PRACTICE AREA ·
3
OF 06
AT A GLANCE
Who it's for
Companies on either side of a signed agreement
Courts
NY state and federal courts, or arbitration
Typical length
2 to 12 months from first call to resolution
First step
A free 30-minute call, then a written assessment within 48 hours.
Fees from
$2,500 fixed demand letter
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
A payment is overdue
The other side has stopped paying and stopped answering.
02
You received a breach notice
A cure period is running, and how you respond now matters.
03
The terms are being read differently
Both sides point to the same clause and mean different things.
04
A deal is about to be signed
Better to have the risky clauses read before they're yours.
05
An earn-out or licence is in dispute
Numbers, definitions or reporting duties are being contested.
06
You want out of an agreement
Termination rights, notice periods and what leaving costs.
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
Her demand letter did what two years of emails couldn't. We were paid within three weeks.
Priya Shah
COO, a Queens manufacturer · contract dispute
Questions about commercial cases
The ones I hear most on first calls. If yours isn’t here, ask me directly.
Is a demand letter worth sending?
Do you take cases on contingency?
What if the contract was never signed?
What should I have ready for the first call?
Can I stop work while they don't pay?
Can you review a contract before I sign it?
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.