Counsel to the Upper East Side.
Personal counsel to the neighborhood’s building owners, businesses, galleries and families – from a New York trial lawyer who lives here and has practiced since 2002.
John H. Snyder PLLC is an independent law practice serving individuals, families, property owners and businesses on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The firm provides personal legal counsel and represents clients in consequential commercial, real estate and professional disputes.
Every matter is handled personally by John H. Snyder, from an office on East 81st Street.
Who we represent.
Individuals and families
People with property, businesses or careers to protect – with or without a family office.
Property owners
Owners and operators of retail, residential and mixed-use buildings.
Business owners
Boutiques, hotels, professional practices and other privately held businesses.
Co-op and condo boards
Boards and managing agents of the neighborhood’s residential buildings.
Galleries and collectors
Galleries, dealers and private collectors.
Investors
Partners, shareholders and investors in New York real estate and private companies.
When clients call.
A retail tenant stops paying – and won’t leave.
The owner needs rent collected, the space recovered, and the next lease protected.
A townhouse renovation stalls halfway through.
The contractor files a lien, the schedule slips, and the owner needs the project finished and the lien gone.
A neighbor’s renovation damages the building.
The board needs access terms, insurance and repair costs settled before the damage spreads.
A business partner has been diverting money.
The owner needs the facts, the funds traced, and the company protected while it happens.
A consigned painting sells, and the money never arrives.
The collector needs the proceeds or the work back – quickly and quietly.
A partner stops sharing the books.
The investor needs the records and a path to recover the investment.
An employer or institution threatens a professional’s career.
The professional needs the facts preserved, the options weighed, and a strategy before the next meeting.
A family faces a legal problem it has never seen before.
The family needs one lawyer to assess it, handle what he can, and bring in the right specialist for the rest.
If your situation looks like one of these – or like none of them – call. The first conversation is with John H. Snyder.
Practice areas.
Real Estate, Buildings & Construction
Counsel to owners, boards and developers on the disputes that come with owning, operating and building in Manhattan.
- Commercial and retail lease disputes
- Tenant defaults and lease enforcement
- Co-op and condominium board matters
- Neighbor access and adjoining-property disputes
- Landmarks approvals and renovation conflicts
- Owner–contractor disputes
- Mechanic’s liens and Lien Law trust claims
- Development and joint venture disputes
Business & Commercial Litigation
Contract disputes, business misconduct, injunctions and trials in New York State and federal courts.
- Contract and business disputes
- Partnership and business divorce
- Diversion of funds and breach of fiduciary duty
- Injunctions and emergency relief
- Trials and appeals
Art, Galleries & Luxury Retail
Disputes in the art market and on the avenue – for galleries, dealers, collectors and boutique owners.
- Sale and consignment disputes
- Gallery–artist and dealer disputes
- Payment and commission claims
- Boutique leases, buildouts and landlord disputes
- Partner and investor disputes in luxury businesses
Personal & Family Office Counsel
A senior lawyer to call first – for individuals, families and family offices facing a consequential or unfamiliar legal problem.
- First assessment of a new legal problem
- Outside general counsel
- Coordination of specialists and other firms
- Real estate and art holdings
- Professional, employment and reputational matters
- Family business and governance
Investment & Partnership Disputes
Disputes among owners, shareholders and investors over governance, money and control.
- Joint venture and partner disputes
- Investor and fund disputes
- Shareholder and derivative litigation
- Securities and fiduciary claims
- Books-and-records demands
- Distressed and underperforming assets
Discretion. Judgment. Personal attention.
Personal responsibility
Clients work directly with John H. Snyder throughout the engagement.
Trial experience
The firm evaluates litigation risks, costs and opportunities from the outset, and prepares for trial when the client’s objectives require it.
Business judgment
Counsel grounded in how businesses are formed and run – cash flow, ownership, operations and the cost of a dispute.
John H. Snyder
John H. Snyder is a New York trial lawyer who has practiced since 2002. He founded John H. Snyder PLLC in 2010 and handles each client’s matter personally.
He began his career as law clerk to the Hon. A. Richard Caputo of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, then spent seven years as a litigator at Proskauer Rose. His practice centers on high-stakes commercial litigation, with deep experience in fine art, galleries and boutiques, and construction and development. He has represented investors, developers, management companies and construction firms.
He also founded an artificial intelligence company and served as its chief executive. The experience taught him how a business is formed, how it operates and how to navigate a difficult and changing environment.
John H. Snyder grew up on a wheat farm in Ephrata, Washington. He graduated from Brown University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and from Harvard Law School. He lives on the Upper East Side.
Confidential consultations, by appointment.
Call or write, and John H. Snyder will respond personally. Meetings are at our office on East 81st Street or at your building, gallery or business.
Contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send confidential information until we have confirmed there is no conflict of interest.