A former Katten Muchin Rosenman practice leader has linked up with an attorney who often defends law firms in legal malpractice cases to form a complex commercial litigation boutique, Elman Freiberg.

Jay Freiberg, who most recently served as chair of Katten’s New York fiduciary litigation practice, and Howard Elman, formerly of eight-attorney Matalon Shweky Elman, formed the boutique this month. Elman said attorneys from his prior firm have joined the new boutique, including counsel Jeremy Bates, Yosef Rothstein, Judd Spray and Yelena Rapoport.