam

Lesse Castleberry

May 30, 2024

It is with great sadness that we share that Lesse Castleberry passed away on May 29, 2024.

For 40 years, Lesse was a beloved member of our community and an important legal practitioner. He joined Kronish Lieb Weiner & Hellman in 1984 as a tax partner. He was an anchor of the office’s formidable tax practice in New York when Cooley and Kronish Lieb merged in 2006, and he continued to practice as senior counsel until recently.

Lesse had extensive experience in structuring business transactions, including startups, joint ventures, spinoffs and acquisitions. He also counseled and represented clients in a diverse range of controversies at the federal, state, and local level.

Those of us who practiced with Lesse and enjoyed his company remember him as patient, always willing to help, and capable of sorting out the most complicated transactions and legal issues. He was an unusually versatile practitioner who supported both the transactional practice and the firm’s tax controversy practice. He also was an easy and extremely interesting person to spend time with.

We will miss him dearly.

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