Practice Areas

Depth where it matters most

We do not attempt to be all things to all clients. We practice in six disciplines, at the highest level, and each is led personally by a partner. Below: what each area covers, and representative matters we have handled.

Corporate & M&A

Acquisitions, divestitures, recapitalizations, and shareholder arrangements for privately held companies from $10M to $2B in enterprise value. We sit on your side of the table from the first term sheet to the closing wire — and we do not hand the deal to a fourth-year associate.

  • Buy & Sell-Side M&A
  • Shareholder Agreements
  • Recapitalizations
  • Joint Ventures
  • Private Placements

Representative Matters

Sale of a third-generation manufacturing business to a strategic acquirer.

Structured an earn-out that protected the founding family's legacy interest and closed 18% above the opening bid. Enterprise value: $410M.

Contested board buy-out among four founding shareholders.

Negotiated a staged redemption that avoided litigation and preserved operating continuity for 220 employees.

Commercial Litigation

Contract disputes, partnership dissolutions, and fiduciary claims — prepared as though every matter will be tried, and settled only when settlement genuinely serves you. When it does not, we try the case to verdict.

  • Breach of Contract
  • Partnership Disputes
  • Fiduciary Claims
  • Injunctions & TROs
  • Appeals

Representative Matters

Partnership dissolution tried before the Commercial Division.

Secured a defense verdict for the client after a nine-day bench trial; opposing counsel fielded a team of fourteen.

Emergency injunction to halt a wrongful trade-secret transfer.

Obtained a temporary restraining order within 72 hours of retention, preserving a $60M product line.

Trusts & Estates

Estate plans for complex holdings: closely held businesses, multi-state real property, and multi-generational wealth transfer. We build structures that survive scrutiny — and the difficult family conversations that follow.

  • Estate Planning
  • Dynasty Trusts
  • Business Succession
  • Charitable Vehicles
  • Estate Administration

Representative Matters

Succession plan for a family office holding operating businesses in three states.

Implemented a trust and entity structure that transferred control across two generations with no interruption to management.

Administration of a $180M estate with closely held and illiquid assets.

Closed administration in under 14 months and resolved a valuation question with the taxing authority without litigation.

Executive Counsel

Employment agreements, equity negotiations, separation packages, and board disputes for C-suite officers and directors. When your compensation, your reputation, and your next role are all on the table at once, you want counsel who has sat in that seat before.

  • Executive Agreements
  • Equity & Carry
  • Separations
  • Non-Compete Defense
  • Board Disputes

Representative Matters

Separation for a departing chief executive of a private-equity-backed company.

Preserved the full equity tranche and negotiated mutual non-disparagement, closing the exit in three weeks.

Defense of a senior officer against a non-compete claim.

Obtained a negotiated release permitting the client to begin a competing role without a court fight.

Fiduciary Disputes

Will contests, trustee removal actions, and beneficiary representation, handled with the discretion these matters demand and the resolve they sometimes require. Family conflict is rarely only about money; we treat it accordingly.

  • Will Contests
  • Trustee Removal
  • Beneficiary Rights
  • Accountings
  • Undue-Influence Claims

Representative Matters

Removal of a corporate trustee for a multi-beneficiary family trust.

Secured the trustee's removal and a full accounting, with successor control returned to the beneficiaries.

Defense of a will against an undue-influence challenge.

Upheld the testator's intent after a contested hearing, sustaining the plan as drafted.

Regulatory Defense

Responses to government inquiries, internal investigations, and enforcement actions before state and federal agencies. We manage the matter and the message — because in a regulatory posture, how you respond is itself evidence.

  • Government Inquiries
  • Internal Investigations
  • Enforcement Defense
  • Voluntary Disclosures
  • Compliance Counsel

Representative Matters

Internal investigation for a privately held company facing a regulator inquiry.

Conducted a privileged review and presented findings that resolved the inquiry with no enforcement action.

Response to a state enforcement notice against a family enterprise.

Negotiated a consent resolution with remediation and no admission of liability.

How We Work

The same standard, every matter

Whatever the discipline, an engagement moves through the same three commitments.

i.

A Partner Leads

Your matter is directed by the partner whose name is on it — not delegated once the pitch is won. Judgment is not something we outsource.

ii.

Priced in Writing

Fees are quoted before work begins — hourly against a retainer, fixed for defined transactions, or a hybrid for select litigation. No charge you did not see first.

iii.

Prepared to Try

We prepare every dispute as if it will be tried. That preparation is what makes a favorable settlement possible — and a verdict achievable when it is not.

Begin the Conversation

Is your matter in one of these areas?

Tell us what is at stake. A partner will tell you, candidly, whether we are the right firm — at no fee and no obligation.

Telephone (212) 555-0187 · Weekdays 8am – 7pm ET

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