Stein Adler Dabah & Zelkowitz LLP

We're bridging the gap between outside and inside counsel,

one client at a time.

Stein Adler is a New York City law firm,

created by big firm lawyers committed to having a small firm touch with clients.

We cut our teeth at some of the country's largest and most prestigious law firms, but now we're out to reshape the role of outside counsel. Unlike the typical lawyer-client dynamic, we forge deep and impactful relationships with clients by becoming an ingrained part of their business, and approaching their endeavors with a mindset that adds value at every turn. That’s why we call ourselves embedded counsel.

Whether you’re executing a complex transaction, tackling a business opportunity or trying to resolve a contentious dispute, we’ll stand alongside you, and we’ll be deeply invested in your success.

Learn about the embedded counsel difference

Real estate is in our DNA,

but we're more than just that.

PRACTICE AREAS

REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT

Sophisticated real estate developers rely on our legal advice on site selection, due diligence, land assemblages, development rights transfers, joint ventures, and other aspects of projects in the five boroughs of New York City, and other cities.

REAL ESTATE LITIGATION

Our strong understanding of the real estate market helps us creatively and efficiently resolve disputes involving acquisitions and sales, construction and neighboring access, leasing, financing, title insurance, fraud, partnership battles and dissolutions, and other complex matters.

COMMERCIAL LITIGATION

Our litigators have successfully resolved many types of complex disputes in state and federal courts, handling everything from case inception through judgment and appeal. We also advise clients on the alternative dispute resolution process, including mediations and arbitrations.

REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

We have successfully documented, negotiated and closed a substantial number of large and mid-market transactions across the country, including single asset and portfolio acquisitions and dispositions, debt and equity financings, commercial leases and joint ventures.

EMPLOYMENT COUNSELING +

LITIGATION

We advise employers, officers and executives on a wide range of workplace issues, disputes and litigation in New York and New Jersey, as well as in internal investigations, government audits and administrative proceedings.

ALTERNATIVE FINANCE LITIGATION

We frequently defend factoring companies, merchant cash advance companies and other alternative finance providers against usury, fraud, RICO and breach of contract claims, as well as attacks on judgments, emergency applications and plenary proceedings.

BUSINESS COUNSELING + TRANSACTIONS

We provide corporate counseling and legal services to entrepreneurs, and start-up, emerging and mid-market companies across a broad range of industries.

THE EMBEDDED COUNSEL DIFFERENCE

We bridge the traditional roles of inside and outside counsel through a collaborative mentality that places us front and center in our clients’ businesses.

For many we occupy a unique place of trust, because we’re a fully-integrated partner that understands the nuances of their organization and delivers practical legal solutions that match their needs.

And quite a few of them consider us friends as well – a rare testament to how far we’ll go to see them succeed. Our embedded counsel values can also be seen in the way we run our firm and deliver our services:

Creativity

Complex circumstances require lawyers who are sound in logic, but creative enough to see around corners. We add value to these situations by bringing a rare blend of legal expertise, business sophistication and New York street smarts to the table.

Efficiency

We're a lean law firm that steers clear of excessive overhead and inefficient behaviors that inflate the cost of legal services. That translates into exceptional legal counsel delivered at a much lower rate than our larger competitors.

Value-Based Fees

Our clients realize value in many different ways. That's why we go beyond the standard hourly rate that permeates the industry, partnering with clients on a range of creative alternatives, including blended rates, full and partial contingency fees, and success fees.