PRACTICE AREA ·
1
OF 06
AT A GLANCE
Who it's for
Companies, their owners and the executives who run them
Courts
NY Commercial Division, S.D.N.Y., E.D.N.Y.
Typical length
9 to 18 months from first call to resolution
First step
A free 30-minute call, then a written assessment within 48 hours.
Fees from
$3,500 fixed assessment
Signs it’s time to call
If any of these sound familiar, a 30-minute call now usually costs far less than fixing it later.
01
The other side stopped performing
Payments are late, deliveries come up short, or a partner has quietly walked away from the deal.
02
A demand letter arrived
Its deadline is not a court deadline, but what you say next can be used against you later.
03
You've been served
You usually have 20 or 30 days to respond. Miss it and you can lose by default.
04
Someone took your clients or your code
A former employee, partner or competitor is using what they agreed not to.
05
A deal was sold on false numbers
Overstated revenue, hidden liabilities, or an earn-out that was never going to pay.
06
Talks have gone in circles
You need leverage, or a clear view of the point where you walk away.
Most cases resolve before trial. I prepare every one as if it won’t, and you get a document at each stage.
01
First call
Thirty minutes, no charge. You tell me what happened and I tell you honestly whether it's worth pursuing.
Note of first call · Week 1
02
Case assessment
Your strongest claims, the defences they'll run, and a realistic range of outcomes, in writing.
· Within 48 hours
03
Pleadings & early motions
The complaint or answer, and any motion that could end the case early or narrow it.
· Months 1–2
04
Discovery
Documents, depositions and experts. It's where most cases are won, and where most budgets go.
· Months 2–9
05
Resolution
Mediation, settlement or trial. I give you my view of every offer, and the number I'd take.
· Months 9–18
What it costs
Fixed prices where the work is predictable, monthly caps where it isn’t. You approve the budget before I start, and it only changes if you say so.
Case assessment
Written, within 48 hours
$3,500 fixed
Pleadings & motions
Complaint or answer, first motions
$18k–26k
Discovery
Monthly, never above the cap
$12k / mo cap
Mediation
Preparation and a full day
$9,500 fixed
Trial
Quoted in writing after discovery
From $60k
Estimated to resolution
Most commercial cases, without trial
$64k–92k
Prices for 2026. Court filing fees and expert costs are billed at cost, and I tell you before they’re incurred.
IN A CLIENT’S WORDS
She told us what the case was worth, not what we wanted to hear. We settled for more than her own estimate, and six months earlier.
Rachel Okafor
CFO, a Brooklyn food distributor · contract dispute
Questions about commercial cases
The ones I hear most on first calls. If yours isn’t here, ask me directly.
How long does a commercial case take?
Do you take cases on contingency?
Can we settle before anything is filed?
What should I have ready for the first call?
Will I have to testify?
What if the other side is in another state?
Other practice areas
FREE 30-MINUTE CALL
Tell me what happened.
I read every enquiry myself and reply within one business day, usually sooner. If a court deadline is close, call instead of writing.
Contacting me does not create an attorney–client relationship.