Peter A. Mahler concentrates his litigation practice on “business divorce” cases involving dissolution and other disputes among co-owners of closely held business entities including limited liability companies, corporations, and partnerships. Peter represents both control and non-control owners, often involving family-owned businesses. Peter frequently counsels business owners before litigation occurs, not only to advise them of their rights, but to assist in designing and negotiating an amicable separation of the parties in order to avoid litigation by means of a buy-out, sale, or division of business assets. As a litigator, Peter has decades of experience prosecuting and defending business divorce cases at the trial and appellate levels, as well as in mediation and arbitration proceedings. Peter also works closely with appraisers involved in the valuation of business interests in appraisal contests such as elective buy-outs in dissolution proceedings and dissenting shareholder appraisals following cash-out mergers.
Peter’s longstanding focus on business divorce, both for his clients and as a prolific author and lecturer, has made him a widely recognized authority on dissolution and valuation proceedings involving closely held business entities. He frequently lectures on diverse business divorce topics at continuing education programs for lawyers, judges, and appraisers, and a number of his published articles have been cited in judicial opinions and law reviews. Beginning in 2021, Peter authors the Practice Commentaries in McKinney’s Consolidated Laws of New York Annotated for the Limited Liability Company Law and the Revised Limited Partnership Act.
Peter launched the New York Business Divorce blog in 2007. He has personally authored over 700 in-depth articles covering all aspects of dissolution and dissenting shareholder proceedings involving limited liability companies, corporations, and partnerships; business valuation, and much more. He also produces a podcast called the Business Divorce Roundtable on which he interviews experts in the field of business divorce, including lawyers, law professors, and business appraisers.