Flat-fee business law representation for Manhattan companies — entity formation, operating agreements, founders' agreements, commercial contracts, M&A, and trademarks. From our office at 30 Broad Street, we serve businesses across every Manhattan neighborhood and industry.
Average quote turnaround: under 1 hour · Free consultation, no obligation
Manhattan has the most concentrated business community in the country. The borough's business mix is heavy on finance, professional services, technology, media, fashion, retail, hospitality, and a long tail of specialized service businesses serving them. The legal needs follow the mix. A typical week in our Manhattan business practice might include forming an LLC for a small consulting firm in Midtown, drafting a founders' agreement for a SoHo-based startup, negotiating a commercial lease for a Tribeca retail concept, reviewing a customer agreement for a Financial District-based fintech company, and handling a small acquisition for an established services business in Chelsea.
Several patterns are specific to Manhattan business work. First, the founder profile skews experienced: most Manhattan business clients have prior business or professional experience and arrive with sophisticated questions, which shapes how the legal conversation runs. Second, Manhattan's business density produces vendor and customer relationships that often span multiple Manhattan businesses — small businesses serving each other, professional services firms with established customer bases, content businesses serving the finance and media industries — which means commercial contract work is a constant. Third, the venture-capital ecosystem is heavily concentrated in Manhattan, which means a meaningful share of formations are structured for eventual outside capital (Delaware C-corp formation, founder vesting, IP assignment, clean cap tables) rather than as small operating businesses. We handle both kinds.
Manhattan is also where the firm's primary office is located — 30 Broad Street, in the Financial District. Most Manhattan clients come to us via referrals from prior clients, accountants, real estate attorneys (we cross-refer with several specialists), and direct search. Initial consultations are typically by phone or Zoom; clients often handle everything remotely without coming to the office. For matters that benefit from in-person meetings, the Broad Street location is a few blocks from the major subway lines and a short walk from most Financial District offices.
Most Manhattan business clients form New York LLCs. For venture-track startups, we form Delaware C-corps. For licensed professionals (lawyers, doctors, architects, accountants), we form professional service entities (PCs and PLLCs). For real-estate-investment focused entities (single-asset LLCs holding individual properties), we coordinate with the firm's real estate practice. The right structure depends on what the business actually does and what its plans are. Most formations include a custom operating agreement, EIN application, NY publication coordination, and S-corp election where applicable. More on NYC LLC formation →
Most Manhattan multi-member LLCs and corporations need carefully drafted operating or shareholder agreements. Templates rarely match a specific business situation — particularly for businesses with non-equal contributions, vesting structures, or planned outside investment. We draft these documents for new formations and retrofit them for existing businesses that incorporated without one. More on operating agreements →
For Manhattan startups, founders' agreements are essential — they cover equity split, vesting, IP assignment, departure provisions, and decision rights. Without them, co-founder disputes are the leading cause of avoidable startup failure. The standard for venture-track companies includes 4-year vesting with a 1-year cliff, full IP assignment, and clean cap-table mechanics that investors will expect. More on founders' agreements →
Manhattan's business density means most companies sign commercial contracts regularly — customer agreements, vendor contracts, master services agreements, statements of work, NDAs, licensing agreements. We draft master templates for businesses with regular contracting needs and review individual contracts for higher-stakes engagements. More on commercial contracts →
Manhattan has an active market for small and mid-sized business transactions — service businesses changing hands, professional practices being acquired, retail and hospitality businesses being bought and sold. We represent buyers and sellers in transactions from $250K to $25M+, handling APAs, SPAs, due diligence, escrow structuring, and post-closing transition. More on business M&A →
For Manhattan brands — particularly in fashion, media, food and beverage, and consumer products — federal trademark registration is meaningful protection. We handle clearance searches, USPTO applications, Office Action responses, and renewals on a flat-fee basis. More on trademark registration →
Within the broader business practice, we have particular depth in several Manhattan-concentrated industries: financial services (investment advisers, broker-dealer-adjacent businesses, fintech), professional services (consulting firms, professional service partnerships), creative and content businesses (media, film, advertising, digital), and food and beverage (restaurants, bars, food brands). The legal framework is the same as for other businesses; the industry-specific knowledge informs how the work gets done.
All work is flat-fee, set in writing before any work begins. Specific pricing depends on the matter: entity formations price modestly, multi-member operating agreements scale with complexity, commercial contracts scale with type and volume, M&A scales with deal size, and trademark work prices per application.
For businesses with ongoing legal needs (regular contracting work, periodic transactions, ongoing entity governance), we sometimes structure relationships with predictable monthly or quarterly pricing rather than per-matter quoting. This works particularly well for businesses with consistent contract volume.
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Most Manhattan business work doesn't require Manhattan-specific knowledge — the legal framework is the same across NY. What can matter is industry experience and familiarity with the Manhattan business environment (vendor relationships, real estate considerations, accountant referrals). For most clients, the relevant question isn't 'is this attorney in Manhattan' but 'does this attorney understand my industry and the kinds of issues I'm likely to face.' We work with Manhattan businesses across most major industries and offer in-person availability at our 30 Broad Street office for matters that benefit from face-to-face meetings.
Depends on plans for outside capital. Delaware C-corp is the default for venture-track companies because it's what institutional investors expect — Delaware corporate law is well-developed, founder/preferred share structures are standard, and the cap table is clean. NY LLC is the default for self-funded or bootstrapped businesses because it's simpler, has more tax flexibility, and avoids the cost of operating as a foreign entity in NY. The decision affects almost everything that comes later, so it's worth having before the business is formed. We discuss the trade-offs based on the specific situation.
Not technically — you can form online for under $100. But single-member businesses still benefit from getting the structure right (often S-corp election for tax efficiency, properly drafted operating agreement, NY publication compliance). The most common DIY-formation mistake is missing the publication requirement, which suspends the LLC's right to bring lawsuits. The cost difference between DIY formation and properly handled formation is small relative to the consequences of getting it wrong.
Articles of organization typically file in 1-3 business days. The publication requirement runs for 6 weeks but doesn't gate operations — most clients can begin operating their LLC within a few days of articles filing, while publication runs in the background. EIN typically issues same-day. Operating agreement drafting timing depends on the parties; single-member agreements can be drafted in days, multi-member agreements take longer because of the negotiation process.
Both. Project-based work (formation, M&A, specific contract drafting) is typical. For businesses with ongoing legal needs, we sometimes structure ongoing relationships — a fixed monthly or quarterly fee for a defined volume of contract work, periodic check-ins, and project work as it comes up. This works particularly well for businesses that sign regular contracts or face regular legal questions.
Flat fee set in writing before any work begins. Standard formations price predictably; multi-member agreements, commercial contracts, M&A, and trademark work price based on complexity. Get a free quote in under an hour by submitting the contact form.
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