This Request for Assistance form is provided as part of the New York Forward Small Business Lease Assistance Program (LAP) is a public-private partnership between Empire State Development, the nonprofit Start Small Think Big, and the New York Bar Association, to help avoid business evictions. The initiative provides both landlords and commercial tenants with pro bono legal services, and the information needed to reach a mutually agreeable lease renegotiation.
The Start Small Think Big COVID-19 Pro Bono Collaborative, a growing network of trusted top-tier law firms, corporations and other legal service providers across the country, is providing a highly coordinated, emergency response to help small businesses and nonprofit organizations survive the economic impact of COVID-19. This collaborative provides remote legal and financial clinics and one-on-one sessions on the COVID-19 stimulus package and similar programs as well as COVID-19 related legal issues.
Please complete this form to request a COVID-19 Consultation, including meetings to discuss commercial leases, with a volunteer attorney or financial professional. These consultations will be conducted via phone or video. Initial consultations will generally last 1 hour to cover as many of your specific needs with the option for follow up consultations as available.
Upon completing this form, you will shortly receive an email detailing the specifics of your requests and the current estimated timeline to place you with volunteers, whether more information is required from you, and whether it appears you are eligible for more robust free small business support services through Start Small Think Big. Once you have been matched with volunteers, the volunteers will use email to schedule your appointment. It is imperative that you check your email regularly to see any updates regarding your submission and volunteer status.
All of the assistance we offer is free, as there are many lawyers and financial professionals who just want to help during the crisis. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to email us at response@startsmallthinkbig.org. We are working to respond as quickly as possible!