Warren Kalyan is a New York business law firm representing founders, hospitality operators, real estate investors, and lower middle market dealmakers across the five boroughs and the broader tri state area.
About Our New York Practice
New York is the firm's second largest market, and the New York practice is built around the realities of running a business in the city: high stakes hospitality regulation, expensive real estate, sophisticated counterparties, and dispute exposure that can disrupt an operating business if not managed well.
The New York office at 55 Broadway, 3rd Floor, sits in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan, near Bowling Green and Wall Street. The location gives the team direct access to the New York Supreme Court (the state trial court), the Commercial Division, the Appellate Division, and the federal courts that hear most of the firm's commercial matters.
Services We Provide in New York
| Practice Area | Typical Client | Engagement Model |
|---|---|---|
| Entity formation and governance | New founders, multi entity holding structures, foreign qualified entities | Flat fee |
| New York LLC publication requirement | New LLCs registered in New York | Flat fee plus publication costs |
| Commercial contracts | Operating companies, vendors, B2B service providers | Flat fee or hourly |
| Mergers and acquisitions | Buyers and sellers in deals from 500K to 25M | Retainer plus hourly |
| Capital raising | Founders raising debt or equity from private investors | Hourly or flat fee per stage |
| Real estate transactions | Multifamily, mixed use, and hospitality property owners | Flat fee or hourly |
| Commercial leasing | Restaurant, retail, office tenants and landlords | Flat fee |
| SLA liquor licensing | Restaurants, bars, hotels, breweries | Flat fee per permit |
| Hospitality M and A with license transfer | Hospitality operators and acquirers | Retainer plus hourly |
| Landlord and tenant litigation | Commercial property owners | Hourly |
| Business and commercial litigation | Operating businesses in disputes | Hourly |
| General counsel retainer | SMB businesses needing ongoing legal support | Monthly retainer |
Industries We Serve in New York
- Hospitality and food and beverage (restaurants, bars, hotels, catering, experiential dining)
- Multifamily real estate (owners, operators, property management)
- Commercial and mixed use real estate (developers, investors, brokers)
- Professional services (consulting firms, agencies, creative studios)
- Retail and consumer brands (boutique retail, direct to consumer)
- Entertainment and creative businesses
- Financial services support (advisors, fund managers, family offices needing SMB counsel)
Why New York Operators Choose Warren Kalyan
Senior attorney access without Manhattan tower pricing. Hari Kalyan and the senior team are direct points of contact; you do not get handed off to a junior associate.
Hospitality and SLA depth. The firm has handled hundreds of New York hospitality matters including license transfers, premises changes, and enforcement responses.
Texas and New York coverage. One firm, both jurisdictions, no coordinating between separate counsel.
Transparent pricing. Flat fees and capped engagements where matters allow.
Direct access. Active clients reach attorneys directly by phone, email, and text.
How We Bill
We use five engagement structures to match the matter at hand. Every engagement letter spells out the structure clearly before work starts.
- Flat fee for defined scope work.
- Hourly for matters where scope is fluid.
- Cap fee, where our fee is a percentage of the total transaction value.
- Hybrid hourly contingency fee, which is the greater of (i) a capped hourly fee structure or (ii) a percentage of an award from litigation.
- Monthly retainer for ongoing general counsel.
Typical fee ranges for common New York engagements:
| Engagement | Typical Fee Range | Structure |
|---|---|---|
| New York LLC formation | $1,000 to $2,500 plus publication costs | Flat fee |
| LLC publication requirement compliance | $500 to $1,500 plus newspaper publication fees | Flat fee |
| Standard commercial contract drafting | $1,000 to $5,000 | Flat fee |
| Contract review | $300 to $1,500 | Flat fee |
| SLA on premises license application | $5,000 to $10,000 plus state filing fees | Flat fee |
| SLA license transfer in M and A | $6,000 to $15,000 | Flat fee or hourly |
| Commercial real estate transaction (under 5M) | $6,000 to $12,000 | Flat fee |
| Commercial lease (landlord or tenant side) | $2,000 to $5,000 | Flat fee |
| SMB acquisition (buyer or seller side) | $25,000 to $100,000 | Retainer plus hourly |
| Ongoing general counsel retainer | $2,000 to $8,500 per month | Monthly retainer |
| Business litigation | Variable by matter | Hourly |
New York Specific Legal Considerations
New York LLC publication requirement
New York requires LLCs to publish notice of formation in two newspapers (one daily, one weekly) in the county of the LLC's office for six consecutive weeks, then file a Certificate of Publication. Failure to publish within one hundred and twenty days suspends the LLC's right to do business. Costs vary by county; New York County is the most expensive.
New York State Liquor Authority (SLA)
SLA licensing is the regulatory framework for any business serving alcohol in New York. License applications, transfers, premises changes, and renewals all flow through the SLA. License transfer in connection with a sale is one of the more time intensive parts of New York hospitality M and A and typically adds sixty to one hundred and twenty days to closing timelines.
New York Commercial Division
The Commercial Division of the New York Supreme Court handles business and commercial disputes meeting threshold amounts. The division has specialized rules, judges, and procedures that affect strategy and timeline.
NYC unincorporated business tax
Businesses operating in New York City face local tax considerations that affect entity structure and partner level taxation. Entity selection at formation matters.
Commercial lease consent requirements
Most NYC commercial leases require landlord consent for assignments or change of control. This affects M and A timelines for any acquisition target with a New York lease.
New York employment law
New York City and New York State employment rules (paid sick leave, salary history bans, NYC Human Rights Law, prevailing wage rules) layer additional requirements on top of federal law.
Our New York Office
| Address | 55 Broadway, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10006 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (212) 516-6513 |
| hello@warrenkalyan.com | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, by appointment recommended |
| Neighborhood | Financial District, Lower Manhattan, near Bowling Green and Wall Street |
| Nearest courthouses | New York Supreme Court (60 Centre Street), United States District Court Southern District of New York (500 Pearl Street) |
| Transit | Bowling Green (4, 5), Wall Street (2, 3, 4, 5, J, Z), Whitehall Street (R, W) |
Meet Your New York Legal Team
New York matters are led by Hari Kalyan (Managing Attorney) and other admitted partners and members. The team is admitted in New York State, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and the Eastern District of New York, among others. Visit the team page to see attorney bios, education, and bar admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions from New York Business Owners
Where is Warren Kalyan's New York office?
55 Broadway, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10006, in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan.
What types of New York businesses do you represent?
SMB and lower middle market companies across hospitality, multifamily and commercial real estate, professional services, retail, and creative industries. Most clients have five to one hundred employees and annual revenue between five hundred thousand and fifty million dollars.
Do you handle New York State Liquor Authority (SLA) licensing?
Yes. SLA licensing is one of the firm's core New York practices. We represent operators on applications, on premises and off premises licenses, transfers in connection with M and A, and ongoing SLA compliance.
What is the New York LLC publication requirement and can you handle it?
New York requires LLCs to publish notice of formation in two newspapers in the county of the registered office for six consecutive weeks, then file a Certificate of Publication. Yes, we handle this filing for new New York LLCs.
Should I form my LLC in New York or Delaware?
If you do business in New York, you must register as a foreign LLC even if formed in Delaware. For most SMBs, forming directly in New York is simpler and avoids duplicate filings. Delaware formation makes sense for venture backed companies expecting institutional investment and certain holding company structures.
How long does an SLA license transfer take in a New York restaurant sale?
Typically sixty to one hundred and twenty days from filing a complete application. Hospitality M and A closings often include transition services agreements or management agreements to bridge the gap.
What courts does the firm appear in for New York matters?
New York Supreme Court (state trial court), the Commercial Division, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, the Eastern District of New York, and the Appellate Division.
How much does a New York business attorney cost?
Flat fee, hourly, or monthly retainer. New York SMB clients on retainer typically spend two thousand to eighty five hundred dollars per month. Entity formation including publication runs approximately fifteen hundred to thirty five hundred dollars. M and A matters typically start at twenty five thousand dollars.
Can you handle deals that involve both New York and Texas operations?
Yes. The firm practices in both states. Many clients have operations or investors spanning both jurisdictions, and we routinely structure transactions that touch both.
Do you offer free consultations in New York?
Yes. Initial consultations are no charge and typically last thirty to sixty minutes.
How do I get started?
Reach out through the contact page, email hello@warrenkalyan.com, or call (212) 516-6513. We will schedule an initial consultation and define scope before any work begins.
Get Started in New York
If you operate, invest in, or are building a business in New York and want counsel that knows the city, the regulators, and the SMB economics, we would welcome the chance to talk.
Reach out at hello@warrenkalyan.com or (212) 516-6513, or visit the contact page.
Related practice areas: New York business attorney | New York mergers and acquisitions | NYC hospitality and liquor licensing | Real estate