Lawson’s practice focuses on high-exposure, fast-moving commercial disputes with significant financial stakes and sophisticated counterparties.
In these arenas, Lawson provides strategic counsel across a broad spectrum of sophisticated disputes, including financial litigation, executive compensation, corporate governance, and government investigations.
In high-stakes disputes, Lawson consistently outmaneuvers large institutional opponents and reverses defensive postures into commanding advantages by identifying latent variables that constrain optionality, increase exposure, and accelerate consequences.
Representative Matters & Case Studies
7-Day $1.37M Equity Swing in Merger Dispute
Retained seven days prior to the closing of a $10M merger, Lawson represented a founding engineer facing a pretextual termination designed to trigger clawbacks of his vested equity and forfeit unvested shares. Over a 36-hour blitz, Lawson negotiated directly with the company board and outside counsel, exposing executive misconduct and establishing preparedness for immediate injunctive relief. On the eve of the merger closing, the company relented and awarded the client 1,000,000 shares—yielding a $1.14M cash wire at closing and establishing a $1.37M total financial value secured in one week.
Landmark Individual Liability Decision under NYC FIFA
Defeated motion to dismiss in a suit asserting unpaid fees and retaliation under the New York City Freelance Isn't Free Act (FIFA). The Court rejected the defendants' dismissal arguments and sustained claims against the CEO individually, establishing the first New York state-court to apply Labor Law’s "economic realities" test as basis for conferring "hiring parties” status on executives under FIFA. The resulting precedent led to a settlement exceeding 1,200% of the baseline claim.
228% Severance Package Expansion
Negotiated against General Counsel of prominent private equity firm and secured 228% increase in severance compensation for mid-level associate. Challenged the firm’s pretextual termination basis and surfaced cross-border legal exposure implicating unwaivable employee rights under Italian law resulting in additional $98,000 in severance compensation (from $43,000 to $141,000) and 100% carry retention.
80% Pre-Suit Liability Neutralization
Defended Qatari-backed investment fund against a $300,000 fee demand from recruiting agency represented by Am Law 200 firm. Timely interception of errant communication prevented six figure account stated claim and contract arguments forced plaintiff to recalibrate position resulting in single breach of contract claim for $60,000—abandoning 80% ($240,000) of its initial demand. The parties await the Court’s decision on Irth’s motion to dismiss.
Zero-Severance to 5-Figure Settlement
Negotiated with General Counsel of Avant Gardner/Brooklyn Mirage to resolve no severance termination and $60,000 commission dispute on behalf of Director of Premium Sales. Reframed the venue’s improper withholding as wage theft under NYLL with $150,000+ in legal exposure resulting in $45,000 pre-suit settlement within 12 day window.
