Lawson represents clients in high-stakes matters with significant financial or operational exposure. He builds legal strategies around each client’s immediate and broader business goals, protecting clients from the financial pitfalls of high-cost, low-yield campaigns.
Clients value Lawson’s unvarnished assessment of their case: its merits, what they can realistically recover, and what pursuing that recovery will cost. He looks beyond the immediate dispute to identify consequences that narrow the opposing party’s options and accelerate resolution, without allowing legal spend to consume the value at stake.
A former law clerk to the Honorable Andrea Masley in the Commercial Division of the New York State Supreme Court—New York’s specialized business court—Lawson brings litigation credibility to the negotiating table where he is most formidable:
converting a $233,000 equity clawback attempt into a $1.14 million settlement in 96 hours
negotiating a 228% severance increase (from $43K to $141K)
mitigating a $300,000 pre-suit demand to a $60K suit
reversing a $124,000 vendor demand into a $50,000 payment from the vendor
A graduate of St. John’s University School of Law, Lawson served as Managing Director of the Moot Court Honor Society. From 2013-2014, Lawson led a record-setting run earning back-to-back national honors at the Thomas Tang National Moot Court Competition: National Quarterfinalist and Second Best Brief (2013), followed by National Finalist and Best Brief (2014). After graduating, Lawson began his career at the Wall Street firm Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP.
In September 2025, Lawson engineered a $1.14M cash settlement in the 96 hours preceding a $10M merger, defeating a startup’s attempted clawback and forfeiture of a founding engineer’s 1 million-share stake in the company.
In December 2025, Lawson negotiated against the General Counsel of a multi-billion-dollar private equity sponsor to increase a 5 year PE associate’s severance compensation by 228% (from $43K to $141K) securing nearly 9 months of base salary (vs 3-6 month industry standard) and 100% carry retention
In May 2026, Lawson defended Qatari Royal family-backed Irth Capital against a $300K recruiting fee demand, successfully blocking a $120,000 account stated claim pre-suit and shrinking the entire exposure to a single $60,000 breach-of-contract claim.
In September 2026, Lawson prevailed against three law firms on a contested motion to dismiss, securing a landmark ruling expanding executive liability under New York’s Freelance Isn’t Free Act. The matter settled for 20 times the initial settlement offer.
Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP
Lowenstein Sandler LLP
Olshan Frome & Wolosky LLP
Law Clerk, Hon. Andrea Masley, J.S.C.
New York State Supreme Court, Commercial DivisionSt. John’s University School of Law (J.D., 2016)
Managing Director,
Moot Court Honor SocietyJournal of Civil Rights and Economic Development
Thomas Tang National Moot Court CompetitionNational Quarterfinalist, 2013,
Second Best Brief, 2013National Finalist, 2014
Best Brief, 2014St. John’s University (B.S., 2010)
State of New York
U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of New York