Running a business in New York City means operating under one of the most complex regulatory environments in the country. New York’s Business Corporation Law and LLC Act govern how entities are formed and managed. The New York SHIELD Act imposes data security obligations on businesses that hold New York residents’ personal information. The New York City Human Rights Law, one of the broadest in the nation, creates employer obligations that go significantly further than federal employment law.
For creative companies, media businesses, and entrepreneurs building something in New York City, having a business lawyer who understands both the legal landscape and the industries you work in is not optional—it is how you protect what you have built.
The Fried Firm is a boutique business law firm based in DUMBO, Brooklyn, with deep roots in New York City’s creative and entrepreneurial communities. We work with companies at every stage, from entity formation and early governance to complex transactions, outside counsel relationships, and business disputes.
Business Attorney Near Me
The Fried Firm is located at 231 Front St., Suite 216, Brooklyn 11201, just a few blocks from DUMBO. Our office is conveniently accessible to both Brooklyn and Manhattan-based clients, located right off the Manhattan Bridge and close to the York Street Subway stop. Our office is served by the A/C and F lines, as well as the New York City Ferry at the Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Why Should I Hire The Fried Firm?
The Fried Firm is a well-established boutique law firm in New York City focused on serving the needs of clients in creative fields like arts, entertainment, media, and music industries. As part of the NYC creative community, our clients are our partners, which is why we work hard to safeguard their businesses.
At The Fried Firm, we understand that undertaking a creative business involves different hurdles different from what other enterprises face. We also know that New York City has stringent business laws and regulations that can help push a creative career forward or set it back. What sets us apart at the Fried Firm is how we navigate these challenges. Our quality service, creative thinking, and our personalized attention to detail attract us to creative clients throughout the city.
What Does a Business Lawyer Do?
A business attorney can help you with any area of your business needs, from filing your business formation documents correctly to handling litigation disputes. At The Fried Firm, we practice in the following areas of NYC business law:
Business Entity Formation
Business partnerships have certain legal obligations to one another that often are best structured as limited partnerships or LLCs. Other business owners may find that the tax structure of an S-Corp or the independence of a sole proprietorship best suits their needs. Working with another person to launch or maintain your creative business might implicate them in certain kinds of debts, liabilities, and responsibilities tied to your shared undertaking. With the help of a corporate lawyer, filing the correct business formation agreements from the start cuts through the noise, and ensures that your enterprise is built in a way that makes sense to everyone involved.
Corporate Governance
Corporate governing includes drafting internal documents like partnership contracts, by-laws, non-compete agreements and operating agreements. It may also involve negotiating and drafting professional shareholder agreements and analyzing potential M&A opportunities. A business that has a sound foundation can minimize its tax burdens, shield its owners from liability, and make sure your enterprise is as flexible as possible so it can grow with you.
Business Restructuring, M&A, and Corporate Dissolution
Corporate dissolution as well as business restructuring in the creative field can bring complex questions about ongoing rights and ownership, hangover tax penalties, and employee retention or layoffs. A consultation with a business lawyer in NYC can save you years of lawsuits, bad advice, and potential loss of revenue, while creating a smoother and more positive transition for everyone.
General Advice on Corporate Matters
Most larger businesses have in-house counsel on retainer for consultations about growth strategies, protection against harassment suits and liability questions, as well as managing employee relations. Many small business owners don’t realize that by working with an NYC business law firm, they can also have a partner available to run ideas past, help handle issues, and navigate employee turnover. Working with The Fried Firm means that you are no longer alone in supporting your business’s day-to-day corporate operations.
Facilitation of Operating Agreements, Website T&C, and Master Service Agreements
Non-compliance with operating agreements, federal and state consumer protection laws, and master service agreements can quickly stall a promising business. At The Fried Firm, we will ensure your business stays up to date on evolving regulations, such as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and New York State privacy laws, as well as help you with robustly drafted website Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policies.
Employment Law Matters
As corporate lawyers, we know what are the potential red flags to look out for in employment contracts. Our firm can help you draft robust offer letters and employment agreements, handle employment disputes, and provide your employees with the necessary documentation. Especially important in the creative field, we can also ensure that your bases are covered with iron-clad non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), confidentiality agreements, non-competition, non-circumvention, and non-solicitation contracts.
Compliance and Risk Management
In a creative business, like in a creative life, there is always some degree of risk. We are here to make sure your new or innovative business ventures do not come with risks if things go south. Our business attorneys will work hard to ensure your business follows applicable compliance measures and is structured soundly from the start.
For New York City businesses, compliance means more than federal and general state law. Key New York-specific obligations include:
- LLC Publication Requirement: New York LLCs must publish notice of formation in two county newspapers within 120 days, or risk losing the right to sue in New York courts. This is a common compliance gap for businesses that form without local counsel.
- New York SHIELD Act: Businesses that hold the private information of New York residents must implement reasonable data security programs and comply with notification requirements in the event of a breach.
- NYC Human Rights Law (NYCHRL): The NYCHRL applies to employers with four or more employees and provides broader protections than federal or New York State law — including protection against discrimination based on caregiver status, salary history (NYC Pay Transparency Law), and automated employment decision tools (Local Law 144).
- Pay Transparency: New York City requires employers to post salary ranges for open positions. New York State has statewide pay transparency rules as well.
Business Dispute and Litigation
Understanding your rights in a business dispute, employee litigation, intellectual property claim, and more, can help protect what you’ve built and in some cases, prevent you from being held personally liable for damages. If you need help resolving a business dispute matter, The Fried Firm can advocate for your rights, and represent you in court if necessary.
I Need a Business Lawyer: What Are My Next Steps?
Realizing that you need a professional legal eye on a matter is the first step toward supporting your business. These are the next steps you may take to ensure that you’re working with the right NYC business attorney for your needs:
- Figure out what kind of business lawyer you need: Some business lawyers focus exclusively on tax law, or only handle employment disputes like workers’ comp claims. Other attorneys might focus on business contracts and M&A. Pinpoint what kind of business issue you’re seeking to resolve in order to ensure that you ask the right kind of lawyer to help you address it.
- Ask people you trust for recommendations: Word of mouth is usually a good source of recommendations, especially among the creative community in NYC. If you don’t know anyone who has worked with a lawyer they trust, you may be able to find one online.
- Shortlist a group of lawyers: Once you have several options, make a short list, and look into their Google reviews, ratings, and websites. This can help you find a business law firm that not only handles the kind of issues you need help with, but also has client reviews that you can read through to get a sense of their professional style, career success, and experience.
- Email potential lawyers about their availability and fee structure: Most business lawyers are available to answer questions before you agree to work with them. You can consider what kind of fee structure will best suit your needs, and discuss whether you are seeking an attorney to work with as an ongoing counsel or for a one-time project.
- Maintain a ready list of questions to ask during initial consultations: Before you first call or meet with your business lawyer, draft up a list of questions to ask about the matter at hand. This can save you time and money by ensuring you get to the heart of the issue right away.
- Book a consultation with potential lawyers: The Fried Firm offers a complimentary 15-minute consultation to ensure that by engaging our services, we will best be able to meet your needs.
How To Find a Good Business Lawyer
When you look for a business lawyer, look for an attorney who is an expert in their area of law, but who also makes understanding their clients’ distinct requirements a priority. At The Fried Firm, this attention to detail is what sets us apart. We speak the same language as our clients, offering creative solutions to legal problems. We have built our reputation as a trustworthy and experienced boutique law firm in New York by tuning into what makes our clients’ businesses unique, and offering solutions that strengthen those elements.
In-House Counsel vs. Law Firm
An in-house counsel is an employee who supports the legal needs of a corporate entity. Most larger businesses employ in-house counsels to support their ongoing needs like contract drafting and negotiation, handling general employee documents and disputes, ensuring regulatory compliance, and more.
A law firm typically offers services based on its clients’ specific requirements and budgets. You can choose to hire a law firm to handle a certain matter or retain them under a longer-term contract for services like drafting vendor agreements or answering legal questions. Since it doesn’t always make economic sense for small businesses to hire in-house counsel, working with a business law firm can be a good substitute to receive excellent legal advice and specialized services.
Questions To Ask a Business Lawyer
Before you hire a business lawyer, consider asking about their background and areas of expertise with questions like:
- How long have you been practicing business law in NYC?
- What companies do you generally work with? Are they comparable to mine in terms of size and industry?
- How will I be billed?
- Are you experienced with creatives?
- What will be your main role in supporting my business?
Once you have decided on a second consultation or retained a business attorney, you can then pivot to asking more nuanced questions about how the business law firm will best serve your needs, like:
- How do I minimize corporate risk?
- How can I structure my business to reduce my tax liability?
- What compliance practices do I need to know about and adhere to?
- What kinds of corporate insurance should I consider?
- What contracts and agreements will I need?
- How can we settle this dispute?
- How can I ensure my intellectual property is protected?
- What additional information can you offer me about businesses like mine?
How Much Does a Business Lawyer Cost?
Not all business lawyers work with the same kinds of fee structures. Some business attorneys work on a retainer or an hourly rate, while others may offer a capped fee, contingency fee, or flat fees for certain kinds of work.
How Can The Fried Firm Help My Business?
The Fried Firm is a group of hard-working business consultants dedicated to providing legal solutions for your business needs. Our attorneys have experience with the following practice areas:
- Business Law: We can help with the negotiation and drafting of corporate documents, answering business law queries, and litigating your matter in court.
- Mergers & Acquisitions: We assist business owners with the entire lifecycle of a deal, starting with market research and scoping, to completing all post-closing formalities.
- Employment Law: The Fried Firm can assist you with any area of employment law, such as drafting onboarding materials for employees and independent contractors, handling W-4, I-9, and healthcare policies, establishing company compliance and employee handbook materials, and more.
- Intellectual Property Rights: Our skilled business attorneys provide all intellectual property services. We can handle your federal and state IP registration process, enforcement, and defense. We also handle real-world issues and conflicts with similar branding, marks, and copyrights to ensure our clients are protected from every angle.
- Internet Law: Internet law is a changing field, and The Fried Firm keeps abreast of every new development. Our services currently include, but are not limited to, handling privacy matters, website terms and conditions, state and federal privacy law compliance, licensing agreements and disputes, and First Amendment and defamation claims.
- Entertainment, Music, and Media Law: New York City and its boroughs are home to some of the best up-and-coming as well as established artists in the music, entertainment, and media fields. At The Fried Firm, our attorneys celebrate this heritage and have special connections to it ourselves. We provide expert representation in all areas of entertainment law, like talent agreements, music licensing, production and finance agreements, recording agreements, product endorsement and sponsorship deals, and more.
- Commercial Litigation: While we pride ourselves on keeping our clients out of the courtroom, our firm can represent you in any kind of commercial litigation or business conflict, ensuring that your rights as a business owner are protected.
Where creative minds come together
Business Lawyer NYC FAQ
Here are some of the more commonly asked questions we receive from those looking to hire an business lawyer in NYC.
What makes New York business law different from other states?
New York has several requirements and protections that do not exist (or exist differently) in other states. The LLC publication requirement is one of the most commonly overlooked: New York LLCs must publish notice of formation in two local newspapers or risk losing the right to sue in state court. The New York City Human Rights Law is one of the broadest anti-discrimination statutes in the country, covering employers with as few as four employees. The New York SHIELD Act imposes data security obligations on any business that holds personal information about New York residents, even if the business is located outside of New York. Working with a New York-based business lawyer ensures these requirements are addressed correctly from the start.
Does my New York business need a written operating agreement?
Yes. The New York LLC Act requires that New York LLCs have an operating agreement, though it does not need to be filed with the state. The operating agreement governs how your business is managed, how profits and losses are allocated, what happens if a member leaves or dies, and how major decisions are made. Without a written operating agreement, your LLC’s governance defaults to the New York LLC Act’s statutory rules, which are often not appropriate for your specific business. At The Fried Firm, we draft operating agreements that reflect how your business actually works and protect all of the people involved.
What is outside general counsel, and does my NYC business need it?
Outside general counsel is a law firm that serves the ongoing legal needs of a business, like reviewing contracts, advising on employment matters, handling compliance questions, and being available when legal issues arise, without the cost of a full-time in-house lawyer. For small and midsize businesses in New York City, outside general counsel is often the right answer: you get senior legal advice when you need it, structured around your budget, from attorneys who know your business. The Fried Firm works with New York creative companies and media businesses in this capacity, functioning as a trusted legal partner rather than just an outside vendor brought in for individual matters.
Speak To a Knowledgeable and Innovative NYC Business Law Firm Today
If you need to know more about our services and how a business lawyer can help, The Fried Firm is available to answer your questions with a complimentary consultation. Our team possesses the relevant experience and skills you would expect from a top business law firm. Contact us if you think we can help protect and support your business, your work, and your creative vision.
