Master Lawyer, a law firm in New York, London and Paris
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Trusted Counsel Since 1987Reliable Legal SolutionsOne team takes your case from the first phone call to the final ruling, and keeps you informed. -
New York, London, ParisExperienced Trial LawyersWe settle when settling serves you, and we go to trial ready to win when it doesn't.
120
Qualified Lawyers
1900+
Successful Cases
1825+
Happy Clients
140+
Honors & Awards
PRACTICE AREAS
How We Can Help You
From a first consultation to a final judgment, our lawyers handle the matters that shape people's lives and businesses.
Every new case is reviewed by a partner, and you receive a written plan and a fee estimate before any work begins.
Here are the areas where clients most often need us.
Every new case is reviewed by a partner, and you receive a written plan and a fee estimate before any work begins.
Here are the areas where clients most often need us.
OUR STORY
Why Choose Us?
We started this firm to give people what we wanted
as clients: straight answers and a lawyer who calls back
Not every dispute belongs in court. We settle when a settlement serves you, go to trial when it does not, and tell you which is which before you spend money on fees.
Rene Mackovsky and Claire Dumont opened Master Lawyer in a two-room office on Lexington Avenue in 1987. Today 120 lawyers work from New York, London and Paris, on everything from custody disputes and injury claims to cross-border financings. The firm has grown, but the way we work has not: a partner reviews every new matter, you get a written plan and a fee estimate up front, and your lawyer returns calls within one business day.
Most new clients come to us on the recommendation of someone we have already helped. We take that as the best measure of our work.
Most new clients come to us on the recommendation of someone we have already helped. We take that as the best measure of our work.
Rene Mackovsky
President & Co-Founder
good to know
Frequently asked questions
Browse Help Topics
Our family team handles divorce and legal separation, child custody and visitation, child and spousal support, division of property and pensions, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, adoption and protective orders. Many cases are resolved through negotiation or mediation, which is usually faster, cheaper and easier on children than a trial. When a case does need a judge, the lawyer who negotiated it stays with you in the courtroom. If you are only thinking about separating, one consultation can explain your rights and what to gather before you decide anything.
Look for someone who has worked with companies at your stage, not only with large corporations. A good startup lawyer will help you choose the right entity, put founder vesting and IP assignment agreements in place early, and keep your cap table clean so your first funding round is not held up by old mistakes. Ask how they bill: our startup group offers fixed fees for incorporation, seed financings and standard hiring documents, so you know the cost before you start. Ask, too, who will actually do the work day to day.
You may have a claim if someone else's carelessness caused your injury, whether in a car crash, a fall on badly maintained property, a defective product or a medical error. Strict deadlines apply, often two or three years from the accident and sometimes much less for claims against public bodies, so do not wait. Keep photos, medical records, receipts and the names of witnesses, and do not give a recorded statement to the other side's insurer before speaking to a lawyer. We take injury cases on contingency: no fee unless we recover compensation for you.
Nothing. The first consultation is free and confidential for every practice area, and you leave with a written fee estimate before any work starts. It lasts about 45 minutes, in person at any of our three offices or by video call. Bring the documents behind your case, such as contracts, letters, court papers or medical records, and a short timeline of what happened. By the end of the meeting you will know whether you have a case, what your main options are and roughly what each is likely to cost.
It depends on the type of matter and on how willing the other side is to settle. An uncontested divorce or a contract review can be finished in a few weeks. A personal injury claim usually takes nine to eighteen months, and a case that goes to trial can take two years or more, mostly because of court schedules. At the start we give you a realistic timeline in writing and update it whenever something changes. You also get a direct line to the lawyer handling your case, so you never have to wait days to find out what is happening.
Stay calm, be polite, and say clearly that you will not answer questions without a lawyer present. You have the right to remain silent, and using it cannot be held against you. Do not try to explain your side of the story, do not consent to a search of your phone, car or home, and do not sign any statement. Call our criminal defense line, which is answered around the clock, and a lawyer can meet you at the station or join by phone. Anything you say before your lawyer arrives can be used in court, however harmless it seemed at the time.
OUR TEAM
Meet Our Attorneys
Our partners average twenty years of practice, and many served as prosecutors, in-house counsel or court clerks before joining us. When you hire Master Lawyer you work directly with one of them, not with a different junior associate every time you call.
Helena Marsh
Banking & Finance Lawyer
Advises lenders and fintech firms on
loan facilities and compliance. Former
in-house counsel at a New York bank,
admitted in New York and England.
Testimonials
What Our Clients Say
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Marcus Bell, cafe ownerMy landlord tried to evict my cafe over a clause I had never noticed. The real estate team found a flaw in his notice, negotiated a new five-year lease and kept my doors open the whole time. I only wish I had called them sooner. -
Daniel Kovac, nurseAfter a driver ran a red light and broke my leg, his insurer offered me $8,000. My lawyer documented every missed shift and therapy session, and a year later we settled for $95,000. Every call was returned the same day.
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