I am a New York City real estate attorney. I litigate commercial and residential disputes in Supreme Court, Civil Court, and Housing Court, and I handle the leasing and enforcement side of the business: lease drafting and negotiation, guaranty disputes, security deposit disputes, and judgment enforcement and collections.

My litigation practice

My litigation practice is heavy on the problems that keep owners, landlords, tenants, and businesses up at night: lease defaults, holdover and nonpayment proceedings, Yellowstone injunctions, guaranty enforcement, access issues and compliance problems, succession and rent stabilization fights, security deposit disputes and defective notices and bad service. I handle the full life of a case: pleadings, motion practice, discovery disputes, settlement, and trial. I am equally comfortable with the "paper" side of the case as with the practical side, and I keep both pointed at the result that actually matters to you. Sometimes that is a negotiated exit. Sometimes it is a judgment and collection. And if a trial is necessary (and it sometimes is), you're covered.

My leasing practice

Litigation teaches you exactly how leases fail, and I put that knowledge to work before anyone sees a courtroom. I negotiate commercial leases and subleases for retail, restaurant, and office space, on both the landlord and tenant side: reviewing and redlining drafts, negotiating riders, good guy guaranties, security deposit terms, use and buildout provisions, assignments, and consents. Many of my clients on this side are the people who actually run the business (restaurant owners, building owners, founders, nonprofit directors), and I negotiate the way they need me to: in plain English, focused on the handful of terms that will matter over the life of the lease, and without blowing up a good deal over a clause nobody will read again.

How I work

I run a solo practice by design. When you hire me, you get me, not a junior associate who just wants to get through the day. I take pride in being accessible, responsive, and direct. Clients come to me for clear answers and practical strategy, especially when the situation is time-sensitive or high-stakes.

I do not pretend legal problems are fun. But I do believe the process works better when counsel is calm, organized, and human. I keep clients informed, I speak plainly, and I do not sugarcoat issues. If the paperwork does not support your number, I will tell you before the other side does. Most of the time, a little humor helps too, because if you cannot laugh at the absurd parts of litigation, the Court will do it for you.

If you are looking for attentive counsel who will take your matter personally, you are in the right place. Your case is my case.