Photo of Peter A. Mahler

Peter A. Mahler is a litigator focusing on business divorce cases involving dissolution and other disputes among co-­owners of closely held business entities, such as limited liability companies, corporations, and partnerships. Peter represents both control and non-control owners, often involving family-owned businesses. Frequently counseling business owners prior to litigation, he advises them of their rights and also assists in designing and negotiating an amicable separation between parties. Peter’s counsel helps avoid litigation by means of a buy-out, sale, or division of business assets.

 

 

The typical dispute among LLC members over membership interest transfers involves voluntary assignments or testamentary dispositions. This week’s New York Business Divorce looks at a pair of cases involving disputes arising from involuntary transfers of membership interests.
Continue Reading Turmoil Follows Involuntary Transfers of LLC Membership Interests

A ministerial failure to replace the registered agent of a Delaware LLC ultimately started a chain of events leading to the dismissal last month by a New York appellate court of a direct action by the LLC against its former managers. Get the full story in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading Unauthorized Certificate of Revival Dooms Delaware LLC’s Claims Against Former Managing Members

George Costanza would be unhappy to hear about an Appellate Division decision last week affirming a trial court ruling, among others of interest in an LLC appraisal proceeding, in which it rejected as “double dipping” a request for post-valuation date income distributions on top of the fair value award. Learn more in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading No Double Dipping! Court Denies Post-Valuation Date Distributions in Equitable Buyout of LLC Member

This week’s New York Business Divorce examines a noteworthy decision by Justice Richard Platkin involving the break-up of a law firm organized as a professional services limited liability company, in which the court addressed the potential liability of two members to buy out a third member’s interest after they withdrew from the firm.
Continue Reading Forced to Buy Out Law Partner’s Interest In Defunct Firm, Years After Withdrawing? It Can Happen

The Appellate Division, Second Department’s ruling last month in Berhend v. New Windsor Group, LLC illustrates the disastrous results when care is not taken by the assignee of an LLC interest to determine the validity of the assignor’s interest and the existence of transfer restrictions in the LLC’s operating agreement. Get the full story in this week’s New York Business Divorce.
Continue Reading Always Check Provenance Before Taking an Assignment of LLC Interest