Peter A.
Mahler
Business Divorce
Partner
New York City
T: 212-687-0733
pmahler@farrellfritz.com pmahler@farrellfritz.com
About Peter
Peter A. Mahler concentrates his litigation practice 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. He represents both control and non-control owners, often involving family-owned businesses. Peter frequently counsels business owners prior to litigation, not only to advise them of their rights, but to assist in designing and negotiating an amicable separation of the parties. His counsel helps avoid litigation by means of a buy-out, sale, or division of business assets.
Peter has decades of litigation experience prosecuting and defending business divorce cases at the trial and appellate levels, as well as in mediation and arbitration proceedings. He 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.
His 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.
For over 15 years, Peter has published a widely followed blog called New York Business Divorce, which has well over 800 articles covering all aspects of dissolution and dissenting shareholder proceedings, involving limited liability companies, corporations, and partnerships, business valuation, and more. He also produces the podcast Business Divorce Roundtable, on which he interviews experts in the field of business divorce, including lawyers, law professors, and business appraisers.
Peter is a Founding Fellow of the American College of LLC and Partnership Attorneys.
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.
Credentials
Education
- New York University School of Law (JD)
- University of California Santa Barbara (BA)
Bar Admissions
- New York
Court Admissions
- U.S.D.C., Eastern District of New York
- U.S.D.C., Southern District of New York
- U.S.C.A., 2nd Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
Affiliations & Appointments
- American Bar Association
Articles & Advisories
Business Divorce and Judicial Dissolution Cases of 2022
Last year the Commercial Division rejected the New York Attorney General’s bid to dissolve the National Rifle Association based on…
March 07, 2023
Business Divorce Cases of 2021
Selecting the most noteworthy decisions from a year’s worth of business divorce cases normally is a daunting challenge given the…
February 25, 2022
Business Divorce Cases of 2020
The pace of business divorce litigation has proven impervious to economic busts and booms, and now pandemics as well. The…
March 03, 2021
FAQs Under The Paycheck Protection Program
As guidance continues to evolve, the Treasury Department has set up a Frequently Asked Questions (“FAQs”) page on their website.…
April 07, 2020
Business Divorce Cases of 2019
Last year’s most noteworthy business divorce cases are marked by a diversity of subject matter, spanning a gamut of disputes…
March 09, 2020
Business Divorce Cases of 2018
In recent years, most of the new and noteworthy case law developments in the business divorce field predictably have involved…
February 26, 2019
Business Divorce Cases of 2017 Focus On Oppression, Valuation and LLC Issues
New York courts last year decided an impressive array of business divorce cases involving closely held corporations, partnerships, and limited…
February 16, 2018
Court Address Key Issues In Business Divorce Cases of 2016
Last year New York courts decided a number of important cases involving business divorce and related litigation between co-owners of…
February 15, 2017
LLCs Dominate Business Divorce Cases of 2015
It’s been over 20 years since legislatures in New York and across the nation gave birth to the limited liability…
February 01, 2016
Complex Questions Addressed In Business Divorce Cases of 2014
Reprinted with permission from New York Law Journal, Volume 253-No. 35, February 24, 2015 issue. In the annals of…
February 25, 2015
Kornreich Reaffirms Skepticism Toward Marketability Discounts
In the January 5th issue of the Commercial Litigation Insider Peter Mahler was quoted in an article on the Zelouf…
January 07, 2015
Court’s Fair Value Award in Shareholder Oppression Case Deducts Present Value of Built In Gains Tax
August 01, 2008
Section Sponsors "Meet and Greet" Luncheon for Queens County Commercial Division Judges
Reprinted with permission from: Commercial and Federal Litigation Section Newsletter, Spring 2007, Vol. 13, No. 1, published by the New…
April 01, 2007
Shareholder Wars: Internal Disputes In Close Corporations Do Not Always Lead to Judicial Dissolution
This article is reprinted with permission from the New York State Bar Association Journal, October 2004, Vol. 76, No. 8,…
October 01, 2004
When Limited Liability Companies Seek Judicial Dissolution, Will the Statute Be Up to the Task?
Reprinted with permission from our upcoming New York State Bar Association Journal, June 2002, Vol. 74, No. 5, published by…
June 01, 2002
Courts Apply Investment-Contract Test to Determine When LLC Membership Interests Are Securities
July 01, 2001
Decisions Have Set Parameters For Establishing ‘Fair Value’ of Frozen-Out Shareholder Interests
July 01, 1999
Twenty Years of Court Decisions Have Clarified Shareholder Rights Under BCL 1104-a and 1118
May 01, 1999
Podcasts
The Litigation War Room: Litigating Business Breakups with Peter Mahler
June 15, 2021
Listen to EpisodeNews
I set up a company with 3 friends. It has annual sales of $1 million. Two partners hijacked control of the bank accounts, and want to push others out. What can we do?
It’s time to stop trying to be fair, and start getting real. Before you do anything with friends — whether…
August 30, 2022
Cellino & Barnes Battle Ends With Deal To Wind Down Firm
The warring partners who brought Buffalo, New York-based personal injury firm Cellino & Barnes PC national recognition — and massive profits —…
June 17, 2020
In a Business Divorce, Knowing What to Do Is the First Step
Neil Sadaka said it best: “Breaking up is hard to do.” It’s as true in love as it is in…
February 19, 2020
LexBlog Leaders: Peter Mahler Builds an Engine with Zeal
Peter Mahler discusses his impetus for launching the New York Business Divorce blog, how it has contributed to his business success…
September 12, 2016
Understanding the Specifics of a Business Divorce
Breaking up is hard to do, so Uniondale-based law firm Farrell Fritz has set up a practice group to make…
June 30, 2016
Farrell Fritz Counsels Disputing Partners with Business Divorce Practice Group
The attached advertorial, published in the May 27, 2016 issue of Long Island Business News, discusses the launch of Farrell Fritz’s…
June 02, 2016
LexBlog Q&A with Farrell Fritz Litigation Partner, Peter A. Mahler, on his Blog, New York Business Divorce
Click on the link to read Lisa Kennelly’s interview with Peter A. Mahler entitled, “Peter Mahler of New York Business…
March 23, 2009
Matter of Jeffrey M. Horning v. Horning Constr. LLC
This is a decision rendered by Judge Fisher. To view the decision, please copy and paste the following link into…
March 21, 2006
On Demand Webcasts
Deadlock-Breaking Mechanisms in LLCs: Avoiding Litigation and Dissolution When Members and Managers Fail to Agree
January 16, 2020
Press Releases
22 Farrell Fritz Attorneys Recognized as 2022 Leading Lawyers in Their Respective Areas of Practice
Farrell Fritz has a combined total of 22 attorneys selected to the 2022 New York Metro Super Lawyers and New…
September 29, 2022
27 Farrell Fritz Attorneys Recognized as 2021 Leading Lawyers in Their Respective Areas of Practice
Farrell Fritz has a combined total of 27 attorneys selected to the 2021 New York Metro Super Lawyers and New…
September 30, 2021
30 Farrell Fritz Attorneys Recognized as 2020 Leading Lawyers in Their Respective Areas of Practice
Farrell Fritz has a combined total of 30 attorneys selected to the 2020 New York Metro Super Lawyers and New…
November 04, 2020
29 Farrell Fritz Attorneys Recognized as 2019 Leading Lawyers in Their Respective Areas of Practice
Farrell Fritz has a combined total of 29 attorneys selected to the 2019 New York Metro Super Lawyers and New…
September 17, 2019
30 Farrell Fritz Attorneys Recognized as 2018 Leading Lawyers in Their Respective Areas of Practice
Farrell Fritz had a combined total of 30 attorneys selected to the 2018 New York Metro Super Lawyers and New…
September 13, 2018
31 Farrell Fritz Attorneys Recognized as 2017 Leading Lawyers in their Respective Areas of Practice
Farrell Fritz had a combined total of 31 attorneys selected to the 2017 New York Metro Super Lawyers and New…
September 20, 2017
30 Farrell Fritz Attorneys Recognized as 2016 Leading Lawyers in their Respective Areas of Practice
Farrell Fritz had a combined total of 30 attorneys selected to the 2016 New York Metro Super Lawyers and New…
September 21, 2016
Farrell Fritz Launches Business Divorce Practice Group
Farrell Fritz is pleased to announce the launch of the firm’s Business Divorce practice group. Led by Peter A. Mahler,…
June 06, 2016
Farrell Fritz’s New York Business Divorce Blog Chosen as an ABA Journal Blawg 100 Honoree
Farrell Fritz is pleased to announce that the firm’s New York Business Divorce blog, authored by Peter A. Mahler, was…
November 25, 2015
30 Farrell Fritz Attorneys Recognized as 2015 Leading Lawyers in their Respective Areas of Practice
Farrell Fritz had a combined total of 30 attorneys selected to the 2015 New York Super Lawyers and New York…
September 16, 2015
30 Farrell Fritz Attorneys Recognized as 2014 Leading Lawyers in their Respective Areas of Practice
Farrell Fritz had a combined total of 30 attorneys named to the 2014 New York Super Lawyers and New York…
September 23, 2014
Peter A. Mahler Joins Farrell Fritz, P.C. as Partner in Newly Opened Manhattan Office
Farrell Fritz is pleased to announce that Peter A. Mahler has joined the firm as a partner, effective February 1,…
February 22, 2004
Recognition
Super Lawyer
New York Metro (Business Litigation) 2013–Present
AV Preeminent Martindale-Hubbell
Peer Review Rating