New York Business Dispute Attorneys

At DearLegal, we connect you with experienced New York business litigation attorneys who can navigate the New York Supreme Court Commercial Division, contract disputes, fiduciary breaches, and complex commercial cases in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and across the state.

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Matched with a New York attorney in 24 hours
30,000+ plaintiffs served nationwide

Free New York business dispute case review

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How we match your New York business dispute case

When you submit a New York business dispute matter, we route it through a national network of independent partner firms and put it in front of the one that fits best — based on the kind of case it is, what it is likely to involve, where it has to be handled, and who has capacity to take it on now.

Case type

A business dispute matter needs someone who handles business dispute work day to day, not a generalist. Practice area is the first filter.

Size and complexity

Some firms are built for catastrophic injury and multi-party litigation; others resolve straightforward claims quickly. We weigh what your matter is likely to involve against how each firm actually works.

Jurisdiction and licensing

Your matter is decided under New York law, so it goes to an attorney licensed in New York who regularly appears where your case would be heard.

Capacity and fit

Availability, conflicts of interest and language all matter. If the best-fit firm cannot take your case, we route it to the next one that can — or tell you plainly when no one in the network is the right answer.

Every partner reviews your case for free. Injury and workers’ compensation matters are handled on contingency — no fee unless you win. Other matters are quoted upfront, before you commit to anything.

Get started How DearLegal works

DearLegal provides marketing and matching services and is not a law firm. Submitting a case does not create an attorney-client relationship. Matches depend on case type, jurisdiction and firm availability.

Exhibit A

What happens with a business dispute claim in New York

Day 0
A deal goes wrong.
Non-payment, breach, a partner dispute, unfair competition. Gather the contract, correspondence and the numbers.
Within 24 hours
Tell us what happened.
Two minutes on this page. A New York business dispute attorney reviews it for free and, if it’s a fit, you’re matched within 24 hours.
Weeks 1–4
Position and leverage.
Your attorney reads the contract the way a judge would, sizes the damages, and finds where the other side is exposed.
Months 1–3
Demand, negotiation, mediation.
Most commercial disputes resolve here — often on terms that preserve the relationship, if that is what you want.
Before the deadline
Litigation or arbitration if needed.
Deadlines are strict and vary by claim. Your attorney tracks every one of them.
Resolution
Judgment, award or settlement.
Fees are quoted before you commit — hourly or a retainer, spelled out in writing at the free consultation.

SOL — Written Contract: 6 years
6 years (N.Y. CPLR § 213(2))
SOL — Oral Contract: 6 years
6 years (N.Y. CPLR § 213(2))
UCC Article 2 (Goods) SOL: 4 years
4 years from tender of delivery (N.Y. UCC § 2-725); UCC adopted in full
Business Court / Commercial Division: $500k
New York Supreme Court Commercial Division — 22 NYCRR § 202.70; $500K threshold in NYC, lower elsewhere
Long-Arm / Personal Jurisdiction: N.Y. CPLR § 302
N.Y. CPLR § 302 — enumerated long-arm; N.Y. courts apply this strictly (Daimler v. Bauman, Goodyear)
Typical attorney fee: Contingency
Hourly / Retainer (Contingency Available for Plaintiff Cases)

New York has adopted the UCC in full and operates the Commercial Division of the New York Supreme Court — the highest-profile state business court in the country outside Delaware. Established in 1995, the Commercial Division (22 NYCRR § 202.70) hears qualifying commercial cases above monetary thresholds that vary by county (currently $500,000 in New York County / Manhattan and lower elsewhere). The Commercial Division features specialized judges, dedicated rules, and a body of decisions that influence commercial law nationally. New York’s Business Corporation Law (BCL), Limited Liability Company Law, and Partnership Law govern entity disputes; minority shareholder protection runs through BCL § 1104-a (dissolution for oppressive actions) — one of the most-cited minority-protection statutes in the country.

Exhibit B

When to call a business dispute attorney in New York

Does any of this sound like you? Tap what applies.

0of 6 apply

Tick anything that applies. Even one is reason enough to talk to a New York business dispute attorney before you talk to an insurer.

Talk to an attorney anyway

Meanwhile, don’t

Missing the 6-year SOL under CPLR § 213(2) — or the 4-year UCC § 2-725 deadline
Treating New York’s implied covenant of good faith as a substitute for express drafting — New York reads contracts strictly within their four corners
Failing to preserve emails, Slack, texts, and contract files immediately — New York courts impose substantial spoliation sanctions
Talking directly to opposing counsel without your own attorney and giving away admissions
Accepting partial payment with language that operates as accord and satisfaction under N.Y. UCC § 3-311 and waiving the rest of the claim
Failing to timely file a UCC-1 financing statement or perfect a mechanic’s lien under N.Y. Lien Law

Exhibit C

Business Dispute cases we take in New York

Which one is closest to yours?

Breach of contract

The core of New York commercial litigation. Six-year SOL under CPLR § 213(2). Damages are the benefit of the bargain. New York reads contracts strictly within their four corners.

Sound like yours? A New York attorney reviews it free — fees are quoted upfront, before you commit.

Start my free review

Exhibit D

How much do New York business dispute attorneys cost?

Typical fee schedule

New York · Business Dispute

Fee modelHourly / Retainer

Contingency available for plaintiff cases

Rate & retainerset in your engagement letter

Estimategiven before you commit

Case reviewFree

Illustrative only. Your fee terms are set in a written agreement with your attorney and may include costs and expenses regardless of outcome.

Business Dispute matters in New York are usually billed hourly against a retainer, with the estimate spelled out before you commit.

New York business litigation is overwhelmingly billed hourly against a retainer at the highest commercial-litigation rates in the country. Plaintiff-side commercial collections, certain fraud and § 1104-a oppression cases, and contract cases with strong fee-shifting can be handled on 33%–40% contingency or a hybrid fee. Complex Commercial Division cases typically run hourly. A good New York business litigator will walk you through fee structures and budgets upfront.

A good attorney walks through every number at your free consultation — before you sign anything.

Get startedTakes about two minutes. No obligation.

Exhibit E

What your New York business dispute compensation can include

A New York business dispute recovery is built from several parts. Tap one to see what it covers.

Compensatory / Actual Damages

Direct losses caused by the breach — the benefit of the bargain.

DearLegal is a legal referral service, not a law firm. We connect individuals with licensed attorneys who can evaluate their case. Nothing on this page constitutes legal advice. Results vary based on individual circumstances.

Exhibit F

New York business dispute questions, answered

Still unsure? Tell us what happened and a New York attorney will review it for free.

Start free review

Settle when the relationship matters and litigation costs would eat your recovery. Litigate when the other side won’t engage, you need a preliminary injunction, your case qualifies for the Commercial Division, or you have a fee-shifting clause. New York is also the only major commercial forum without a contract fee-shifting default, so the contract itself drives most fee outcomes.

Move quickly. New York BCL § 1104-a authorizes judicial dissolution for oppressive actions toward shareholders of close corporations (Matter of Kemp & Beatley) — a powerful minority remedy. LLC parallels under N.Y. LLCL § 702. Demand records in writing, preserve everything, and get counsel before you’re locked out.

Four elements: a valid contract, your performance, the other side’s breach, and damages. New York reads contracts strictly within their four corners (parol evidence rule is robust). New York recognizes the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing as a gap-filler, but won’t use it to rewrite the deal.

Usually yes. The Federal Arbitration Act preempts most state-law challenges and New York courts routinely enforce commercial arbitration clauses. New York has also adopted Article 75 of the CPLR governing arbitration, and is home to multiple international arbitration centers (ICDR, AAA, JAMS).

New York repealed the older Uniform Fraudulent Conveyance Act and replaced it with the Uniform Voidable Transactions Act effective April 2020 (N.Y. Debtor & Creditor Law §§ 270 et seq.). UVTA lets you claw assets back or get judgment against the transferee.

Commercial Division cases get assigned to judges with substantial commercial-law experience; the court applies the Commercial Division Rules (22 NYCRR § 202.70(g)) tailored to complex commercial litigation; and decisions create a body of state commercial-law precedent unmatched outside Delaware. Faster, more sophisticated, and more predictable than the general civil docket.

New York follows the American Rule strictly — no statutory contract fee-shifting. Contractual prevailing-party clauses are routinely enforced. Specific statutes (e.g., 22 NYCRR § 130 frivolous conduct) also allow fees.

Business Dispute attorneys by city in New York

Same New York rules and the same attorneys — with what’s local to each city.

Other case types in New York

All New York practice areas →

Animal Incident attorneysNew York holds dog owners strictly liable for bites only if the owner knew the dog was vicious — ordinary negligence claims for the bite itself are largely barred.

Car Accident attorneysNew York’s no-fault auto regime means most minor cases stay with your own insurer — but a "serious injury" opens the door to suing the other driver.

Consumer Protection attorneysNew York’s deceptive-practices and false-advertising laws let consumers recover triple damages up to $1,000 plus attorney fees — a workhorse for everyday claims.

Criminal Defense attorneysNew York’s 2019 discovery and bail reforms reshaped criminal practice — your attorney needs to know how the new evidence-sharing timelines interact with NYC DA offices.

Defective Product attorneysNew York is one of the leading states for products-liability law — its courts established strict liability for defective products and have shaped duty-to-warn doctrine for decades.

Employment attorneysThe NYS Human Rights Law is broader than federal law (1 employee minimum), and NYC’s Human Rights Law is broader still — both with longer filing deadlines than federal.

Family Law attorneysNew York divides marital property equitably — and a 2010 reform brought "no-fault" divorce, ending the require-grounds era. Maintenance follows a presumptive formula.

Immigration attorneysNYC has one of the highest immigration-case loads in the country — the New York immigration court calendar is years out, so motions to advance matter.

Lemon Law attorneysNew York’s Lemon Law covers both new and used cars — and the state’s Lemon Law arbitration program is a real alternative to suit.

Medical Malpractice attorneysNew York has no damages cap, but judgments over $250K are paid out in installments over time — and state law caps your attorney’s contingency fee on a sliding scale.

Personal Injury attorneysNew York’s 3-year injury filing deadline and pure comparative fault are generous — but no-fault auto and the construction-site "scaffold law" carve out their own rules.

Slip and Fall attorneysNew York City requires written notice to the City within 90 days of municipal-property claims — miss it and your case is gone.

Social Security Disability attorneysNew York SSA hearing offices in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx are among the busiest nationwide — counsel helps you climb the hearing queue.

Workers’ Compensation attorneysThe NYS Workers’ Compensation Board runs claims through lump-sum settlements and Independent Medical Examinations — process matters as much as facts.

New York Business Dispute Attorneys

How we match your New York business dispute case

Case type

Size and complexity

Jurisdiction and licensing

Capacity and fit

What happens with a business dispute claim in New York

A deal goes wrong.

Tell us what happened.

Position and leverage.

Demand, negotiation, mediation.

Litigation or arbitration if needed.

Judgment, award or settlement.

When to call a business dispute attorney in New York

Business Dispute cases we take in New York

Breach of contract

Breach of fiduciary duty

Shareholder and minority oppression

Partnership dissolution

LLC member disputes

Commercial lease disputes

Vendor and supplier disputes

Trade secrets and intellectual property in business

Commercial defamation and General Business Law

Tortious interference

Fraudulent / voidable transfer

Commercial debt collection

How much do New York business dispute attorneys cost?

What your New York business dispute compensation can include

Compensatory / Actual Damages

Lost Profits

Consequential Damages

Punitive Damages

Attorney Fees

Specific Performance / Injunctive Relief

New York business dispute questions, answered

Business Dispute attorneys by city in New York

Other case types in New York

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