The nomination of Mr. Wilson, which requires confirmation by the State Senate, continued Mr. Cuomo’s push for diversity among the judges. In 2013, he chose Sheila Abdus-Salaam, the first African-American woman to serve on the court. Four of the court’s judges, including its chief judge — Janet DiFiore — are women.

Image Rowan D. Wilson has been a partner at Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York for 25 years. Credit... Barbara Nitke

For the court, Mr. Wilson’s most important characteristic may be his extensive experience as a commercial litigator. A graduate of Harvard Law School, Mr. Wilson has been a partner at Cravath, Swaine & Moore for 25 years. He has handled complex litigation involving antitrust issues, securities fraud, civil rights and employment matters, according to a biography supplied by the law firm.

Mr. Wilson referred an interview request to a spokeswoman for Cravath, who declined to comment about him.

In a statement, Mr. Cuomo said he was confident that “Rowan Wilson will continue to articulate and uphold the principles of law and fairness that embody the best of New York,” and that Mr. Wilson had ”the intellect, integrity, and compassion we need to continue moving New York forward.”

Mr. Wilson and Ms. DiFiore were among seven names sent to Mr. Cuomo in 2015 by the state Commission on Judicial Nomination as candidates to succeed the court’s chief judge, Jonathan Lippman, who retired. Another name on that list was Michael J. Garcia, who had been the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan.