Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina PLLC

Focus and practice areas

This Manhattan firm organizes its work under two headings: real estate law and business law. Both cover transactions and the disputes that grow out of them. Clients come to buy or sell property, to build, to start a company, or to defend one in court. In my opinion, that mix fits people whose legal needs cross from real estate into business and back.

The firm handles residential and commercial matters. It works on condominium and co-op transactions as well as complex residential deals. On the commercial side, it takes on leasing and litigation for businesses and property owners. A client with a lease problem and a company problem can bring both to the same set of lawyers.

Real estate work up close

The real estate practice covers both deals and disputes. On the transactional side, the firm handles purchases and sales, commercial leasing, construction license agreements, and guaranties. It works on condominium and co-op transactions and on complex residential deals. When a matter turns into litigation, the firm represents clients over condominiums, co-ops, complex residential properties, and commercial buildings.

Commercial leasing runs through much of the transactional work. A commercial lease sets rent, term, renewal rights, and the duties each side owes for the space. Small errors in these documents can surface years later, so the drafting and review stage carries real weight. The firm handles that stage and steps in when a lease dispute reaches court.

Liens, licenses, and guaranties

A mechanic's lien gives a contractor or supplier a legal claim against a property when work goes unpaid. New York law sets strict deadlines for filing one and rules for what it must contain. Enforcing or discharging a lien often moves into court, where the owner and the claimant contest the amount and the validity.

Construction license agreements come into play when one owner needs access to a neighbor's land to build or repair. If the two sides cannot agree, New York's RPAPL section 881 lets the builder ask a court for a license. Bradley Pollina's page lists these petitions among his matters, so the firm handles the court process and the agreements alike.

A guaranty adds a third party who promises to cover the deal if the main party defaults. Landlords and lenders often ask for one before they sign with a new business. The firm drafts these promises and litigates them when a claim arises.

Business and litigation services

The business practice starts at formation. The firm sets up LLCs and corporations and supports small businesses as they grow. Forming a company means choosing an entity, filing with the state, and putting an operating agreement or bylaws in place. The firm handles those steps and the contracts a new business signs soon after.

Beyond formation, the firm drafts and negotiates contracts and files intellectual property registrations such as trademarks. For employers, it handles employment matters, and it represents companies that face legal claims. This gives a business one office for its paperwork and its courtroom needs.

Partnership disputes and business divorces form part of the litigation work. These cases come up when co-owners split over money, control, or the direction of a company. They can involve buyouts, demands for an accounting, and claims about how a partner acted. The firm carries this experience into commercial litigation and construction industry disputes as well.

How the team is built

The site lists thirteen attorneys. Named members include Lee Bergstein, Michael Flynn, Cooper Knowlton, Rhonda Schwartz, Emily Ashe, Nicholas Iannuzzi, Brianna Neyland, Joseph DiPietro, Lindsey Laveaux, Conor J. McLaughlin, Isabelle Lozach, and Bradley Pollina. Four of those names, Bergstein, Flynn, Knowlton, and Pollina, appear in the firm's title. A roster of that size lets the firm spread work across real estate and business matters at once.

A closer look at one partner

Bradley Pollina is identified as a partner. He works as a commercial litigator with a focus on the real estate and construction industries. His matters include commercial lease disputes, contract disputes with developers and construction companies, construction access agreements, RPAPL section 881 petitions, and mechanic's lien actions. He also takes on partnership disputes, business divorces, employment cases, and appeals.

Pollina earned a degree from Georgetown in 2010 and his law degree from NYU School of Law in 2013. He is admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey.

What the listing confirms

Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina PLLC operates as a professional limited liability company. It maintains profiles on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram. The site does not list a founding year.

A firm that names its attorneys and defines its services gives a prospective client concrete details to check. As a reviewer, I read the two tracks, real estate and business law, as a match for owners, developers, and companies working in Manhattan. The firm runs that practice from its Manhattan office with a roster of thirteen attorneys.